Monday, August 9, 2010

My Definition Is...

What defines me?

Growing up in a large family I was the child who was always smiling. During my teenage years I was one of the “Cady Girls” (pronounced Kay-Dee), and it even got to the point that some people just called me and my sisters Cady-Cady…so they wouldn’t have to try to remember each of our first names. But during that time I was also defined by my skills on the volleyball court and my great group of friends – friends that my older and younger sisters (and their friends) wanted to hang out with.

As I graduated and moved away from home my definition altered and I was the girl who worked for the police department, but also the girl who was a social butterfly and seemed to have something going on every night/weekend with friends from church. Years later I chucked all of that and became a college student once again whose focus became reading, writing, and design (thankfully minimal ‘rithmetic). Finishing my undergrad I became the graduate student and teacher to college freshmen…but a student nonetheless.

Now? I’m still a student, but I question whether or not THAT is what defines me – or rather, is that what I WANT to define me? Yes, there is nothing wrong with improving the mind and increasing your knowledge, but how have I seemed to let that pursuit seemingly become my defining characteristic? What happened to the girl who was the friend that was always up for a good time? Since when did I let a piece of paper (a college degree) define me?

What SHOULD define us? Is it material things or our relationships? Accomplishments? Failures? Intentions? What? Is there a right or wrong answer?

1 comment:

Julie said...

Story of my life! I am always struggling with what defines me. That's what took me such a long time to find a blog address: what would define me in the cyber world. When you figure this out, you can share it with me. But until then, I guess the eternal nature of who we are will always be that definition...not all of it, but some of it.