How I see myself and how I hope to come off in the eyes of others are two very different things. I remain content to be a loner, trying not to care much about what others think. I learned long ago that it's not necessary to please everyone in life. I set high standards that keep me motivated and dedicated to reach the goals I set.
When people ask me who I am, I always respond with Jennifer. Simply, I am a Canadian living in Taiwan who really enjoys rock climbing and working hard at being the best photographer I can be.
Due to the fact that I'm involved in many activities, it's easy for me to become a new identity to fit in with those in my presence. There are definitely moments when what I show and what I feel conflict. That being said, I have been referred to as versatile and resilient. These two identifiers have allowed me to experience some wonderful things in life.
Technology makes it easy to keep in touch with others. I requested of people that I've known for ages, family, co-workers, classmates and fellow travelers to give me one word that they identify me with.
Adventurous was the most popular, followed by independent, fearless and determined. The great thing about this project was being reminded of some long forgotten vocabulary like analytic, magnanimous and steadfast. One tends to speak in a simple manner when living in a world that doesn't revolve around English.
Language has played a significant part in my life since making the move abroad. As I work with the list of characteristics given to me through the eyes of others, I realize it shapes into a nice outer identity and apparently I am seen exactly how I strive to be. However, that is not to say that all personalities come naturally to me; I fail miserably at many of them. Expressions are mere words perceived differently by those in the line of sight.
It seems that self identities are built up based on the inaccurate and sometimes accurate perceptions of others. Identities change as often as the day's light. Who I am today doesn't have to carry on into tomorrow. I have the ability to control who I want to be and allow others to view me as I want to be seen. To me, identity remains to be exactly that — unforeseen and ever changing.
Following is my favorite response said by my climbing partner and this alone inspires me to push on even harder, "Some of your friends would describe you as tough shit, as you have been known to break a leg and jump back on the wall to conquer an overhang with a pin still in your leg".
Tough shit.
