title: python dictionary: item as variable
body: <p>As part of my exercise, I'm playing with dictionaries. I created some string variables, then I need to pass such vars to a dictionary as values (<em>not as keys</em>). Finally, I will need to update/replace such variables using dictionary keys!</p>
  
  <p>However, as soon I create <code>my_dict</code>, variables are "exploded" and their content passed to dictionary as values. Instead, I wish to keep vars and dictionary values "linked"</p>
  
  <p>This code is part of a function which is part of program which requests user inputs. These strings change quite a bit and referencing them using dictionary keys would greatly simplify my code.</p>
  
  <pre><code>str1 = 'abcdefg'
  str2 = 'duck'
  str3 = 'banana'
  my_dict = {'A':str1, 'B':str2, 'C':str3, '1':5, '2':9, '3':13}
  
  print my_dict
  {'A': 'abcdefg', 'C': 'banana', 'B': 'duck', '1': 5, '3': 13, '2': 9}
  
  my_dict['C']='apple'
  
  print str3
  banana # I wish str3 to become apple
  
  print my_dict
  {'A': 'abcdefg', 'C': 'apple', 'B': 'duck', '1': 5, '3': 13, '2': 9}
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This question has some similarities to <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/23852480/assigning-value-in-python-dict-copy-vs-reference">this one</a>
  but my actual problem is that I wish to keep dictionary-values as variables and use their key to update variable content.</p>
  
  <p>Is it possible, or am I trying to use the wrong solution to a common problem?</p>