From Veritech to Vanguard: The Evolution of an Alter Ego

Special thanks to just rojie for today’s writing prompt.

What’s your alter ego’s name and why?

When I was a teenager—those formative junior high and early high school years—I got heavily into a role-playing game based on the 80s animated series, Robotech. Role-playing games are unique; they don’t use boards or figurines. They use dice, paper, and a lot of imagination. For me, they also used a lot of suppressed emotion.

The Cockpit of Keith Logan

The first and best character I ever created was a Veritech fighter pilot named Keith Logan.

Keith was an escape valve. I could live vicariously through him: he was a skilled pilot, an expert in hand-to-hand combat, and—in a total departure from my actual life—something of a womanizer. He was a cocktail of an 80s action hero, the womanizing charm of Captain Kirk, and a heavy dose of Wolverine’s “Canucklehead” grit. (I always thought “Logan” was the ultimate badass name).

The Safety Valve and the Dark Thoughts

I’ve mentioned before that as a young teenager, I had some dark thoughts. In today’s world, the stuff that lived in my head back then would have landed me in the principal’s office, a therapist’s chair, or expelled. Keith Logan was the outlet for all of that. Through him, if a “bad guy” got in the way, he simply unalived them. There were no real-world consequences, just the narrative release of a storytelling game.

Dust on the Shelf

As I got older and developed something vaguely resembling a social life, Keith Logan ended up in a pocketed folder. He started collecting dust on the shelf, much like Woody and Buzz between Toy Story 2 and 3.

But looking back now, I see the evolution. I grew up wanting to be like Keith Logan, but as I matured, I realized the man I actually wanted to be was Optimus Prime.

The Optimus Prime Realization

Keith Logan was about superior firepower and intensity. He was a shield I used to navigate a world where I felt I had no power. But the man I am today—and the one I’m still working to become—is built on being “strong enough to be gentle.”

The Dangerous Power of Restraint

There is a specific kind of power that comes with age. It’s the realization that you don’t need to be the loudest or the most aggressive person in the room to be “dangerous.” In fact, you become truly dangerous when you reach the point where you simply don’t care what others think of you. Whether it’s a student telling me I “suck” or a random critic in the stands, that noise doesn’t penetrate the armor anymore.

I’ve traded Keith Logan’s fighter jet for a leader’s restraint. I’ve learned that earning respect doesn’t come from a Veritech’s cannons, but from the ability to show kindness because you know you have the strength to back it up if you ever truly had to.

Keith Logan was a great veil and a necessary outlet. But I’ll take the “Optimus” life every time.

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Whether I’m 900 days into a streak or reflecting on the decade of posts that led me here, the mission remains the same. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint behind the rebuild.

Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road to 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE .

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AI art created by Google Gemini 

The article “From Veritech to Vanguard: The Evolution of an Alter Ego” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob