Monday, September 20, 2010

Who am I and who the heck are you?

There's a girl named Nikki and a girl named Sally. Nikki and Sally get in a horrible accident and by some freak, sci-fi medical mistake, Nikki's body gets Sally's brain and Sally's body gets Nikki's brain. Which one is Nikki and which one is Sally? Does the name go with the body or the mind?

I tend to think that it's your personality that makes you who you are. After all, if you were a brain in a box, you'd still be you. Right? I suppose having your body stripped away is likely to change your personality a bit, so maybe you wouldn't be quite the same you, but another version of yourself for sure. In fact, I'm still pretty much me after going through a huge personality change during my divorce, then again when I got over it. My experiences are deeply influential in shaping my state of mind.

With that said, it seems more likely that it's our history that make us who we are. If that's the case, it's safe to say that many of you have been instruments in my life. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the role that you've played in creating my memories. Because of our time together, you will always be part of me.