“Hello, I’m MT. And I… am an anonymity afficiando.”

“Hello, MT!” respond the voices in my head, in their best 12-step support group manners.

The voices are especially glad to see me today, because I’ve decided to step forward as the faceless advocate of the anonymity movement. We tried to get a celebrity spokesperson, but…. they wanted extra money when we explained they needed to wear a bag on their head from that point forward.

Anyway…

As my first official Act of Advocacy, I’ve put together a list of five anonymous adventures.

Why go on an anonymous adventure, you ask? __________________________________

Because its fun?

Ok, you need a better reason than that.

Most of us keep a death grip on our sense of identity, and for good reason; it helps us and others to know our place in society, it guides us in our choices, and guides others in how they react to us.

But sometimes, our identity can limit us. We become so attached to our pre-conceived notion of who we are that we stop thinking of other options. At other times, life events can strip our identity away in a flash - the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, damage to a reputation, a divorce, health problems, or just the changes that come with passing years, events that painfully challenge our ideas of self.

By setting our attachment to identity aside, if even just for a moment, we open ourselves to new experiences and possibilities. We see things from a new perspective. We stop worrying about what someone else will think, and we just experience life with fresh eyes. We loosen our attachment to our identity, making it easier to cope when life challenges our ideas of who we are and will be, and we open ourselves to altruism; as someone once told me, “There’s no limit to what you can do, if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

On With The Adventures!_________________________________

Adventure #1: PostSecret

You probably already know about PostSecret.com, the post-card confession website. If not, it’s worth a visit. The concept is of an ongoing community art project, in which people send in anonymous post cards, bearing their secret confessions. The exhibit changes each week, and there are at least 3 book collections of the post cards in publication.

Your first anonymous challenge is to reach deep into the heart of your self consciousness, and pull out a secret. Put it on a post card, and send it to PostSecret.

If you’re feeling really confessional, send it to a random church. You might include a note refering them to PostSecret.com, so they get the right idea, and don’t think you’re some part of a terrorist threat. (We’re all paranoid these days!)

Adventure #2: Masquerade!

Go out, get yourself a mask and formal wear, and find yourself a masquerade event. They’re scattered throughout the year, and are easier to find than you might think. Check out arts gatherings like Labyrinth of Jareth, local Mardi Gras events, and New Years masquerades as well as Renn Faires and always costume friendly Halloween opportunities. For the really adventureous, consider attending a Fetish Ball (I couldn’t find a work safe link… you’ll have to just Google “erotic fetish ball” for a list of examples).

The idea is to explore having *no* preconceived identity, so be sure and hold that intent. Dress in something appropriate but non-specific — a black tux or formal gown, and a simple black mask. Avoid choosing your costume as self expression, trying to win a contest, picking up a date, or being pulled into the subcultures that put on these events. Your goal is anonymity, not winning a free dinner or hooking up with the chick in the Tinkerbell costume. (Oh, and one last bit of advice? Try to avoid looking like a terrorist, please?)

Adventure #3: Antlered Anonymity

Many interactive computer games give the initial illusion of anonymity, but most are psuedo-anonymous at best. Players pick a character, an avatar, an image and a name. Within just a few sessions, you find you’re identifying with the character, and that it’s become an expression of yourself, in some way.

The Endless Forest comes in. More an interactive art project than a “game”, you start out as a nameless deer. Once you’re registered and logged in, you only get a hieroglyph that floats over your head to identify you - otherwise you’re a deer just like everyone else. Changes to your appearance are largely out of your control, and you’re dependant on the whims of other players to change it. There are no words, only a few limited movements to express yourself in. There’s no points to earn, no special awards to give status.

It all adds up to a very anonymous sort of feel, totally divorced from any sense of identity.

(If you’ve played The Endless Forest before, check it out again… they’ve released the beta version of phase 3, which introduced a couple of new features and a nifty new forest environment. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about the terrorist thing, here!)

Adventure #4: Start An Anonymous Award

We’re all aware of the various blogger and webpage awards out there - some with a very positive intent, some simply created as a marketing gimmick.

The Blog Fairy took it a step further. A while back, she (he?) began wandering around the MyBlogLog community, leaving comments for people, telling them they’d touched people with their writing. It came with a link to a badge/graphic, as most of the awards do… but there was a distinct difference. The Blog Fairy was completely anonymous. No email address, no webpage, no identity, and apparently, no agenda other than to make people feel good. It’s only recently that she even created her (his?) own blog.

Your fourth adventure is to emulate the Blog Fairy. Make up an anonymous identity, something that in no way links back to you, your blogs, your business, or any other aspect of who you are. Then wander around the web, leaving little notes of appreciation for others. It can be a formal award with a name and a badge, or just a series of friendly comments left for bloggers and commenters you appreciate. (Its a good idea to let people know its part of an experiment in anonymity, or they might get a bit paranoid. You know. That terrorism thing)

Adventure #5: Anonymous Altruism x 5

Pick five “somethings” to give away. Five ten-dollar (or hundred-dollar!) bills in envelopes. Five notecards that say “You’re Beautiful”. Five favorite books. Five blank journals.

Write out a note of explanation, something like “This book is part of an experiment in anonymous giving. If you find it, please enjoy, no strings attached”. Tuck the note inside the book, envelope or whatever, then leave the item somewhere. On a park bench, on the bus, in a coffee shop. Tie it to a tree with a pretty ribbon. Avoid leaving it at work or school, or anyplace you frequent, or you’ll be tempted to reveal yourself.

Oh, and whatever you do? Don’t use duct tape. Terrorists. Enough said.

Optional expansion: Afterwards, spend a few days contemplating the experience, how it feels, where you imagine the items might have ended up. Write down your thoughts, slip them into more envelops (or more books) and leave them in the same place.

So there you have it. Five adventures in anonymity.

Now off with you into the wild world of facelessness!

__________________________________

MindTWEAK: The real meditation is… the meditation on one’s identity. Ah, voil? une chose!! You try it. You try finding out why you’re you and not somebody else. And who in the blazes are you anyhow? Ah, voil? une chose! -Ezra Pound
__________________________________