Saturday, January 1, 2005

Avatar

From Webster's dictionary--- avatar (n): a variant phase or version of a continuing basic entity.
All our lives are composed of "variant phases" of our core selves.  We adapt to our given circumstances, we mold ourselves to conform with new roles we either want, or are suddenly required, to play.  It's the theory of evolution at its rote form, and it is what has kept humanity going for millenia.  For all the spiritual beliefs I hold dear--- that there is deeper meaning to our lives and that nothing happens by complete accident---I firmly believe this somewhat cold, agnostic view of life as well.   In the end, we are all little more than the sum of all our experiences in this life, and how we change to adapt ourselves to them. 
As our roles shift, so go our identities.  We adopt new peer groups, we change opinions, we redefine who we are and what we want from our existence.  Those people and things that root us to our earlier selves--- for better and for worse--- are cast aside, either deliberately rejected or simply ignored, maliciously or not, a consequence of our shifting priorities.  Often, we leave them behind forever, as we step boldly onto the path we have determined to be the correct one.  And, thus, a new variant phase is created.  Sometimes that's for the better, and sometimes it's not...
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, I guess because of the New Year and all.  With so many transitions occuring right now, both within and without my life, I see many changes in myself and others.  Sometimes, it's hard to define who we are anymore.  Lord knows I've seen the changes in others... it's a little disquieting, but I guess that's just life...
I'll be posting more on this, once I get my thoughts together.  In the meantime, Happy New Year to all.

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