Well It feels that way though it isn't true.
What is true is that my father in law, who is 89, is staying with us this week between wedding and reception. I am pretending that I clean and operate a regular normal household. He knows something is up because no way could someone spend this much time doing what he calls a pasttime. Which made me think hard again about how I feel about knitting and where it fits in my world.
A few years ago, when someone asked what I did, I would say I was an executive secretary or accounting supervisor or guy who does stuff. In the way of small business, even though it no longer was, I was all 3. It just depended on the day and where the work demanded my attention. Mostly I was a guy who did stuff. My definition of myself was through my work.
At the end of that job, I no longer had a definition of myself beyond the work world. What a sad place to be.
I think I am more specific now. I hold onto a definition of myself, a view of the me I want to be. I would never define what I do by the narrow confines of where I work. If people ask me where I work, I tell them at a yarn store, but if they ask me what I do, I tell them I knit. What I am is a knitter and needleperson. My work no longer defines me, it just pays the bills to get me where I want to be.
Which is knitting. Which is what I am going to go do now. I'll pretend I keep a tidy house a little later after my father in law gets up!
Good woman!
ReplyDeleteI often describe myself as a knitter or a Mom to people - mostly just to shake them up. Most of the time, they have no idea how to answer that, especially men. I then mention that I'm a Marketing Manager or whatever it is I do outside the home at that time. It's pretty funny to see how people react.
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