TashJGirl

How do you think of yourself?

Do you think of yourself first as a man/woman?  What about religion?  Where does that fit?  What about your age?  Do you think of yourself as a “young person” or does age not factor into your identity actively?  What about your nationality or heritage?  If you’re born in US, you’re American.  If your recent ancestors are from Italy, then you are an American of Italian descent (not Italian-American, unless you were actually born in Italy).

So many people of this world identify themselves by a nationality (“I’m French” or “I’m Italian” or “I’m Indian”).  So many people of this world identify themselves by religion.  No examples needed here.

What about hobbies or professions or familial relationships?  Are you a doctor, a lawyer, a brick layer, a woodworker, a stay-at-home mom, a “breadwinner”, a father, a sister, a brother, etc.?

But which comes first?  When you think of yourself, how do YOU see YOURSELF?

I don’t really know which one is first for me.  I still think of myself as a girl, and refer to other women I work with as “girls” regardless of age.  Sometimes, I still feel like I’m 18 (and I’m far removed from that).  See, part of the reason I still see myself as 18 sometimes is because I generally still look like I’m around 18.  Oh sure I’ve gained a few pounds, but my face has been the same since I was born.  People can recognize me from middle school (I came to this country when I was 12 and didn’t really speak English enough to make friends for a few years).  I have a fairly round face which adds to the “young” look.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind.

But it does affect how I feel/think about myself.  Which adjective that I use to describe myself comes first?

So, how do YOU identify YOURSELF?  What comes first?