In the winter of 1990, a man who I was paying to help me through some depression challenged me to tell him who I am without telling him what I do. I use the word “challenged” instead of “asked” because I found it to be a very difficult thing to do. Apparently, I had never really considered who I was. We worked through a few things; he identified me as a perfectionist with a little postpartum depression; and he sent me on my way with a little encouragement and a pretty serious warning. Perhaps I’ll tell you about the warning at another time.
As a new blogger, I recognize that you might also want to know who I am and why I’m putting my thoughts out here for you to consider. So here goes. Without using any descriptive words, I can say that I am a woman, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a niece, a cousin, a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a neighbor, an American, a friend, a Christian, a volunteer, a crocheter (spell check doesn’t like this one, but I stand by it), a flutist, a creative (it’s not just an adjective anymore), an introvert, a student, a leader, and a follower.
I resisted the adjectives because they would more than likely take me into the “what I do” realm. I do recognize that nouns that end in “er” possibly fall into that realm as well, but I include some because they feel like a legitimate part of my identity. At least 8 of these define who I was at birth. The rest I have become.
Now that wasn’t so hard. Moving on to “Why am I starting this blog?” Like everything else that I do, I suppose I am responding to who I am. As a 21st Century woman who is a relative, a friend, a mentor, and an introverted creative, I am interested in sharing my “collected thoughts” through on-line written word.
A few years ago, as a student in a wise teacher’s class, I was challenged to “know what you believe”. Well, that can be even more difficult that stating who I am! This blog is, first of all, a tool for me to collect my thoughts, determine where they’ve come from, decide whether they’re based in truth, and give them a place to live. My hope is that the discipline that is required to do this will produce something useful to me and possibly to you.
I will likely permit myself to venture into the realm of what I do and why I do it in the weeks and months ahead. Possibly years. I also look forward to sharing with you, and preserving for myself, some writings from others that I find valuable. At this early stage as a blogger (a new part of my identity?), I am excited about actually writing things down instead of wanting to, but not taking the time to do it.
