Thanks for the insight. I struggle with the concept of pen names but your story makes a strong case for using one. I think we humans too often judge others based on what is true about ourselves. We need to realize that other people’s lives, beliefs, and reasons for what they do may be wildly different from ours, so we have no business judging them at all. Choices don’t exist in a vaccum. They are the result of what each of us brings to the table.