This is such a powerful post, Aleksey. You have no idea how much it resonated with me. Last year, I found myself in a position where I had to ignore potential damage to my reputation that spurious comments made by someone else might have and focus instead on trusting that my character would speak for itself. Fun fact? Character won out!!! I know that is not quite how you presented the reputation and character here, but I also resonate with what you said from several perspectives. In life, we change. At some point, we outgrow different aspects of ourselves. We become ourselves but ver. 2.0 then 3.0 and so on. The problem with holding onto legacy versions of ourselves is that we can no longer support them, and when something goes wrong... that's it! The shift change is forced to happen anyway, and ultimately the fallout can be much bigger than if we had simply allowed ourselves the luxury of organic growth as and when it happened. I am a firm believer in being authentic to oneself, and in turn, being authentic with those around me. I would rather be real and honest with ME and who I am with YOU and to GOD than play games to appease and to fit in with social constructs. And I would much rather that YOU be the most real version of yourself and be happy and in integrity than feel stifled by the existence of old boundaries and expectations, both self-imposed and otherwise. Go and spread your beautiful butterfly wings, my friend, fly and be free!!! !LUV !PIMP !LADY