lately, i’ve been doing a lot of introspection, and in doing so, i realized that identities i used to have fit me like an old coat that is now two sizes too big. mainly, my name. i tried to embrace alex as my name but it quickly wore out. i found comfort in my dead name a lot more than the one that i chose for myself. however, my dead name didn’t feel quite right either. after a lot of thought, i’ve decided to change my name to a nickname my friend came up with when i identified with my dead name: kay.