Are We Our Occupations?

I like to think not. To me there is so much more to any person than what they happen to do to earn money. But often that is the very first question anyone asks you when meeting for the first time. And I don't mean to diss any chosen profession that requires education and dedication, sacrifice even, but I still think it's just one facet of a person. Lately, due to my non-employed status, I have sidestepped directly answering the query by saying that I divorced well and I'm a NDOH*. I think it's not merely boring but a conversation killer to go into my work related injuries and all that it entails. Two weeks ago I attended the fiftieth birthday bash of a very dear friend, and to my delight, I was not asked the what do you do question even one time! The forty or so party guests were all people I was meeting for the first time. To my delight I was instead asked, so, how do you know James and Connie? Which brought up the knowing of so many mutual friends as well as connections to their hometown and connections to my dear brother Cullen. How refreshing to experience so many alternate lines of conversation! Certainly at many points we spoke of what we did to earn a living, but I felt as though we were getting to know much more personal and immediate details about each other right from the start. We are so much more than what we "do".

* North Dakota Oil Heiress