Who are you without your various “roles” in life?
My uncle said something to me that struck me. After reading one of my online bios, he said, “You know, you’re way more than just a writer or runner and those things you call yourself. Don’t get locked into being so singular.”
The comment struck something in me. I don’t think of myself as one person or another, but as a myriad of identities that represent who I truly am … A writer. A runner. A bookworm. A music lover and vinyl collector. I’m photo obsessed. I’m one with nature. I’m a Midwest transplant from Southern California. I’m an introvert. I’m a Scorpio. I’m a mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and a friend.
But if I peel back all those layers and identities, who am I?
I’m a human who is flawed and imperfect. I am moved by words and all the ways they represent themselves to me … through writing, songs, art, actors. I am seeking … truth, meaning, something greater than myself. I see people and their thoughts, and find my mind analyzing them when it shouldn’t.
I am a deep well of emotions and feelings that have only recently begun to scratch the surface, and I won’t let just anyone see them. No, I am guarded and often hide. I feel at peace in nature and long for movement, even when I feel that movement has betrayed me. I am haunted by my past but also find comfort in the memories. I need solitude, but I crave deep and true connection. And I believe in fate, and that there’s something beyond me steering me on my path, and I have no control of where that path leads.
Who are YOU without your various “roles” in life?