chameleonic

today's topic: personal identity. those things we do which hallmark us, that we affect so that people will remember us in a certain way, as though the affectation will make it truth.

perception is, after all, nine-tenths of the law.

we all ache to be perceived in a certain way by those that surround us. sometimes, we go to lengths to make ourselves into our own avatars, perpetuating our own myths. we dye our hair, change the color of our eyes, bronze or bleach our skin, wear certain clothes certain makeup cut our hair a certain way...we costume ourselves to convince everyone that we are, in fact, a certain way.

the thing is, though, however much we may wish to control our destinies in such a manner...we frequently lack the power to create such a transformation by pure will alone. we require the corroboration of our peers. people need to believe in the change before it becomes real. if it doesn't have that organic, "okay this makes sense" kind of aspect to it, it never ceases to be a costume.

now, i'm not saying that it can't be done. look at madonna. all i'm saying is that you need complicity, otherwise it's weird. look at pat boone: the metal years. look at michael jackson circa bad. no one believed for a second that he was that tough. so, the leather and chains makeover was a bomb. madonna, on the other hand, is so thoroughly convinced that she can do whatever the hell she damn well pleases, that we're convinced of it too.

as always, we can all learn from madonna.

and now, petunias, what's the moral of the story?

as salt n' pepa have said, "whatever the mind can conceive or believe, you can achieve."

remarkably astute, those ladies.

be whoever you want to be. just believe it, otherwise no one else ever will.

next installment: gossip and hearsay, a few behavioral reports. you know, the good stuff.

~fin~