It's all about the passion

Ever since a friend’s party on Saturday (fun party by the way, thanks!) I’ve had this niggling doubt about a question someone asked me that night. As an alternative to the usual, ‘so what do you do?’, someone I was introduced to asked me what I was passionate about. Or alternately, if the host were asked to describe or define me, what would I want her to say?

And I just don’t know.

The question was phrased to avoid the assumption that a person defines themselves by their job, which I think is good. For some people their job is a key part of their identity, but I really don’t think the fact that I’m a public servant gives you a key indicator as to who I am as a person. I really hope not. I mean, I enjoy my job, I think there’s meaning in what I do, but it’s not who I am.

Who am I? I’ll be 28 next month and I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Does anyone?

I don’t have an activity outside of work I’m particularly passionate about. I’m not writing a novel, or working with the homeless, or learning how to hang-glide. I’m enjoying learning Latin dancing, I do a lot of things I think are fun, but I don’t have a burning passion for one particular thing.

I don’t know if this should disturb me. Does a person need to do something that defines them? If you asked me what I wanted to be doing with my weekend I would probably say ‘spending time with my friends’. Is that a bit aimless? Or maybe it just means that what I’m really passionate about are my friends and family. And if what defines us is the way we interact with other people, maybe that’s OK.