Angelo Sotira vs Sotiracopoulos: The Accidental Alias

A quick personal story about how my name came to be

Hello, dear readers! Today, I want to share a personal story with you — one that's a bit quirky, somewhat accidental, and deeply intertwined with my identity. It's about how I, Angelo Sotiracopoulos, came to be known as Angelo Sotira.

Let's wind the clock back to when I was 18. At that time, I was deeply involved with MP3s, a realm that was quite the buzz in the tech world. My involvement caught the attention of Wired magazine, and one fine day, I received a call from a reporter eager to interview me. Exciting, right?

As the interview wrapped up, the reporter asked me the standard question: "How do you spell your name?" Now, those of you familiar with Greek names know they can be a bit of a tongue-twister, and mine was no exception. My full last name, Sotiracopoulos, is quite the handful.

Here's the funny thing about long names: there are natural pausing points when spelling them out, especially over the phone. For mine, it goes something like "S o t i r a" - pause - "c o p" - pause - "o u l o s". But that day, nervous and acutely aware of how often people stumbled over my name, I paused at that first pause point... and just stopped. "It's Sotira," I said.

I didn't plan it. It wasn't a calculated move to rebrand myself. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, a product of nerves and a desire for simplicity. And from that point on, I became known as Angelo Sotira.

In a way, it was a relief. Sotira was easier to remember, easier to spell, and it rolled off the tongue with ease. But, as the years passed, I sometimes found myself reflecting on that decision. I'm immensely proud of my Greek heritage, and my full last name is a big part of that. Did shortening it mean I was distancing myself from that heritage?

The truth is, names are powerful. They carry history, culture, and identity. My decision to go by Sotira was practical, but it also led to some unexpected introspection about my roots and the way we present ourselves to the world.

In hindsight, maybe I could have chosen a different stage name, something with a bit more flair. But life is funny like that. We make choices in the blink of an eye that sometimes stick with us for a lifetime.

So there you have it — the story of how Angelo Sotiracopoulos became Angelo Sotira. It's a reminder of how our identities can evolve, often in unexpected ways. And while I may go by Sotira, my Greek roots are as strong as ever. Perhaps, in a way, both names are a part of who I am.

Thanks for reading, and remember: whether it's Sotira or Sotiracopoulos, it's still me, Angelo, proud of my past and excited for the future.