Try as I might, I can’t stop thinking that I am defined by what I do at any given time. But as long ago as Grade 5, I was told by a teacher that my generation would probably not stay in one ‘career’ like our parents, but would possibly have as many as six. By the age of 41 I’ve already had several distinctly different jobs. The question is, in a society where what we “do” is often confused with who we “are”, what is our identity?
Recently I froze during an otherwise great conversation when the other person asked me about my occupation. It’s not just the big changes which can cause this uncertainty. What if you’re using the same groundwork or training to do a completely different task? What if it’s your ‘role’ within a group or organization which changes? How do people view you differently? What if you gain, or lose power, in reality or the eyes of certain people? Is it possible that you might gain or lose friends as a result? I can tell you, dear readers, oh yes it is. And what of all your prior accomplishments, the years of accrued skill, the colleagues, and one would hope, the wisdom? Are they lost forever or can you carry them over into your new world?
In moments of clarity I believe that everything is connected. My experience, talents, and probably sense of humour, are the constant in whatever job I choose to do, but it’s how I view the world and move though it that defines who I am.
So just because I’m holding this journal “Ethnomusicology” doesn’t mean that I am no longer a singer, a broadcaster, a dreamer, a hack pianist, a snowboarder, a lover of LA but also of Paris, a wife, a daughter, and as you can guess, a procrastinator. That’s who I am.
