Tuesday, September 11, 2007

How to define a person?

This morning I read something like this, people 30 years old and under, define themselves no longer by their jobs but by the hobbies they have, like if they do yoga or bike. -Lucky me, I'm at the door of the 4th decade-, because a hobby, according with a dictionary is an auxiliary activity, practiced during spare time... spare time, uh?
So, watching t.v doesn't count, because it is not an activity (no action involved, you know: movement), if I watch Nature every Sunday, that doesn't mean I'm a naturalist (of course).
Then I thought, well I cook, I make a little gardening as well, but it is not exactly my spare time, because I do it for the sake of my house. Running the household is my primary activity these days, gardening and cooking don't count as an auxiliary activity. Some times I sew, since it is not regular, then doesn't count too. We do yoga, but that is too, for our backs health, and after all, I just know a few poses, so... I think "nada" for yoga.
I still keep thinking, even if I wish, I'm not twenty-something. I'll put away the person definition young adults use, because for fellows like me it is something like this: Put your hobby to work and turn it into bucks. And.... that wouldn't be a hobby anymore, but a principal activity, by consequence more troublesome finding something else that defines my-self.
What do you think?

2 comments:

ma otter said...

I think I define myself in terms of the things I love and how much weight and time I am able to allot them...I love children, teaching, art, gardening, nature...so that's how I think of myself. Yes, I am a potter and since I LOVE my job I'll use that as part of my definition. But if I were a...hmmm...banker or soldier or computer analyst or whatever, I may think of this as merely the way I spend my days so I can afford my true passions.
Even when I spend all day at the grocery store, cleaning out the garage, doing laundry, carpooling etc., I am still, in my mind, this nature-kid-loving-art-person.
Yes, definitely, we are what we love (with the little provision that we dedicate at least some time and mental space to these activities!)

Anonymous said...

ummmm...ouch my brain is hurting..it's not big enough to contemplate the question (or maybe I'll get back to you when I've had more sleep!)