Identities are hats and verbs

I’m a Jew.

Wait…am I?

Aren’t I actually a Buddhist, a pagan, a witch, an animist…

I love tea ceremonies. I love hugging trees and talking to them.

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I’m a doctor. Wait but…aren’t I actually a healer?

Aren’t I also a teacher?

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I’m a runner. But what happens now that I’ve hurt my knee and have to walk?

I guess now I’m a walker.

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I think instead of the I am phrasing, it’s better to say that I’m a human who…

I’m a human who Jews, who doctors, who runs, and walks. Who meditates and listens to dharma talks. Who hugs trees, lights incense, drinks tea, helps people with medical factoids and prescriptions and also listening and empathy. I’m a human who friends, and sons, and grandsons and boyfriends.

There’s a book called God is a verb. Identity is a verb, too, I think.

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Each of these hats might come off, and when they do, that’ll be painful. But I am larger than any individual hat. If someone makes fun of my hat, I’m sure I’ll be angry. Maybe I’ll even fight them.

But I’ll keep it in mind that this identity or that one is one of my many hats, it’s something I do, a facet of my spirit expressing itself. It’s not me, in entirety.