Mirror, mirror.

I've always tried to avoid bringing out a false front. I try to wear my mind on my T-Shirt for everyone to see. The only thing that may change, is the colour of the T-Shirt. Let's be honest, there are some days or occasions we may choose to wear our best T-Shirt over all the others, to impress or to woo other residents, but generally they are likely worn in complete and utter randomness.
Last night I was talking with my neighbours (who are great, I might add) and for some reason or another I ended up putting on a little avatar show. During my initial weeks in SL, I had collected all sorts of useful (or useless) free goods for my entertainment. I showed off my mini-mech, my Darth Vader, cartoon characters etc., but I felt really odd when I ended the show with my alternate avatar--my best T-Shirt, so to speak.
When you log onto this blog, it's the best T-Shirt that you normally get to see. Young, dashing, über-masculine looking, white male model. I generally use him for when I'm going out to a club or some other event where I feel that I need to bring my "A-Game."
I'd like to think that Daxiong Ling and his RL host are one in the same person. So it's not a wonder I started asking myself why I was actually doing this. This avatar isn't me at all; not even a T-Shirt. It's more like a completely different outfit that I bought at Hugo Boss which goes COMPLETELY against my natural grain (ouch.. mixing metaphors). Why in Lindon's name would I feel the need to go past my "A-Game" into something that doesn't represent me? The ultimate answer would be, I suppose, to fit in. All your average regions are filled with digitally generated supermodels, and the normal, casual, Daxiong Ling kind of stands out. Thin, scrawny, plain, Asian.
I'm not saying that an avatar should be an accurate representation of it's RL host. That's not it at all. If I were trying to imply that, the whole Asian look I have going for me would be most inaccurate. I simply propose that an avatar should represent the essence of your inner workings. A depiction of who you are. Having more than one avatar is more than acceptable, because your average being wears more than one hat (ohh.. another cliché). Opposite sides to a single coin (I could go on forever).
With this revelation, I will be upfront and say that I will be keeping the "A-Game." The point of it's continued existence will be what changes--it makes a great prop for best-in-show events.