NOAU is annoyed by his job and it's meaning
I have recently discovered that my job is defining me in ways that I am not sure I am comfortable with. I used to be NOAU and was then sort of defined by my sexuality and my eccentric behaviour. However, now that I have a career I find that the main defining factor is that I am a librarian.
This is the overall theme that a lot of people transcribe to me.
I find this weird.
Do architects or engineers get as much meaning derived from their careers placed onto their personal selves?
I wonder.
Or do other government employees get as much emphasis placed on their positions. Oh look there's Mainja - she is an agricultural development officer for the government. Or there's Mainja she is fabulous. I have the feeling that it is the latter.
So how come I have become NOAU the librarian. Not even the information professional. The librarian. And sometimes they leave the first R out and I am a libarian. That I find the most annoying.
So at least I am good at my job, but being defined by it is a difficult thing for me to accept.
posted by No one asked us @ 6:30 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I think it's a pretty typical thing. Being defined by a job. Even if people don't know what that job means. Very especially with new people, people who are just meeting you. They have to categorize somehow, and it is the easiest way.
I think I am "mainja, you know, the civil servant", or when I'm really lucky "mainja, you know, the theatre reviewer"
And it's probably that much more acute with you because people feel like they know what a librarian does because we've all encountered librarians in our lives, whereas most people haven't dealt with a civil servant, an accountant, a lawyer and all the other things that people get defined as.
Like mainja said, I think your job is the easiest way for people to categorize you. I mean, when meeting a new person, one of the first questions asked is often "What do you do?"
I have no idea how I'm viewed. "Emiline, the admin and communications coordinator"? "Emiline, the copyeditor"? "Emiline, that person who does something with old people"? I dunno. It would be kind of interesting to find out how other people categorize me.
I feel your pain. I am defined by the job I will have for the rest of my life. MOTHER is only one aspect of who I am, yet I have even defined myself by it with my blogger name. Hmmmm....
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