How we view ourselves means everything. It means EVERYTHING! It really, truly isn't what other people think they see but what you know you see in yourself.
I am here to say that ever since I could remember I always imagined myself as the Adventurer. As a young girl I fancied myself in wanting to be a blend of Mother Theresa and Indiana Jones. I wanted to save the world one adventure at a time.
I was obsessed with joining the Peace Corps by the time I was twelve. I don't know why. I guess you can say I had a need to help people and a desire to want to make people lives better. As I got older (about 24 years old) I was filling out my Peace Corps forms when it hit me. I had to make a choice. What sort of adventure did I want to go on? Helping the poor in a far away land or bringing adventure into my life in a different way-through a family of my own.
Sometimes you don't have to be swinging on vines to rescue someone physically when you can also bring people comfort through kindness and a smile.
I was the sort of girl who although I admired the outfit choices of the damsel in distress, I just didn't want to be them. I didn't want to be Jane, I wanted to be Tarzan. I didn't want to be Willie, I wanted to be Indie. I didn't want to be Weena, I wanted to be George traveling through time with my Time Machine.
I loved the idea of adventure so much as a child I would play Sherlock Holmes and Watson with my cousin. I was Holmes of course. And we had mysteries to solve! I even read Choose Your Own Adventure books! I collect them still. It makes perfect sense to me that I am a huge Doctor Who fan. I mean, going anywhere through space AND time!!? Good golly!
My adventures these days include keeping myself sane, getting the tasks done, dealing with three different growing people, and keeping the house from falling apart!
I think often on how to keep that little Indiana Jones in me alive while I clean the same part of the house for the 5th time on the same day or get the dishes done.....again.
I won't lie, I just feel too tired to even think of grabbing a vine let alone swinging on it. My disability has aged with me and although it is never a crutch to me, I do have to live my life differently that I used to ten years ago as I would have to do so ten years from now.
I am still consider myself an adventurer because I choose to see myself that way. I am still intrigued by people, cultures, and history. I still like to solve a good mystery, via Sherlock or Bletchley Circle, but a mystery nonetheless. I still like the thought of traveling although I envision myself doing it with my husband and children since being with them brings me the most joy.
I have spoken about this subject slightly once before a few eons ago but now more than ever as I am nearing a new decade, I find myself in full dialogue with myself and asking how I can still find adventure in life without flying to a 3rd world country or living out of a camping van. This will be a work in progress. I plan to find other way to swing on a few vines, just wait and see!
How do you see yourself? How do you want to see yourself? What sort of adventures would you want to go on?
Great questions! I feel like this year has been one of a lot of exciting adventures already (opening my shop, launching a YouTube channel, etc) and that I'm carving out this path myself, which is very empowering. I'd love for future adventures to include more travel (perhaps abroad again - it's been so long!), more blogger meetups, (lifelong dream here!) writing a book, moving to a bigger house (with a yard), and continuing to grow and expand those areas of my life, like my blog and Etsy shop, that bring me joy and daily fun.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica