avatar (AV-uh-tahr) noun

1. A manifestation of a deity in Hinduism.

2. An embodiment of a concept.

3. A representation of a person or thing in computers, networks, etc.

[From avatar (descent, as of a god from heaven to the earth), from ava-
(away) + tarati (he crosses).]
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This is one of those words that I should have looked up a long time ago. I sorta figured it out when I signed up for Weight Watchers and they had avatars you could choose to accompany your profile. Before that it was a word that crept up, mostly on the computer, and I was just too rushed to stop and pull out the dictionary.

So that was definition #3.

Definition #1 makes me just a tad nervous. Like I want to leave the word alone altogether.

#2: The embodiment of a concept. Hmmm. Computing, computing....Might make a good title sometime.

It's a tough job when you think about it, to take a concept and then encapsulize it. Take this for instance, how do you represent the One who made all things and gave us life? With a title? None of his titles embody all that He is and does. Only His name encompasses all of who He is. Yet people shy away from using it for one superstitious reason or another.

In the end, I guess our names are our most comprehensive avatars, right? The symbols I chose in the incidence I mentioned earlier (for definition #3) emphasized my role as a mother, a teacher and a writer. But beyond that I am a wife, a sister, a servant, recently a nurse a lot (sick kids), a cook, a calligrapher, stubborn, insensitive, sorry, angry, patient, loyal, emotional--you name it.

And so I sign off with my avatar....

Carolyn

How boring is this?????????????????????