Birth Of Francis Miller

I agree “birth” seems dramatic. This is just the story behind the choosing of my pseudonym, “Francis Miller,” as I have been receiving so many questions (three) from the multitude of people (still, just three) who know me simply as Frank. Assuming that you’re not familiar with Frank either, the answer behind my choice has two parts.

First, after experiencing a professional setback early on in my consulting career, I began to ponder my purpose. I explored those feelings over the course of a 22-installment blog series. Although done primarily for leisure and only shared with friends and family, the most important thing my blog provided was reconnecting me with my passion for writing and storytelling. The conclusion of the series paralleled my decision to leave my corporate career (and income) behind to fully pursue my dream of writing When Boys Have Breasts which is a title that had dwelt in the back of my head since at least 2004.

So secondly, during that process, I was reminded of a story my mother told me, as an adult, about my father, a man I barely knew. I was a junior so I knew his name to be Frank M. Jones like my own. The middle initial does not stand for Miller. I don’t freely share my middle name as it rhymes with a body part for which my Kindergarten classmates ridiculed me. Seinfeld fans should appreciate this tidbit. “Delores!”

“Did you know your dad thought his name was Francis Miller Jones growing-up?”

“No, mom, I did not. I did not know that.” (How would I know that?)

My mom went on to tell me that he was the youngest of his siblings and his family told him his real name was Francis Miller, though everyone called him Frank. It’s hard to imagine such a time, but while growing up, he (and most Americans) did not need a birth certificate to do most things (like buying groceries) as we do today. So it was not until my birth in the 80’s that he was forced to review his birth certificate and that is when he discovered he was not Francis Miller, after all.

As I listened to my mom’s tale, it was hard for me to imagine living your whole life believing that you are one person only to discover that you are in fact another. Well, that is until very recently. Through writing, I discovered that I was perhaps more like my father than I had ever known. After childhood struggles with poverty, I moved forward through life pursuing careers that were lucrative without any real consideration for my own happiness and fulfillment. I now wonder if I had spent my whole life believing that I was some corporate guy, only to discover that perhaps I have been an artist all along.

I’m not sure yet. Soon, hopefully, you will read my novel and let me know. As for now, I am Francis Miller and I thank you for reading my story.