There is an idea in The Matrix that I find almost as interesting as the film’s main premise. It’s the idea of a “Residual Self Image.” If you haven’t seen the film, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Please go watch it now. It’s one of my favorites and it forever changed my 9 year old heart. Go on – I’ll wait…
“There Is No Spoon”
In the film, a “Residual Self Image” is a mental projection of your digital self. It’s basically how you look in the matrix and it’s why in the matrix Neo has a full head of hair while real world Neo does not.
In actual world terms, it means that how you look in your mind might not match up with how you look in real life. For me that has always been the case – not in really large ways, but in small, strange ways.
In My Mind’s Eye
For example, for years before my 16th birthday my mental image of myself had a nose and cartilage ring. It also had purple hair 🙂 . Weird right? So after seeing this version of ‘the real me’ in my head for years, I made it a reality. I got my nose and cartilage pierced in an awesome piercing parlor in Portsmouth, NH. (Just a heads up: If you’re getting a cartilage piercing, please go to an actual piercing parlor where they use real needles and not one of those mall kiosks. Those needle guns can shatter your cartilage and mess you up. Ok – piercing PSA over.)
“Taking The Red Pill”
I got these piercings and then I dyed my hair purple. For the first time, my outer self matched what I had seen in my head all these years and it was like breathing a sigh of relief (despite the fact that my grandmother refused to talk to me for a month because of what I had done…which was additionally awkward since she was living with us at the time…But I digress).
My Hair Dyeing Journey
Since I was 16, my hair has been a kaleidoscope of colors (sometimes literally – have you seen what the sun does to brightly colored hair?! It’s fascinating). But despite exploring the entire color wheel with my hair choices, I continued coming back to purple.
Purple All Over
I’ve always been drawn to the color purple. A deep, rich purple. I have no idea why our brains latch onto specific colors. I didn’t originally attribute any specific meaning to the color itself, but after living with it in my hair and at times in my eyes (I used to have purple contacts…yes, I’m obsessed!) the color purple has taken on additional meaning.
What Purple Means To Me
So when I started thinking about making this blog public, I latched onto the color. To me, “A Purple Life” means a slightly different life, a life that involves constant questioning instead of going with what you’re given (such as brown hair in my case). It’s doing what makes you happy even if that makes you stand out or seem weird to people. It’s following what’s in your heart even if that makes someone you love not talk to you for a month because of some deeply held propriety.
Living A Purple Life
So that’s why this blog is called “A Purple Life” and that decision has had the unforeseen benefit of a few blogger friends actually calling me “Purple” for short in real life. I’ve become ‘purple’ in every way possible by questioning my life choices and meandering down this weird little path of mine. Thank you for joining me 🙂 .
Do you have a residual self image? Have you ever changed yourself to follow it? If so, what happened?
Purple, I LOVE this! I’m sure that it probably has an additional benefit for you in your creative profession that would totally backfire on someone like me in a rigid government office.
And don’t hate me, but I’ve never seen The Matrix 😬
So glad you liked it, but NEVER SEEN THE MATRIX?! And didn’t drop what you were doing to watch it as I demanded at the beginning of this post?! 😉 You should watch it tonight – you won’t be disappointed AND it’s apparently the date they show at the beginning of the movie today (2/19) – super cool and random. I didn’t realize that. Purple hair in my profession actually isn’t helpful since I’m client facing 😉 I’ve had to ask a few bosses about it and sometimes dye my hair a ‘normal’ color before interviewing. Thank you for stopping by and let me know how you like the Matrix 😉
That’s an even better explanation for the blog name than I could have imagined. Great stuff!
Haha so glad you enjoyed it!
i couldn’t get past the keenu factor to watch that movie. i like your purple story and explanation. i’ve been the oddball my whole life and have enjoyed the role. it’s not that i’ve looked that unusual except for the brief period of that vampire red and painted black nails. it’s always been more of my lack of concern of what everyone else was doing. it wasn’t personal in any way, but i could never see how their actions would have to influence mine. that seemed odd to friends and teammates i think.
Haha the Keanu factor – you mean being a badass? I assume you haven’t seen John Wick either…it’s combat artistry. Made by stunt people as a love letter to the craft. And hello fellow oddball! And ooh I didn’t know about the black nails – NICE! Your lack of concern over other people’s lives is an amazing superpower that I wish more people had. The herd mentality is strong in some. I don’t get it either personally. Luckily I’ve surrounded myself with weirdos who don’t seem to mind 🙂 .
I always felt I should have been born a redhead, so that’s the color I am now and have been for a long time. I feels right. Not sure why, but I get what you are saying!
Yes – I’m not alone! So glad you recognized what you wanted and went for it!
I have long dyed my hair ginger because I wanted to emulate Princess Sorsha from 80s fantasy classic, Willow. Can’t imagine being my natural colour now.
Ooh I just looked her up – pretty color! And yeah when I got back my original hair color for the first time since high school my step-bro texted me “new hair, who dis?” and my step dad didn’t believe it was my natural color. Oh my lol
Cool backstory to the naming of your blog. When you started on ‘The Matrix’ reference, I was wondering if you were going to describe a purple mix of the blue & red pills offered to Neo – like, operating both in the mainstream consumer world and also the unconventional world of freedom through financial independence.
Oh my goodness now I have to change the whole post and use that as a backstory instead 🙂 ! I like it better.
Haha! The more Matrix references, the better, I say.
I love that Steph calls you Purple in real life 😉 And love the piercing PSA – piercing guns are not good for ANYTHING.
I think that’s cause she doesn’t remember my real name LOL!!! And fair point – down with piercing guns!
Although 60 years old (about to be 61 in a few months!), the picture in my head is of a 30 year old, maybe 35 year old at the most. Which makes it difficult to comprehend my “baby” turned 35 last week! That simply does not compute!!!
Happy Early Birthday!! That’s really interesting. I wonder if my self image will be ‘stuck’ at 30. I’m going to ask my Mom what hers looks like now that she’s 60. And oh wow yeah I can’t imagine that (your kid being older than your self image). Definitely doesn’t compute!
I feel a certain kinship with your Mom since I think we retired around the same time / age (2013 / 55?).
I also feel a certain kinship with you since you travel so much with your Mom. After my Dad passed away, my Mom often came along on our travel adventures. Ok, while it started out with her being a warm body to sit between the two little boys in the back seat of the car on cross country road trips, she eventually was rewarded with our “mature adults only” trips to Hawaii, France, and Italy. She travelled with us so much I almost felt guilty when hubby and I took a trip just the two of us to Mexico (I didn’t think Mom could handle the July heat). The next year her health problems set in, and there was no more travels for her. But the 15 years we spent going on adventures was a great comfort to me when she passed away at age 89. So spend as much time travel with your Mom as you can while you both are healthy enough to enjoy it.
That’s awesome! And yeah y’all are similar – age 55 and 2015 for her! That’s so amazing you were able to spend that time with your Mom. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who chose to travel with their Mom like that so that’s really nice to hear. I usually just add that to the pile of why I’m a weirdo 🙂 . I’m definitely trying to savor my time with her and that’s a serious driver to why I’m trying to retire so early – time is ticking and I don’t want to spend my last years with her in an office not being able to see her often face to face.
I absolutely love this!! It took me more time to stop wanting to please people, well more precisely stop being bothered by the comments of others as I was doing things differently. For example my parents would often say we should get a bigger car, bigger house or whatever (what is it with boomers and living big lol?) and it would really bother me to have to justify my choices or just have to listen to their judgement.
The more I just kept on doing it, the more comfortable I got with it and actually started inspiring people around me with some of my choices (yes including my parents lol who are thinking of downsizing – not their big SUV though of course but at least their house).
All this to say, that’s in large part why you are so inspiring Purple! Keep on doing you, in your very calculated and deliberate way of course ahah!
So glad you like it! And yeah people can shove it lol. Always trying to dictate other people’s lives. And I have no idea what Boomers are up to with those suggestions lol. So glad you found your unique path and helping people turn around – especially your parents! That’s so impressive! And aww shucks you’re too kind. And hahaha I’ll keep the spreadsheets coming!
oh, an did you visit the seabrook nuclear plant when you were in portsmouth? it’s not far and you might have seem homer simpson at the controls. what were do doing up there? i like that part of the world and we went on a field trip to that plant and a whale watch when i was a troubled teen.
Haha I haven’t, but I go back fairly often because my aunt lives nearby so adding it to the list! I like that part of the world too. Very peaceful.
Just an aside, have you ever heard of the purple people of North Arkansas? They wear purple, and they live in purple houses. It is a very reclusive Nahziryah Monastic Community, whatever that is. They make crafts and sell them locally. They might be kindred spirits or they might not be savory, I really don’t know. Hey, nothing wrong with KR, the Matrix will always be unbelievably cool!
I haven’t…sounds a little creepy, but I might have to check it out! And yeah KR fan club over here. One of my family members may or may not have a shrine dedicated to him…uh oh maybe I am weird enough to join that possible cult. And I think I need another Matrix re-watch. I know what I’m doing tonight!
Love it, the explanation makes so much sense to me on so many levels.
So glad you loved it! I felt a little weird writing it out to be honest so glad it makes some sense 🙂 . Thanks so much for stopping by!
I used to highly resent Keanu because my childhood besties were in love with him and made me watch every movie he made EVER, but in my old age, I think he’s a pretty awesome human and it’s nice to have him in the world.
Opposite to your question, I have zero physical self image so when I look in the mirror, I’m semi-surprised by what I see just because I don’t have any visual of myself mentally.
I also have a bit of a problem with family resemblances. I share strong resemblances with estranged family and when it jumps out at me, it bugs me!
I HAVE always wanted blue and/or purple hair though, and am too lazy to make the effort to bleach my hair enough to make the color take. If I were ultra rich, I would splurge on having my own colorist for that 🙂
It sounds like you should have been resenting your friends instead of Keanu 😉 Kidding. He is pretty awesome as a human.
That’s so interesting to hear (zero physical self image). I wonder why that is. I need to dive into some psych books. I don’t look like anyone in my family that I see, but I can imagine seeing parts of them in you would be weird!
Hair bleaching can be super lazy 😉 you don’t even have to mix your own stuff if you don’t want to. It usually only takes me 1 day to bleach my hair basically white enough to put bright color on it. But I have a “balls to the wall” approach to more than just my retirement 😉 .
LOL THAT would have been more logical. It wasn’t his fault his movies were being snapped up by rabid fans 😀
But as a teen, I was only logical some of the time. 😉
Hahaha – that’s fair. I think a logical teenager would be a rare find!
Very cool explanation. So glad you were able to match the real world image with the residual. When I was younger I was able to do that, now I fight with it. I do not look how I feel. And unfortunately, my job would not jive with how I would like to express myself. I really need to become a successful entrepreneur.
So years back I was able to go to the Spartacus premiere and stood in line with a young LA film student. I brought up The Matrix and how it was one of the first movies to use the 360 filming. And he had NO CLUE about the movie because, as he put it, “I think I was like 5 when it came out”. Ah! Make a woman feel old in 5 seconds flat. I wanted to drop kick him right on the spot. LOL.
That’s interesting – what is in your residual image that your job wouldn’t approve of? And of course if you want to be an entrepreneur please do!
What in the world?! Who is this youngin lol? You definitely should have drop kicked him.
Definitely something would fit in the art world, edgy with dyed hair, layered clothing and punk. And I would love jeans and t-shirts, too. I work in corporate. My style now is lost and I always feel out of place there with regards to wardrobe/style that fits my self image.
I should have dropped kicked him. I would have felt better. Haha
It’s definitely hard to balance how you want to dress with corporate expectations. Ugh well I hope you have the chance to dive in and rediscover your own style.
Um, ya, looks like I was only 10, err maybe 15 (?) when that movie came out. Ya, that’s the ticket! LOL
Good to know! I always figured the purple hair was just part of it. You’ve always struck me as a “different” person (no offense intended).
P.S. I always loved the move The Matrix too!
Hahaha good to know you would accept this weirdo even if I didn’t have a reason 🙂 . And yay Matrix lovers unite!
I’ve always thought purple is such a cool color. Maybe I’ll choose a crazy color once I’m much closer to retirement because why not? It’s like public rebelling against a work-centric society that expects us to look and behave in a certain way.
Doo ittt! And why not indeed – regular corporate approved hair and clothing seems to have evolved a little, but it’s still surprisingly rigid. Let me know what colors you choose!
I love the story behind the name.. and, I should really watch The Matrix finally!
Yay! And yes please watch it and let me know what you think! Uh oh – I kinda want to watch it again….
Love it!!
I used to dye my hair too. Never quite brave enough to go fully colourful – just streaks of blue, pink and purple. And then a lot of bleaching. I was thinking about dying my hair again recently because I have always been a blond. But as I get older, my hair is getting darker, and I miss being identified as a blond, as weird as that is.
So glad you liked it! And streaks are cool too! Totally go back to blonde if that’s what you want. I don’t think missing having your hair a certain color is weird at all 😉
I’m late to this one but I loved this story. There is a huge amount in the idea of your physical and mental images being congruent. When it comes to weight loss people talk about it in terms of being a fat person with a thin person fighting to get out.
I also believe that people have a ‘natural age’ that they were always meant to be. In my head I’m basically still a fourteen year old and so I regularly get thrown by the fact that I’m bluffing it as an adult!
You’re not late 🙂 happy to have you here. Weight loss is a great analogy. When I was bigger how I looked in my head didn’t match how I looked in the mirror. I would always be surprised after seeing myself in a picture for example. Now that matches too, which is good!
The idea of a natural age is really cool. My friends seem to all be dreading being 30, but I’ve been looking forward to it my whole life. I have never felt like I’m in my 20s. I think 40 might be my sweet spot. That age seems to match more with how I feel in general. And 14 year old – interesting! I can see how that would be a trip while going about your adult life!
How’s it different to walk through life with non-traditionally colored hair and nose piercings? I imagine that strangers react differently to you than before you made those changes. How about in professional situations? It’s always interesting to me how people can stay the same inside, but if you make outer changes, the world makes so many different assumptions and reacts differently. I’d love to hear what it’s like.
Strangely I haven’t noticed any differences. I often forget that I have purple hair and facial piercings. The same has been true professionally though that might be because I’m in a pretty creative field (despite being client facing) and the fact that I’ve only lived in really liberal areas. The only thing I have noticed is people seem to assume I’m ‘hardcore’ as a person though I’m not sure if that’s because of the hair/piercings or my DGAF attitude 😉 . Maybe I should test it. Thanks so much for stopping by!