Sometime towards the beginning of this summer I came to a mildly depressing realization. When other people discussed me, they describe me as ‘Jordan - that guy who is good with computers’, or ‘Jordan - who has lots of gadgets’ or ‘Jordan - the one horrible author on wantingseed’. Erhm, wait a minute.
It wasn’t particularly suprising, after all, my priorities have been for those things for a while now. Why would it be unusual that other people noticed too? Except I realized that’s not what I wanted other people to say of me. I’d be much happier to overhear someone talking about ‘Jordan - the guy who’s really honest’, or ‘Jordan - the really considerate guy’ or any number of other things that matter more to me.
I’ve decided that I’d like to take some time during the rest of the summer to re-evaluate what I want to be known as. Who do I want to be, and then how do I rearrange my priorities in-line with those goals?
So. Who exactly are you, and who do you want to be?
Not that this is how I see you, but I always describe you as “Jordan-my friend from Florida” or “Jordan-my friend from Royal Servants”
I think I would be “Evan-the guy who just can’t seem to stay in one place longer than a year” although I do get the computer guy thing and gadget guy, even though I am not nearly so impressive in either of those areas as you
Left by Evan on May 30th, 2003
That’s not exactly a soup question, is it?
Left by Scott on May 30th, 2003
I am just some guy a stranger to almost everyone.
Neo: Are there other programs like you?
The Oracle: Oh, well, not like me. But… look, see those birds? At some point a program was written to govern them. A program was written to watch over the trees, and the wind, the sunrise, and sunset. There are programs running all over the place. The ones doing their job, doing what they were meant to do, are invisible. You’d never even know they were here.
I want to be like these programs… doing my job, doing what I am meant to do, so I can be invisible.
I would like to serve my purpose so fully that when I die I am no longer needed, not long missed, and only vaguely remembered.
Left by David on May 30th, 2003
Wow David, that’s depressing. I want to be long missed and warmly thought of as someone who contributed something to society and left the world a better place than it was when I arrived. I know it sounds cliche, but it’s the truth. While living, I’d like to be thought of as the guy who didn’t back down from a challenge, and had the balls to do that which was out of the ordinary.
Left by John on May 30th, 2003
I don’t think it’s so terribly depressing, actually. To me it just means that I do what I am meant to do, and I have a strong feeling that I am meant to play more of a supporting role in this epic we call life. I’m cool with that. If I am wrong and I do play a some major role, then I am cool with that too.
I feel that you might be focusing more on the invisilbe part of it than on the “serving my purpose fully” part of it. That, to me, means that I am extremely successful… at serving my purpose. What more should I ask for?
Left by David on May 30th, 2003
I just try to be happy, and make sure the people I care about are happier because of me.
Left by Scott on May 31st, 2003