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Species inertia
15 years ago
General
A few things (most notably an eerily large number of friends apparently all simultaneously picking right now to contemplate new species for themselves) have inspired me to get all philosophical about my chosen species and form and such. I've been a husky for ages now, but... well, there's never a bad time to at least stop and think about it, I guess.
Honestly, if I had it to do all over again--if I could redesign my form right now and alter time to have it retroactively apply to everything I've been along the way--then I'd be a coyote. It's a better fit for me, I think. On one hand, I really like being some sort of canid like that. On the other, my home state has become an increasingly large part of my identity (there's a reason I run
nmfurs beyond just getting to have the accomplishment of getting to be the guy that runs it--I really do love my state that much) and, well, when you think New Mexico, you really don't think Siberian Husky. If I were a coyote, I could still be just as fuzzy, but I could also be more geographically appropriate. Are coyotes somewhat cliche in the fandom? Maybe, but right now I'm a freaking husky.
However, Teo has been around in his husky form for over ten years (!!!) now. There have been tweaks along the way--he went from plantigrade to digitigrade back to plantigrade, eye color changed, long hair and glasses got added, etc.--but the fact that this picture from 2002 is instantly recognizable as Teo (despite minor things like glasses/eye color/hair/the fact that I can't draw) tells you that there's a lot of inertia behind Teo as we know him today.
I wish I could make it so that I've always been a coyote, so that I could be more well-established and have the more appropriate form, but as it stands it's one or the other. And if it's one or the other... well, I can't abandon Teo's husky form after having it for an entire decade. There's just too much there. And thus, for better or for worse, I suppose tradition wins, at least for the time being.
On the other hand, I obviously wouldn't be making this journal if I were entirely happy with that and not at least thinking about how green the grass might be on the other side.
Sigh.
Honestly, if I had it to do all over again--if I could redesign my form right now and alter time to have it retroactively apply to everything I've been along the way--then I'd be a coyote. It's a better fit for me, I think. On one hand, I really like being some sort of canid like that. On the other, my home state has become an increasingly large part of my identity (there's a reason I run
nmfurs beyond just getting to have the accomplishment of getting to be the guy that runs it--I really do love my state that much) and, well, when you think New Mexico, you really don't think Siberian Husky. If I were a coyote, I could still be just as fuzzy, but I could also be more geographically appropriate. Are coyotes somewhat cliche in the fandom? Maybe, but right now I'm a freaking husky.However, Teo has been around in his husky form for over ten years (!!!) now. There have been tweaks along the way--he went from plantigrade to digitigrade back to plantigrade, eye color changed, long hair and glasses got added, etc.--but the fact that this picture from 2002 is instantly recognizable as Teo (despite minor things like glasses/eye color/hair/the fact that I can't draw) tells you that there's a lot of inertia behind Teo as we know him today.
I wish I could make it so that I've always been a coyote, so that I could be more well-established and have the more appropriate form, but as it stands it's one or the other. And if it's one or the other... well, I can't abandon Teo's husky form after having it for an entire decade. There's just too much there. And thus, for better or for worse, I suppose tradition wins, at least for the time being.
On the other hand, I obviously wouldn't be making this journal if I were entirely happy with that and not at least thinking about how green the grass might be on the other side.
Sigh.
Also, Teo looks so sad in that pic... I wanna give him a hug.
D.F.
I totally get the Weeaboo things, though... every time I see a clearly Western fox with multiple tails and magic powers I want to scream. But it's not their whiteness that makes it so disgusting, but the casual way they address Japanese mythology.
On the other, as a secular skeptical atheist type, I probably shouldn't be trying to lay any sort of claim on the mythology from that angle, either.
Or look at Jewish atheists, of which there are tons. I even know adopted Jewish atheists (meaning they have no Jewish blood and don't follow the religion, but they're still part of the culture). These things can't be easily separated out. I actually feel one of the most important reasons to approach the religions and mythologies of other cultures with respect and an attempt at authenticity is that they can be important to that culture, and failing at authenticity is making a mockery of that culture. Or, at least, making yourself look silly to members of that culture.
Similarly, as a white atheist type, I could either put in the extra overtime effort needed to immerse myself in Native American mythology and figure it out to the point where I can practice it without coming across as a total tool, or I could just accept that their world is not mine and not bother with a lame attempt at pretending it is. Aside from the fact that coyotes are cute (which I would just take as a geographic thing since I'm in New Mexico, coyotes aren't copyright to Native American mythology or anything anyway so that's fine) I'm not seeing a tremendous amount of reason to not just go the latter route again. :P
I'm honestly not sure why we're even talking about what Native American mythology says about coyotes considering we're talking about a real, actual animal. It's not like you were talking about playing a Native American animal. I guess it's just that people tend to think of animals in terms of their common totemic meanings. Owls are wise, coyotes are tricksters, and foxes love penis. But those are all limited, simplistic views of the mythology AND the actual animal (except the fox part).
In all seriousness, though, yeah, probably better to just ignore the mythology all together because it's not like that's the only reason I could possibly have for wanting to be a coyote. (Also, God your comments are awesome.)
But yeah, even in the Native American mythology coyotes mean many, many different things. The 'trickster' thing is just the one that got popular with all the damned hipsters. For instance, in the Cherokee creation story there are two or three different coyotes among the original people, and they're all radically different from one another.
Keep playing around with ideas, though; maybe something'll turn up in a way that works out.
D.F.
You're not even changing your name, and it's not that radical a shift in species. No one's going to call you on it or give you shit about it. If you'd feel more comfortable calling yourself a coyote, then go with it.
On the other, it's not everyone else I'm worried about. They can deal, really. I know myself, though, and I know that after being husky-Teo for over a decade, I'd miss the hell out of him if I were to change, even if the new form is better/more appropriate/an upgrade like that.
Our characters will always be only facets of our personalities, so having multiple characters representing different segments of our wholes makes sense, and can be therapeutic.
Sitting on this idea and seeing if the urge goes anywhere is probably a good idea, though.
I understand your points, and could only say to do what makes you the most comfortable.