A lens and a mirrorI have a hard time describing myself. It’s easy to claim I am something based on what I like to do. That makes me a photographer. A cyclist. A mountain biker. A skier. A programmer. A beer drinker. Avid soccer fan. A driver. A traveller.

But all those things, are they me, or are they just what I do?

Perhaps it is better to describe myself based on my ideals. I self-describe myself as a moderate with liberal tendencies. Those I work with would probably laugh and say I’m don’t have any moderate streak, I’m a liberal, full stop.

I could also describe myself based on my job. Officially, “Systems Administrator” doesn’t really say much. Practically, I’m a systems administrator and developer. Much of my job is to try to prevent computers from breaking. The rest is finding new ways to so the service works despite broken computers. It pays the bills, and it allows me to do all those things that I want to do.

So who am I? The short-fused, perpetually stressed and seemingly angry IT guy, or the guy that rides up and down a narrow winding dirt trail just because it’s there. Both, I suppose.

In the end, I look at myself in the mirror each morning and I see myself. I see what I want to change, and what I want to stay the same.