Who Am I?

The American stereotype is that we all identify ourselves by our profession, rather than by any inherent qualities or our family relationships (introducing ourselves as "I'm a teacher" rather than "I'm friendly" or "I'm a daughter"). I don't know how much of this is true and how much of it is societal convention. As adults we spend a lot of time comparing our jobs, but that's likely bc we spend so much time doing those jobs. In countries like Mexico, where so many are regularly unemployed or underemployed, it sounds more polite to emphasize something more achievable, such as marital or parental status.

Either way, it still bothers me that I'm making only $7,000/ year and that I'm working illegally. Without a work visa, the money I'm making is not reported to either country, and no one is paying my income taxes. *sigh* When I go through immigration, i have to lie and say that I'm a "desperate housewife" who just visits my husband and spends my days drinking margaritas. How anyone thinks I managed to learn this much Spanish by staying home is still a mystery I haven't understood.

This weekend I began investigating job opportunities for when we return to the US in a few months, and I realized just how much of my self-worth has been wrapped up in my profession. I am proud to be a teacher, but I'm not proud to be so embarassingly underpaid, nor to lie to officials about my income. I was also mentally preparing myself to be unemployed when we return - in this economy, no jobs are guaranteed. The mere thought of having my own paycheck, a regular schedule, and a legal contribution to the workforce was hugely satisfying.

Didn't realize this until, in the few minutes of half-wakefullness before I get out of bed I started thinking about all the things I wanted to do when we got back to the states - go to the chiropractor, buy some new clothes, switch to all organic food shopping - and realized that there is now a chance I may have a paycheck and actually be able to do those things?

So, who am I? Not sure. Today, I'm still "Ms. Kelly" and for today, that's good enough.