It's Sunday evening and I am anxiously awaiting The Philadelphia Flyers VS. New Jersey Devils NHL playoff game. While waiting I figured I'd post another diary asking Kossacks about their chosen nom de plume and signature lines. My signature line isn't cryptic or funny or even a favorite quote, it just seemed to sum up how I felt when I adopted it.
I'm not widely read, although I did have the rescue rangers revive a recent writing of mine, which was cool. Someone enjoyed what I had offered, and wanted to give it more exposure, that made my day. I've never made the rec list and really don't ever expect to, not that there's anything wrong with that.
I always like finding out how people settled on their "name", some of the stories are kind of obvious, some are probably funny or fairly obscure. All explanations are interesting as you get some insight into the user, even if it's just a name and location.
More below The 13th Floor...
I've explained my choice of The 13th Floor many times before, but it really fits me and that's the topic. Since 1/2/90, I've been a proud member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors. Most modern buildings don't have a floor numbered or labeled 13, call it triskaidekaphobia, but there's a reason for that. Financially speaking, you would have a difficult time renting or selling space on the 13th floor.
Building owners noticed this trend years ago, and they decided to not acknowledge the 13th floor even existed. Many buildings have two or three story lobbies, and maybe a mezzanine, they may start numbering the subsequent floors beginning with the fourth or fifth floor. When you get to the twelfth floor, you skip to the fourteenth, as if by magic! No matter how your building is numbered, if it's thirteen or more stories above the street, you got yourself a 13th floor.
I do wish my signature line was more clever, or funnier, or even somewhat enigmatic. It does reflect how I feel when I post something here. I hope people find what I write entertaining, informative, or funny. I'm not the best writer and I know it, half is good, half is bad. My writing kind of mirrors my life, some good, some bad, and I'm okay with that.
No matter how many try to rent, buy, or ignore, you guys are stuck with this The 13th Floor!