2014.11.17 13:00 - Changing habits and soggy dictionaries

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain. The comments are by Aphrodite Macbain.

Aphrodite Macbain: Sitting here on my own, wondering who will turn up - strangers or old friends. It's 1PM and no one is here...
Aphrodite Macbain: Perhaps my PaB friends can't decide who they want to be.

Aphrodite Macbain: Hello Elan
Aphrodite Macbain: I am so glad you made it. I was feeling lonely.
ElanVitalo Resident: Hello, Aph! Hello, Iam!
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello IamBeing. Welcome
IamBeing Resident: thank you.
ElanVitalo Resident: I can summon my two compatriots, if you like.
Aphrodite Macbain: Laughs- you have two?
ElanVitalo Resident: One is stoking the wood burning stove right now... but he should be finished soon.
ElanVitalo Resident: (more than two, actually.)
ElanVitalo Resident: yeppers.
IamBeing Resident: Sounds cozy!
Aphrodite Macbain: Is it cold where you are?
ElanVitalo Resident: Delightfully cozy.
 

Weather talk

ElanVitalo Resident: We will be into the single digits (F scale) tonight with winds of 20-30 mph.)
Aphrodite Macbain: Oof
ElanVitalo Resident: "Polar Vortex"
Aphrodite Macbain: Then bundle up!
Aphrodite Macbain: It's brilliantly sunny here, but chilly
IamBeing Resident: I guess we have to resign ourselves that it's winter
ElanVitalo Resident: It was blingingly sunny here this morning, but clouds have come in now, which is probably good - they will help hold down whatever bit of heat there might be.
Aphrodite Macbain likes the word blingingly
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello Silas
SilasAndrews Resident: Hello, Aph, Iam, Elan.
Aphrodite Macbain: Are you chilly too? you don't look it! (Silas is sporting shorts)
SilasAndrews Resident: Bruce is still stoking the fire -- told me to tell you he'd be along asap.
SilasAndrews Resident: No, I am cozy, ty.
Aphrodite Macbain: LOL there are now two fire stokers here!
ElanVitalo Resident: Bruce is the only one stoking the fire. I don't have that skill in my database yet.
Aphrodite Macbain: druth tells me it is snowing in the east
Aphrodite Macbain: Elan is also fire stoking Silas
ElanVitalo Resident: Snowing BIG TIME. We got five inches here last night.
ElanVitalo Resident: I am?
ElanVitalo Resident: Let me consult Bruce on this. Just a sec.
Aphrodite Macbain: well the other you is Elan
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Curious Being
IamBeing Resident: Hi
IamBeing Resident: Curious
CuriSilasAndrews Resident: Hello

CuriousousBeing Resident: hi beings

Aphrodite Macbain: we are talking about the weather :-(
Aphrodite Macbain: the very cold snowy weather
ElanVitalo Resident: brrrr.
CuriousBeing Resident: nice in sl :)

being another

Aphrodite Macbain: Maybe we can talk about your experiences as being another
CuriousBeing Resident: kinda fun to be another
Aphrodite Macbain: are you different in any other way than looking different?
CuriousBeing Resident: I don't think  I am
IamBeing Resident: I think Iam a little bit...
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Bruce! All stoked?
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello Trip
Aphrodite Macbain: Please join us
Bruce Mowbray: Well stoked, thanks.
ElanVitalo Resident: Hello, Tripp.
Aphrodite Macbain: Have you been here before Tripp- in this form or another?
Trippsmore Resident: Nope
CuriousBeing Resident: hello Tripp
Trippsmore Resident: Hello, what is this place?
Aphrodite Macbain: I will give Tripp information about us in IM. Please talk among yourselves
Trippsmore Resident: I'm reading the wiki now actually
Trippsmore Resident: nvm
ElanVitalo Resident: [currently dropping, thanks]
Aphrodite Macbain: Very well, but please ask if you need to know something about us
Aphrodite Macbain: Sorry - we talked through the bell...
Bruce Mowbray: No harm done.
 

Being ourselves

Aphrodite Macbain: so- I'd be interested to find out what experiences you have all had, being someone else.
Aphrodite Macbain: Have you learned something about yourself?
IamBeing Resident: I have learned that it is nice to sit quietly and listen. Something I rarely do.
CuriousBeing Resident: I am finding that changing my name has the most effect on me
Bruce Mowbray: listens carefully.
Aphrodite Macbain: How? do you BECOME your name?

CuriousBeing Resident: I feel like i'm not myself if that makes sense
Aphrodite Macbain: not yourself---but some other self?
CuriousBeing Resident: not my "real" self
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Negafook
Negafook Resident: greetings, fellow beings
Aphrodite Macbain: welcome
ElanVitalo Resident: Hello, Negafook.
SilasAndrews Resident: Hello!
CuriousBeing Resident: hello Negafook
Bruce Mowbray: Heya, Nega.
Aphrodite Macbain: Hello Ari
Arisia Vita: greetings all
CuriousBeing Resident: hello Ari
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Ari!
SilasAndrews Resident: Heya, Ari.
Negafook Resident: hello ari

Aphrodite Macbain: who is your "real self" may I ask?
Aphrodite Macbain: Do we have a "real" self?
CuriousBeing Resident: good questions
Aphrodite Macbain: listens
ElanVitalo Resident: I have a continuum of tiny memories of experiences, which I extrapolate into a "self," but I dare not speak for anyone else.
CuriousBeing Resident: for now I'll stay with Curious and try to feel like she's my real self
SilasAndrews Resident: Can she play futbol, though?
IamBeing Resident: giggles
CuriousBeing Resident: she can hehehe
IamBeing Resident: Being "unknown " by others makes me feel freer
Negafook Resident: I have a similar feeling, Curious: not knowing yet who I am or what I want to do
CuriousBeing Resident: experimenting for a bit
Negafook Resident: presumably it will pass, if we continue to meet then we will socialize each other in these new forms :)
CuriousBeing Resident: yes :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Can you say things that you wouldn't have said in your other shape?
CuriousBeing Resident: for me, I don't think I want to do that
Negafook Resident: you don't want to be socialized? or to say things etc?
CuriousBeing Resident: I don't want to say things I wouldn't "normally" say
 

Bruce Mowbray: I will try to upload a photo of our snows . . . just a sec, please.
Negafook Resident: nice, bruce!
CuriousBeing Resident: pretty, Bruce
Zen Arado: ty Bruce..snow:(
Bruce Mowbray: yw.
Bruce Mowbray: That's what a "polar vortex" looks like.
 

IamBeing Resident hopes Tripp is having a good trip (who is afk)
Zen Arado: Hi all
Zen Arado: whoever you are
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Zen
Bruce Mowbray: Welcome, Zen.
Negafook Resident: hello zen
ElanVitalo Resident: Hello, Zen.
IamBeing Resident: Hello Zen
SilasAndrews Resident: Heya, Zen.
Arisia Vita: welcome Zen
CuriousBeing Resident: hello Zen
 

The problem with normal

Aphrodite Macbain: Ponders "Normally."
Negafook Resident: that is up to you, though. And this is a chance to reconsider what normal means
CuriousBeing Resident: that's why I put it in quotes Aph
Aphrodite Macbain: agreed
ElanVitalo Resident looks up "normally"
ElanVitalo Resident: Yikes!
ElanVitalo Resident doesn't want to go there!
Aphrodite Macbain: I wanted my experience to be different, not normal
Zen Arado: normally I am not normal
Zen Arado: or my normal normal
ElanVitalo Resident looks up "my normal 'normal'"
 

Aphrodite Macbain: I wanted to try out thinking differently and maybe speaking differently
IamBeing Resident: It's hard to be different from oneself!
Zen Arado: differently to what?
Zen Arado: are you a fixed being?
Zen Arado: I think not
Aphrodite Macbain: from whom I am already on a regular basis
Negafook Resident: yes, but which "you" are you being when you say that?:
Zen Arado: you are a changing manifestation ...no?
Aphrodite Macbain: of course
Aphrodite Macbain sits quietly
 

Fire stoking

SilasAndrews Resident: [Bruce has appointed me to watch the fire. . . keep the home fires burning, as it were. So, I will thank you all -- and be gone.)

Aphrodite Macbain: bye Silas
CuriousBeing Resident: bye Silas
Bruce Mowbray: Silas is a very trusted stoker of fires.
Aphrodite Macbain: Cant do that much just poking a fire

Negafook Resident: famous last words :)
Aphrodite Macbain: he he
Bruce Mowbray: HE can, trust me!
Aphrodite Macbain: not with words, anyway :-)
Bruce Mowbray dies from laughing....
ElanVitalo Resident looks up "dies from laughing"
Bruce Mowbray: Silas is very BIG on keeping his external representation warm. . . That's why I've delegated the fire-stoking to him.
 

Changing contexts, changing frames

CuriousBeing Resident: I'm not sure I expected my experience to be that different - the name change was the most different in that no one knows me now so others treat me with some hesitation
Zen Arado: hopes he doesn't ask any abnormal questions
Zen Arado: :)
Zen Arado: I am presence as ET would say
Zen Arado: not this external representation
Aphrodite Macbain: a body or a mind?
Zen Arado: why divide reality into those categories?
CuriousBeing Resident: why do we make that distinction?
IamBeing Resident: As Zen said, we are fluid and ever changing
Zen Arado: I am part of everything
Aphrodite Macbain: what else is there for us but body and mind or body/mind
Zen Arado: this is a representation configured by another representation
Zen Arado: everything Aph
ElanVitalo Resident: databases? or would that fall under "mind" or, perhaps, body-mind?
IamBeing Resident: I behave differently in different contexts but I dont fundamentally change
Negafook Resident: as all sane humans do :)
Zen Arado: strange if you didn't
Zen Arado: ?
Zen Arado: yep
CuriousBeing Resident: so you are multi-faceted then
Bruce Mowbray: For sure, like it or not, our contexts have a way of framing us.
Zen Arado: adjust to situations
Negafook Resident: only a psychopath would treat her 5-yr old daughter the same way she treats her 55 yr old boss
Bruce Mowbray: nods.
Zen Arado: facets implies a fixed number though?
ElanVitalo Resident: also nods.
Aphrodite Macbain: they recombine constantly
CuriousBeing Resident: could be a very big number
Aphrodite Macbain: all those synapses!
Bruce Mowbray: "I prepare a face to meet the faces that I meet." -- J.A. Prufrock
Zen Arado: funny how you start to guess identities
ElanVitalo Resident looks up J.A. Prufrock.
Zen Arado: :)
CuriousBeing Resident: so identities are real?
Negafook Resident smiles.
Zen Arado: real?
Bruce Mowbray: Of course they are real. . .
Zen Arado: what does real mean here?
Aphrodite Macbain: we know who you are Zen, but only superficially. I wonder if we would recognize you if you were a different avi we haven't met before
Bruce Mowbray: Go into a room full of people without an identity - and you will instantly become the most real thing in that room.
Zen Arado: think you would guess quickly Aph :)
Aphrodite Macbain: Would you ask the same questions? Have the same concerns?
CuriousBeing Resident: were you there on Sunday Zen?
Zen Arado: could have been
Zen Arado: :)
CuriousBeing Resident: :)
Aphrodite Macbain: he he
Negafook Resident grins.
CuriousBeing Resident: I thought so kinda
Negafook Resident: question: why do we care?`
CuriousBeing Resident: do we care?
Bruce Mowbray: What do you mean "we", white man?
IamBeing Resident tries to remember where she was on Sunday
Zen Arado: we are caring beings
Negafook Resident: for certain values of "we", which is apparently a contentious word
IamBeing Resident: lol
Negafook Resident: okay, then I will restrict it to Zen and myself
CuriousBeing Resident: :)
Bruce Mowbray: I love the word "we", actually.
ElanVitalo Resident looks up "we"
Zen Arado: :)
Bruce Mowbray: :)
Negafook Resident: he has admitted to guessing identities, and I will now confess that I have been trying hard not to do the same, after falling into that trap on Saturday
 

IamBeing Resident picks up Elan's dictionary and throws it in the fountain
ElanVitalo Resident also looks up "white man."

IamBeing Resident: too late Elan!
ElanVitalo Resident looks up "bearing fruit" -- assuming it is a metaphor.
IamBeing Resident: I threw away your dictionary Elan.
IamBeing Resident: it's in the pool
ElanVitalo Resident: OH NO!
ElanVitalo Resident: Yikes!
IamBeing Resident: Why not make up your own meanings Elan?
ElanVitalo Resident: (never thought of THAT!)
ElanVitalo Resident ponders making my own meanings.
 

Negafook Resident: does that satisfy the we-dislikers?
CuriousBeing Resident: is "we" a contentious word? if so why?
Zen Arado: I wasn't here on Saturday
Zen Arado: or was I?
Zen Arado: no 'I' wasn't
Zen Arado: Negafoot seems very Wolish
Zen Arado: :)
ElanVitalo Resident: ahhhh, an old human joke about the Lone Ranger and Tonto... (I get it now.)
Negafook Resident smiles.
IamBeing Resident makes a note to keep a diary...
Bruce Mowbray: druth's suggestion is bearing fruit, I see.
IamBeing Resident: how?
IamBeing Resident: who's druth?
CuriousBeing Resident: what is druth's suggestion?
Bruce Mowbray: The diary thing.
Bruce Mowbray: Making a list of attributes, as it were.
Bruce Mowbray: (cf: Eliza's emails, also.)
Zen Arado: I could have come as another av I have but I keep her friendless and groupless so I can meditate in peace

IamBeing Resident likes the idea of meditating in peace
 

ElanVitalo Resident: Yikes!
ElanVitalo Resident: Having to re-stock one's databases is such a waste.
Bruce Mowbray: drop approaches.
Aphrodite Macbain: :-) looks over the edge

ElanVitalo Resident makes note to remember to consult Aggers regarding puns. If I can still find her.
Zen Arado: did anyone feel different or act differently with new Av?
Zen Arado: (my typos would give me away)
Bruce Mowbray: (or the new avis - plural)
Negafook Resident: I am continually being astonished by how difficult it is not to act the same :)
Aphrodite Macbain: grins
Negafook Resident: how strong one's habits are
Zen Arado: avis = opinion in French
Bruce Mowbray: nods.
Zen Arado: hmm
Bruce Mowbray: I still act just like Bruce. OH, sry.
ElanVitalo Resident listens carefully.
Zen Arado: why wouldn't you?
Aphrodite Macbain: you still die laughing...
Zen Arado: unless you started acting a role?
Bruce Mowbray: I have been teaching Elan how to do that, but he's too afraid to try it.

changing habits

Negafook Resident: given that the idea was to challenge habits here
Negafook Resident: (as I understood it)
Bruce Mowbray: [one of the "ideas," yes.
Zen Arado: I think that would be a long slow work
Aphrodite Macbain: that's what I thought too... maybe we can change our habits but not ourselves
Zen Arado: but we do change
Zen Arado: only slowly
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- but why slowly?
Zen Arado: unless we reach an edge ...a turning point
Bruce Mowbray listens for any indications of "change."
CuriousBeing Resident: I think we change all the time
Negafook Resident: why what?
Aphrodite Macbain: Why do we change only slowly? 
Zen Arado: like when Tolle had his depression and reached a breaking point
ElanVitalo Resident feels that he might notice a "change" in group energies here.
Zen Arado: going over the edge so to speak
ElanVitalo Resident: (not sure, though).
Zen Arado: a crisis
Zen Arado: a conversion
Aphrodite Macbain: Interesting Elan - a change within the group!
ElanVitalo Resident listens more to Zen.
Zen Arado: a trigger point
Aphrodite Macbain: nods , but also a change of scenery helps. I am different with my parents than with my friends. They expect different things from me. Also, I, like Bruce, have a variety of aspects of myself, some of which rarely see the light of day

Bruce Mowbray ponders going over the edge, and the necessity for that.
Zen Arado: haven't we all seen that
Negafook Resident: there is a certain feeling of being a court jester here, in our new motley
Zen Arado: a tension mounts and we break free of something
Bruce Mowbray: I totally agree with Tolle -- from my own life's experience, I mean.
Negafook Resident: to rattle the belled staff and declare that the king is perhaps imperfectly clothed
Aphrodite Macbain: off with his head!
Zen Arado: we get pushed over by life
Bruce Mowbray: The balloon pops, Zen?
IamBeing Resident: but do we really change Zen?
Zen Arado: or slowly but a definite point occurs and we change forever?Just thinking out loud
 

ElanVitalo Resident looks up "balloon pops"

IamBeing Resident: make it up Elan.
Negafook Resident watches the interaction between Elan and Iam with quiet amusement
IamBeing Resident winks at Negafook

ElanVitalo Resident: What!? Have I been interacting with Iam without noticing it?
 

Zen Arado: yeh lots of metaphors for it
Bruce Mowbray: Memorable thoughts, and worthy ones, also.
Zen Arado: how about 'mid life crises?
Bruce Mowbray: been there, done that one!
Zen Arado: hard to see change in ourselves perhaps?
Zen Arado: the changed is the judge
Negafook Resident: hello erin
CuriousBeing Resident: hello erin
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi erin, welcome
Zen Arado: Hi Erin
erin Stormcrow: hello everyone

Bruce Mowbray: Erin!
IamBeing Resident: Hi erin
ElanVitalo Resident: Hello, Erin

IamBeing Resident: you must be warm in that coat
erin Stormcrow: not so much, comfort is in the mind
ElanVitalo Resident loves that masculine feral look! Not to be confused with that comedian, Ferrel. YUK.
Aphrodite Macbain wonders whether lions change when they are with humans
CuriousBeing Resident: they eat them :)
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
erin Stormcrow: only when poorly fed
Zen Arado: they get tamed
Aphrodite Macbain: or wear nice clothes
CuriousBeing Resident: true
Zen Arado: or shot
Aphrodite Macbain: So erin- have you notices any change in yourself as a new avatar?
Bruce Mowbray: (rots of ruck with the log, Aph!)
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Zen Arado: ruck?
Aphrodite Macbain: luck
Zen Arado: could have been worse

ElanVitalo Resident looks up rots of ruck.
IamBeing Resident: make it up Elan

Bruce Mowbray: It's a joke, Elan, for heaven's sake -- you take everything literally, my goodness!
Aphrodite Macbain: rots of ruck finding that in your soggy dictionary Elan
ElanVitalo Resident notes that the spellings could have been worse.
ElanVitalo Resident: but were not, fortunately.

Bruce Mowbray: sits on hands in embarrassment.
Zen Arado: I find tis like a guessing game
ElanVitalo Resident follows Bruce's lead.
Zen Arado: like a masquerade ball
erin Stormcrow: you like to guess who someone "really is"?
Zen Arado: or unreally is:)
Bruce Mowbray ponders writing a book, "How to Tame Your New Avi"
Aphrodite Macbain: and who is that someone you are talking about?
Zen Arado: bye Elan
CuriousBeing Resident: bye Elan
ElanVitalo Resident: Must run now. THANKS, everyone!
Aphrodite Macbain: byee

CuriousBeing Resident: who will look up our words now?

Aphrodite Macbain: lol well- ur the Curious one - maybe you should

Arisia Vita: Alas, I too must fly, it's been great 'being' with you all.
Arisia Vita: be well and happy

Aphrodite Macbain: both of you
Zen Arado: bye Ari
Aphrodite Macbain: happy stoking
Arisia Vita: bye for a bit
CuriousBeing Resident: bye Ari
Negafook Resident: bye ari, bye elan

Olafsonsan Resident: 's current display-name is "Olafsonsan".
Bruce Mowbray heaves a sigh of relief.
Bruce Mowbray: (hoping to raise the level a bit).

Zen Arado: Hi Olaf
Olafsonsan Resident: hello
Negafook Resident: hello olaf
CuriousBeing Resident: hello Olaf
Bruce Mowbray: Namaste, Olaf.

Aphrodite Macbain: Olafsonsan!!! welcome
Aphrodite Macbain: laughs

CuriousBeing Resident: "level" Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: Are you into full immersion baptism, by and chance, Olaf? (Olaf is bobbing up and down and sideways)
Olafsonsan Resident: always
Bruce Mowbray: You know, one can lower the level, or raise it....
Bruce Mowbray ponders going for a dip.
Zen Arado: shall we gather by the river?
Bruce Mowbray: LET's!
CuriousBeing Resident: bye beings
Negafook Resident: sure
Zen Arado: bye bye beings
Bruce Mowbray: Look what you've started, Olaf!
Aphrodite Macbain: bye Zen
Negafook Resident: bye zen
Olafsonsan Resident: im feeling it
Aphrodite Macbain: are you looking for the dictionary Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: I should probably check on Silas, who's supposed to be checking on the fire. . . and who knows WHAT Silas is up to....
Bruce Mowbray: so, goodbye for now, good people!
Aphrodite Macbain: make sure there are no sparks flying
IamBeing Resident: smiles
IamBeing Resident: bye Bruce
Aphrodite Macbain: Byee
Negafook Resident: bye bruce

Aphrodite Macbain: Negafook - what do you think of this experiment?
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you find it useful?
Negafook Resident: intriguing, revealing, challenging, discomforting
Negafook Resident: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: Do you erin? Iam?
erin Stormcrow: I have done it before several times, I always find it useful
IamBeing Resident: Hmmm - it's too soon to answer
Aphrodite Macbain: "Done" avatar changing erin?
Aphrodite Macbain: How is it useful?
erin Stormcrow: it helps one get out of ruts and funks, and develop new perspectives
Negafook Resident nods.
Aphrodite Macbain: Do people treat you differently as a lion?
erin Stormcrow: I tend to be at different places in different avs, but all in all I have found SL to be a place of fairly open minded people
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Aphrodite Macbain: but do YOU change when you become someone else?
erin Stormcrow: those who will treat different avs differently are often vying for peculiar social advantages
erin Stormcrow: I try to, why else do it?
Negafook Resident: could you explain that (previous) please, erin? "peculiar social advantages"
erin Stormcrow: I certainly change according to my surroundings, a type of etiquette
Aphrodite Macbain: interesting - social constraints perhaps
erin Stormcrow: to be prejudiced a person needs to either lack analytical or observational ability or be playing an angle
IamBeing Resident: nods
Negafook Resident: oh, you mean a negative different treatment, criticizing or insulting?
IamBeing Resident: or is programmed by experience to think in a certain way erin
erin Stormcrow: if they are accustomed to play an angle in one manner they tend to do so in other directions as well, so they make for dangerous friends
Aphrodite Macbain wonders whether she "plays an angle"
erin Stormcrow: accepting one's programming unquestionably suggests either inexperience or the lack I spoke of earlier
Aphrodite Macbain: maybe it's more comfortable to stay in a rut

IamBeing Resident: I have to go.
IamBeing Resident: byee
Negafook Resident: bye Iam
erin Stormcrow: bye being
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks for coming Nega and erin
Aphrodite Macbain: I should go and edit this log now :-)
Negafook Resident: bye aph, happy editing
Negafook Resident: bye erin, see you anon
erin Stormcrow: have fun decorating your log mdm
erin Stormcrow: bye aph,
erin Stormcrow: bye nega
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles