I am more than my work

Okay, so it finally happened. I hit my first rough patch at work. After 14.5 months, I suppose it was overdue.

Anyway, yesterday I learned that they are looking for a senior writer in my department. So I asked what any sensible woman in my position would ask - what are they looking for that I don't have. The answer? A history of corporate direct sales writing experience. Okay, I don't have that, except for the past 14.5 months, but I have ten years corporate journalism experience, and the prideful part of me knows that finding someone who is better at what I do than I am is going to be a challenge.

Which means that, eventually, they will hire someone who isn't up to my standards and pay them more for the privilege. And it makes me crazy, because I take an extraordinary amount of pride in my work and I feel undervalued and unappreciated.

There, got that off my chest.

Having said all that, it made me think about what I learned over the time that I was out of work (which I've come to call MaggiePalooza 2006.) During that time, I kept reminding myself that there is more to me than just what I do for a living. Sure, I'm a writer, but what else am I?

I am ...

• a daughter, biologically and emotionally
• a sister, ditto
• a knitter
• a singer
• a work in progress
• someone who likes to have fun
• an ex-wife (and may I say, I think I'm pretty good at that one)
• an athlete (just ask Sharon)
• a child, and a grown-up
• an adventurer

There's more, I'm sure ... that's just what flew off my fingers as I sit here at the computer. It helps, because I really don't want to fall back into the trap/habit of defining myself by my job. When someone asks me, "What do you do?" I'd really like to answer "Make great guacamole. You?"

Wouldn't that just set the world on its ear?