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| Cluj 2002 |
I had many nicknames during the years. From high-school, university, and almost every company I worked for. Not bad for the-not-so-popular-kid I use to be once. They sounds better in Romanian but a rough translation would be The Master (Jupanu'), The Godfather (Nasu' Mare) - thx Rucs - or The Colonel. But the one which I remember most and played a major role in my life was "Puparo".
It seems that Puparo was a character from the italian TV series about mafia "La Piovra". A very discrete, quite, calm killer. Which never stands out but very efficiently "resolve" his victims. Honestly, I never understood why they named me like that, did not associated me with this and never really liked that nickname. I finished the university and nobody was there anymore to remember it, so I forgot about it.
More than 10 years after, after a series of psychology books reading, it suddenly came to my lips when I decided to name my alter ego, my dark side, the interior force pushing me into directions I wouldn't want to go. It came naturally, just like that. Puparo.
Puparo is everything I am not. He is twisted, dark, having its own agenda, constantly dripping in my life doubts, insecurity and fears. Recognize the feeling? The outcome of naming it Puparo was that suddenly I had a name for my enemy. It had a name, a shape, a behavior and I was ready and knowledgeable how to fight with him.
Sometimes it helps. Look into you, try to isolate your inner sabotage agent and name it. We ALL have a Puparo inside of us. Just identify it, find a name for it and half of the battle is won. Of course, the schizophrenia awaits around the corner. But that's a story for some other time.