Who You Are

Who are you? My answer to most questioners is a husband and father. But obviously, given the existence of this blog, I should also include Motorcyclist. It is interesting, isn't it, how different people answer this question. A lot of people when asked will tell you the title of their jobs or the field of their careers.

I just found myself wondering what happens to one's self image when one's life changes. I guess an alcoholic is always an alcoholic, but an alcoholic that stops drinking is no longer a drunk. A motorcyclist who gives up his motorcycle, either willingly or against his will...can he still be a motorcyclist? What of a husband who loses his wife?

What is now always has been and will forever be. Personal identification is clearly an arbitrary and intellectual exercise. I think that's why I started this blog with the statement, "I am a motorcyclist. For a long time I was a motorcyclist without a motorcycle. Now I am a motorcyclist with a motorcycle and I am happy." I didn't have a bike but I knew I was a motorcyclist.

I'll always be a parent. It is at the core of my personal identity. I will always be a husband. That too is at the core of my identity.

I look forward to my continuing evolution as a person, man, human. What will I become in the future? I can only guess. But I do know who I am right now.