Camus' words about great works being born in mundane situations jump out at me now.
Nearly four years ago now, I had no idea how important the Downs would be in my life. On picking the name I typed down a favourite Tolkien character in the space, only for my request to be denied. Assuming that there was already a user with that name I tried again. And again. And again. It just wouldn't work. I tried about 30 times. And then I realised that it wasn't the username that was the problem; it was my email address.
I rectified that problem, and went with the name that was already on the screen (my 30th choice, as it were).
Not that my earlier ones were any more interesting. As I recall I could have been Merry or Pippin or Treebeard or Fingolfin of the Noldor or anything like that.
Not only that, but (as is probably painful for every Barrowdowner who reads my posts) I didn't manage to use an
É and went with an
E instead.
So I've never really liked my username; but I've become it, so to speak. And nowadays
Eomer of the Rohirrim has a small semblance of meaning to it, despite its highly
inauspicious birth.
