How do I define myself?

I have recently been thinking a lot about who I am and how others see me. You know - definitions, labels, all that crap. I have always liked what Ani DiFranco says about being defined.

"It's not important to be defined. It's only important to use your time well."
Ani DiFranco

BUT people do like definitions...and I have been thinking a lot about them so - How do I define myself? I am going to limit myself to 10 things that I feel are the most defining about myself.

1. A woman...yes even though I often dress like a teenage boy, I am okay being a girl. However I do have some traits that would be considered masculine. There is a lot about being a guy that is appealing to me but I have never wanted to change my gender or felt like I was in the wrong body. Although, due to my short hair, I am often mistaken for being male.

2. Queer...we gays claimed this word as our own years ago and I proudly wear it. I have known I was gay since I was very young. Something more than just being merely a tomboy. There was a definite attraction to other girls and a definite non attraction to boys with the exception that I wanted to be a boy which is completely different from wanting to be of the male gender. I just gravitated towards "boy" things and away from "girl" things. Just ask my sisters about all of their dolls that met their demise by my hands. I still prefer more "guy" oriented activities rather than going shopping or such.

3. A seeker of God/Infinite Truth. I cannot come up with a better way to put this but to say that I have always sought something beyond myself, beyond that which I could see or touch. Probably explains why I gravitated towards transcendental authors in both high school and college. I crave transcendental experiences.

4. An Environmentalist. The natural world is so important to me. I feel most complete and at ease when there is dirt beneath my feet, the sounds of rushing water, and crisp clean air to breathe. It is here that I am most in touch with life and feel the presence of the Creator.

5. A Thinker. Some would say, actually most who know me would say that I spend too much time thinking and not enough feeling. This is probably true. I like to think about things. I like to take something and learn all I can about it and then spend a great deal of time thinking about it. It is a definite hindrance to me at times and I am doing my best to let life contain mystery and not feel that I have to figure it out. My daughter tends to be a thinker and I love this about her.

6. Family oriented. I love being a wife and mother. Nothing brings me greater pleasure or greater pride. It is my highest calling and the thing I hold the most dear. I would easily give my life for my family.

7. A loyal friend. I am not always a good friend but I do think I am a loyal friend. I will stick by my friends and defend them no matter what the cost. Like my family I would give my life for my close friends.

8. A reader. I can lose myself in the written word. It brings me great joy to pick up a new book and to lose myself in it. I cannot imagine a life without books.

9. Open. I am who I am - good or bad. I don't like to pretend to be something I am not and find it almost impossible to fake it. Many would say I lack tact and they are most likely correct. Oh well - take me or leave me.

10. Of Irish Descent. My ancestry has become increasingly important to me as I grow older. I like knowing where my people came from, their culture and their way of life. I am very proud to be Irish.