“Evolving because you outgrew the original persona is not necessarily a bad thing.” Danny took a grounding breath. In. Out. “Sometimes I feel like I’m losing touch with who I am,” Danny admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He stared at the ground, tracing patterns in the dirt with the toe of his shoe. “I just wish I could figure out how to be both Danny and whoever it is I’m becoming.”
Danny ran a hand through his hair, glancing off to the side. He could see Aisling’s point, but the loyalty to his parents echoed in his mind. “I mean, I don’t even really understand what’s in the contract,” he admitted, feeling a bit ashamed. “I just signed it because they said it was the best choice for my career. I trust them. Maybe I should just stick it out, you know?” But how long would sticking it out be? He was already thirty-four. They’d been managing him since he was two years old… he couldn’t even remember the amount of random forms he’d filled out in his life.
He paused, considering her words. He wanted to defend his parents, but the more he thought about it, he realized there was a growing ache inside him—a desire for autonomy that had been suppressed. “I don’t want to resent them. I just feel like I owe them so much, and maybe part of me thinks that staying in the contract is the best way to repay that.”
“I guess my only other question for the moment would be, is your stage name trademarked?” Danny perked up because he did know this one—then deflated. “I think so. I remember something about that when I was twelve—my parents handled most of it. They made me feel like it was a big deal, like having my name protected would give me that extra edge. But honestly, I don’t know the specifics.” Danny thought, contemplating how little he knew about his own career’s legalities.
Danny sat back in his seat, absorbing her words. “Wow, I feel like I’ve been operating in the dark. It’s frustrating to think about how much I don’t know about my own life’s trajectory.” he notes aloud as they seemed to turn into Aislings building.
Aisling | @Caticorn