If you’ve followed me on Facebook and Instagram over the past year, you might have found yourself confused with me… is it David or Dirk? What should you call me? Who the hell am I?
No doubt even something as simple as a name change on social media can have a tremendous impact on one’s identity toward their network of friends. Many people have asked me why I changed my name, when will I change it back and most of all… Do I go by David or Dirk?
The simple answer, at least to the last question… while many people might know me as David, I really like the name Dirk (and the German pronounciation of it “DEER-CK” like Deer (the animal) and a CK). David Smith is a very… VERY common name in the United States. Too common in fact and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I feel it’s time for something new.
When I initially changed the name, I wanted people to call me Dirk. However being as established as I am here in Denver, it is not exactly an easy transition and I started to forget to whom and how I introduced myself to people, thus I got more confused myself than others have. So, I have told people that while I prefer Dirk, I respond to both.
It is difficult to adopt such a significant shift in identity. With everything from official IDs, Business Cards, Addresses, Credit Cards, and just even my own space cadet kind of memory, it is definitely a kind of transition that can throw a lot of people off.
The change represents the precursor to a major impending life change for me. To end one chapter and begin anew. While I am not entirely sure what that will fully entail, it does include leaving Denver and starting somewhere new and with a clean slate but when and where? Who knows! All I know it is including a new name, Dirk.
With that I am excited at the new opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead. My passion and cause has never been stronger as I continue to grow and expand Stonewall Fitness and Fit with PRIDE to encompass new ideas and approaches toward helping unite the LGBTQ+ community through exercise, fitness and sport. By growing opportunities to write and share my insight into exercise and fitness as well as building my online training and coaching programs. No matter where in the world I might go, I will always have a community that I feel apart of and can continue to help bring together in our common pursuit of better health, fitness and wellness.
