My Two Identities: Unmasked
How Amanda May became Liz Emerald
Nice to meet you. I’m Amanda May. Oh, and Liz Emerald. Or, you can just call me Mandi.
Are you a little confused? I’d like to explain. I promise I’m not too crazy.
At birth, I was named Amanda Elizabeth. But family called me Mandi from day one. Thus, Mandi is who I am in my heart.
When I graduated college and entered the business world, I thought I needed a more serious name (which is somewhat comical in hindsight) and decided to go by Amanda.
For some time, it didn’t feel like me, at least not like the real me. I felt like Amanda was an actress. Mandi was real life.
Nevertheless, I proceeded like this, through graduate school and building a private practice as a marriage & relationship counselor.
Over time, I began to relax into Amanda professionally, and somewhere along the way experienced an identity alignment. My two names really were both me.
Still, for family and close friends, it remained that calling me anything outside of Mandi seemed strange.
After all of this, one might think I would have chosen the authentic route with my…
