Monday, July 11, 2011

WHO ARE WE?

OK, I don’t mean your About Me page or your Twitter bio or how you describe yourself on Facebook. I mean, all of it.

Let’s take it from the beginning.

When I was say younger, people knew me as my elder sister’s younger sister. Yes, one of the pitfalls of being the younger sibling to a smarter, very pretty, popular elder sibling. Everyone will call you by “their name –followed by the sibling tag”. And that’s how it went till I started calling myself by my name or just when my sister changed school.

Asked to write an “About Myself” essay and it would include the tedious details of how fun-loving, outgoing, friendly, love reading books, hanging out, surfing the net, listening to music - person we all are.

Then, college. Here you are known by the subject you take or the controversies you create. Yes, I was known as the Psychology girl from the Arab World. And that is how I referred to myself as – Name- followed by “the girl from Psychology”. Well, it didn’t matter that there were 30 other girls from Psychology. They probably called their selves the same.

At work, obviously, but obviously, you are defined by your work. I am the psychologist. And that is how one would introduce oneself. “Name – followed by profession”.

Then, comes the oh – so – intriguing online world. The world’s your stage here. Say what you want, everyone believes you. Here, you could be the person you had always wanted to be! But when it comes to writing “about myself”; just what can you include.

The details of how you were a nerdy be-spectacled younger sister to a elder sister, the Psychology mumbo jumbo, your interests, the movies you like, your hobbies, your family, being a mommy / wife /aunt (if you are one!) or what?

Really, who are we? Or, who are you?

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