Bumper Sticker World

In today's world people put their philosophic beliefs and their likes and dislikes on their bumpers for all to see. We know what school considers their kid an honor student, what basketball or football team they cheer for, who they are going to vote for, and other various and sundry things. Yesterday, I saw one that said, "If you ain't cheatin' you ain't trying." Another one said, "There's no alternative to being yourself." Now that last one gave me pause for thought. There is so much said about 'finding' yourself. I recall an old class mate of mine writing a note on her Christmas card to me and she was bringing me up to date on the status of all of her children. She said her daughter, Ann, was in California 'trying to find herself'. Peg, her mom, said she couldn't figure out why she would go looking for herself in California when she had never left Springfield, Ohio.

Being yourself is very complex, when you think about it. Which 'self ' are you? A number of years ago when Brian was a young child, I brought home my picture that had been taken at school. Everyone at school had remarked about what a good picture, of me, that it was. When I showed it to Brian he looked at it for a minute, looking very puzzled, and said, "Is this what you look like at school?" "Well, I guess so. Why ? He said, "You look so teachery!" He saw one of my 'selves' in that picture, not the 'Mama self' but the 'teacher self '.

I think we have many 'selves' depending on who we are at any given time. Are you the same 'self ' at work as you are at home? Are we just role playing in all of the different positions in our lives? I have many roles, who I am, when I am alone with myself,or being a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, neighbor, customer, patient, citizen, traveler, it goes on and on. I am a different self in all of these roles. I have not totally settled into being a widow. That is a new role for me, I knew how to be a spouse but I have not yet settled into the 'self' that I am required to be now. Maybe I should go to France or Indonesia or somewhere to see if I can find my "widow self ." I guess you need to be yourself depending on who you are at the moment. I know that your basic characteristics define who you are but I have known people that can be harsh and unrelenting in some instances and can be soft and loving in others, which one is the real self? Its beyond me! What would an alternative be to being yourself?

So,pondering the imponderables...I guess I'll just go on being myself... whoever that may be!
Betty Charters, Elizabeth Charters, Betty Fitzgerald, Mrs. James Fitzgerald, Grandma Fitzgerald, Great- Memaw Fitzgerald, Aunt Betty, Miz Fitz, Mrs. Um, Hey you, Just plain Betty or best of all Mama. Ciao