How do you use your 24 characters?
In IMVU we have a “tag line” on our ID card. A small little space where we can type a few words that express our heart’s desire, our faith, hope or dreams. Its a space that is viewable by the whole community, a public space if you will. Much like our Facebook wall can be seen by everyone on our friend’s list — well, unless we specifically block someone from seeing a particular content that we post which is possible. Though we really have to ask ourselves why are we “saying” something “out loud” that we don’t want someone else to hear?
I’ve noticed a passive aggressive guise whereby people target someone by using Facebook “likes” or posting Instagram candid shots in order to draw attention to themselves. Its like the technical hickey of our times.
“Look, I was trolling old pictures of you and I’ve left a LIKE on this one because I know you’ll get a facebook notice that tells you about it in the morning.”
“Hey, your boyfriend was out last night without you. In case you didn’t know about it, I posted this picture of all of us having a good time at the bar.”
“Celebrating our two year anniversary tonight”
The latter of course blindsides the ex who was still WITH the person at the time they must have started counting.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, or more likely the wee hours of the mourning (misspelling intended) I read taglines from IMVU for people on my contact list, okay from my boyfriend’s friend list … because he has a much longer list and I find trolling his contacts far more interesting. On some level its a long running soap opera. I know the characters, the new romances, the breakups, the births and yes the deaths both in the virtual and the real world. But its more than following the fictional story or these non-fictional lives (or is that the other way around), IMVU as always is a microcosm or perhaps a metaphor for Life and how we perceive it to be.
The words we choose to express our self, to help or hurt another sentient being are windows into our karmic conditioning, a glimpse into the iris of the egoic mind. It may not always be true, but the Truth often lies in the spaces between the lines, the impact that our words have on others and the legacy that our actions have in the wake of our existence.
I’ve heard it said that you can not unring the bell. So it is of the words we post even if we delete them directly.
I try to be mindful of my words, because I learned long ago that the walls have ears. So at times I muffle my screams as to not offend or frighten not only those within earshot, but because I know that my words will live on far longer than the echo in the canyon of my mind. My children feel the ripple of my words, my grandchildren one day will here my stories, my great-grandchildren will only know me through the chronicles and anecdotes that are passed down.
Our grave marker has a limited space to tell our life’s story. And ultimately it can not erase a world of wind that we used our breath to set loose in our lifetime. Choose your words with loving kindness.
How will you use your 24 characters?
“So let it be written; so let it be done.”, Yul Brynner in The Ten Commandments.
