re-posted from another one of my blogs:
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I took an online class a couple of years ago and the first assignment was to write a brief description of yourself. This really turned out to be a difficult thing for me to do because I took it way too seriously. It was also an interesting observation of humanity; well, if the small group of classmates are a true sampling of all humans, which in this instance, I think they were.
If someone said to you, "tell me about yourself". Without taking the time to think it through, what would your response be? First, everyone stated their first name, but then approximately 70% of the class began their description as a definition of their relationships.
- "Hi. My name is Karen and I've been married to the most wonderful man..
- "I'm Brenda and my fiance and I have been together for 10 years...
-"Hey. My name is Sharon and I have two adorable boys, ages 8 and 10,...
The remaining 30% began with their occupation.
- "Yeah, I'm Susan and I've been a sales rep for the past 15 years,...
-"Hi everyone, my name is Lori and I'm a paralegal,...
I know this may seem like nothing to even ponder, on the surface, but I was really fascinated by this. 100% of the people chose an element of their life beyond their self as a means of describing themselves.
So, I looked at it from another point of view: if a total stranger were standing before me and was asked to describe me, what would that person say? Most definitely, the person would use adjectives to describe my physical appearance.
- "She's a woman, middle-aged, short, with curly hair and kind of pudgy."
Well, that's not exactly what I call a great way to introduce myself to a group of strangers. So I went back to the relationships and career, but I didn't want to be defined that way either. Who am I? What is the most defining point of my existence?
I don't have answers to those questions, yet, but I hope to, someday. Until then:
Hi! My name is Shari. I'm a 47 year old female who lives in Dayton, OH. I am a widow and miss my husband very much; I still grieve. I am a Christian who is fascinated with all religions. I have two grown daughters whom I'm very proud of and extremely thankful for. I have the most supportive parents in the world and am fortunate to be able to live so close to them. I have found the best and most loving and supportive friends through Etsy and I hope that someday we can all meet. When I grow up, I want to help people. I want my life on earth to mean something. I want to accomplish things, important things. I want to have time to enjoy my family and friends, to write and read and travel...
I read a church sign once that said "Have you made God smile today?"
I want to make God smile!
