Can I see some ID, please?

Everyone has an identity.

No, not like a driver’s license or even a credit card with your picture on it. I’m talking about how you perceive yourself. It comes out in all sorts of ways. Your hobbies, what you read and listen to, how you dress, even your email address or 

the screen name you use on the internet.

For example, it’s a pretty sure bet that the gal in your office who listens to Alan Jackson and wears cowboy boots with her trendy leggings is a country girl at heart, despite the fact that she’s never even been on a horse and was born and raised in Los Angeles.

And we’ve all spotted the guy driving the lifted Hummer sporting a New England Patriots decal on the bumper and a Rottweiler in the passenger seat. Despite his being of average height and slight build, he obviously sees himself as larger than life.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying any of this is good or bad. It’s just a fact of life. If you don’t believe me stop and take a look at yourself.

Okay, I’ll go first.

My screen name is “Lady Writer”. That and the fact that you are reading this reveals my avocation and the hopes and dreams I have for a future career as a published author.

The pictures on the walls of my humble abode and the jars of sea shells on my shelves are evidence that I love the beach and if you could peek at the photos saved on my computer you’d know without a doubt that my favorite actor (i.e. celebrity crush) is Johnny Depp.

My car’s personalized plates are evidence that the afore mentioned obsession has led to one with pirates and the stations programmed on the radio will tell you that I’m a Christian with a propensity toward classic rock.

I’m not a girly-girl. My usual attire is jeans and a t-shirt, though sometimes I’ll trade my tennies for studded clogs or kicky sandals. But when the occasion calls for it, a classic skirt and blouse combo with a wide belt and sexy platform pumps can really give me an ego-boost. As for my features, I’m always pleased when people tell me I look Italian (which is one-quarter of my heritage). 

So, yes, in my inner-most fantasies I’m dressed in my favorite Michael Kors ensemble, zipping around in my little red Fiat, heading from my beachfront cottage in Laguna Beach to a meeting with Jerry Bruckheimer to discuss turning one of my many best-selling novels into a movie. Oh, and after that my husband and I are planning to jet off to our villa in Venice. Johnny and Vanessa are coming over dinner.

Now… how do you see yourself?

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