I used to refer to myself as “a mountain biker.” Like that was it; that’s what I did. The end. I mountain biked until it snowed and then I skied. Then when the snow melted I mountain biked again. So that’s who I was.
Recently though, with more time on our hands, the BF and I have branched out. He got back into playing golf, which meant I wanted to play golf. Which meant…less time mountain biking. It sounds silly, but I honestly struggled with this for a bit. I was a MOUNTAIN BIKER. If I didn’t spend all of my free time mountain biking, then what would that mean? It was as if I didn’t know how to describe myself outside of being a mountain biker…and if I suddenly wasn’t biking all the time, was I still a mountain biker?
Of COURSE I was. We’ve added lots of activities to our list of things to do these days, but that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped loving mountain biking. It doesn’t mean we don’t still plan trips for biking. It means now we say, “Hey, we can bike 3 days and golf one! And we can kayak in the afternoons!” It actually gave me such freedom to explore, to realize that I could identify myself any way I wanted to. I can say, “I”m an outdoor adventurer!” “I’m a recreation junkie…” whatever I want! I’ve even started riding my “commuter” bike more often. Today I biked 20.3 miles – not a bit of it on dirt – and that was perfectly ok!
I guess my larger point is that we shouldn’t get so rigid and single-minded about who we are. We identify ourselves so many ways these days – Gen Xers, Millennials, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Coloradans, Southerners, Gay, Straight, Trans, Skier, Runner, Mom, Dad, Teacher…but who are YOU? What makes you unique? What makes you…you?
I’m Julie. I hate conflict and therefore often do not speak my mind on topics that I believe will cause conflict. I’m a fledgling gardener. I grow tomatoes and cucumbers and basil, and lots of flowers, but am also sort of “survival of the fittest” about it. I’m a social media guru and a decent website designer. I’m a cat lover and a camper. I’m a homebody. I love my house and especially love that I can work from it. I’m a sister and I think I’m mostly a good friend. I’m too hard on myself and that often causes anxiety. What if I suck at something? What if I’m NOT perfect at it? Hi, I’m Julie and I’m just…me.
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