Identity

Identity. It's so interesting how we are branded...how people identify us. I notice when I run into people, they ask about me, what I'm doing, and with which institution am I affiliated with these days. And yet if there is any change to any of these things after awhile, it can honestly be a struggle to make sense of it inwardly and manage it outwardly. I've experienced this in my career as I moved from one K-12 school to another and then to teaching at a university; I evolved from teacher to professor and spent some time rethinking my response when asked to describe my new identity in higher education. I see identities changing in my friends' lives as well--when they lose a loved one, they are no longer someone's spouse, they are identified as a widow. One may not be considered a teacher anymore after being promoted to an administrative role. A mom who has chosen to leave teaching to raise her children...is she not a teacher anymore? Identities...sometimes we have created one without realizing it and then when it changes, this can be difficult. And yet when we stop to think about who we are and it matches with who we want to be, it can be extremely satisfying.