RasterWeb!
At various points in my life I’ve either been told I look like one of the guys listed above, or I’ve been mistaken for one of the guys listed above.
Sometimes I took it as an insult, and sometimes I took it as a compliment.
The photo of Bre was taken by David Neff. The rest I totally nicked from the Internet.
Meet Melissa… Cupcake Lover, Runner, Cat Wrangler, Shoe Freak, Novelist.
Meet Mikey… Designer, Beer Drinker, Bicyclist, Avid Reader, Coffee Snob, Banjo Player.
These aren’t real people… Well, they probably are real people, because it seems more and more these days, you can’t be just one thing.
Years ago, I don’t think it was strange for people to describe themselves using just one title: Programmer. Accountant. Sales Associate. Event Planner. Truck Driver.
One thing just doesn’t cut it anymore. Now you can’t just tell people you’re an Engineer, you also have to let them know you’re in a band, or you collect Star Wars fan art, or grow your own green beans.
Is the Internet to blame for this? In some ways the web has allowed people with niche interests to find each other. Nerds of all kinds can find nerds with similar interests, and a place to proudly proclaim their nerdiness.
And of course you’ve got that Facebook profile or Twitter bio to fill out… and you can’t seem like some sort of weirdo who only does one thing. Are you just going to tell people you are a Writer, or will you get into your love of restoring old Vespas?
So I’m not quite sure if it’s a fear to proclaim that you are just one thing, or this finally admitting that we are multifaceted people with diverse interests.
Is part of it personal marketing? The belief that you need to sell yourself? Who wants a screwdriver when you can get a drill driver than can drill holes and put screws in things? Perhaps people think that if they have more skills they are more valuable. (Take “valuable” to mean “a better person” or “worth more money.”)
I suppose this all ties into identity in some way… Have you ever had a hard time answering the question “So what do you do?” when meeting a complete stranger in a social setting?
we are people, and people make mistakes, but people also have opinions, and ideas and thoughts and emotions, and we do make mistakes, and we do fall down, but we also do great things, and we get back up, and we fight, and we’re tough, and some of us never give up. we love and we hate and we yell and we scream and we do good things, and we help people, and we say things, and sometimes people don’t want to hear those things, but we have a right to say them, and you have the right not to listen. we can’t hide and be quiet, we can’t live two lives, one nice and clean and proper, and the other honest but hidden from view. we must be what we are and who we are, and others must find value in that. we must not be afraid, the time of being judged is past, those who judge surely fear being judged, and have their own demons and monsters to deal with. turn on the lights, point out the obvious, scream it from the rooftops, be who you are, and say what you will, and don’t be afraid of what they say because chances are, there’s a world you want to live in, so make it happen, be a part of that world, and don’t let them make the decisions for you. thanks, and good luck!