DEAR ABBY: A few weeks ago I began using a name other than my given name. It's one I made up and used during pretend games when I was a child, so it's personally significant.
A friend recently told me that because it is a common Japanese name, it is culturally inappropriate for me to use it because I am not Asian. It is also a name in Hebrew, German and Ancient Egyptian, as I recently learned. Is it wrong for me to use the name? -- THE NEW "ME" IN COLORADO
DEAR NEW "ME": No, it's not. You can call yourself any name you wish. Many parents have given their child a name from another culture because they liked the sound of it, and you don't have to make any apologies for changing yours.