“So, what do you do?”

When our jobs become who we are..

I’ve always struggle to find the answer to that question. By default, most of us answer it by giving away our job descriptions.

“I’m a Web Designer or, Front End Developer”.

That answer annoys the hell out of me. It’s definitely my lazy answer to that question.

Every time I get that question, I can’t help but to start reflecting about places where I find that deep sense of belonging and excitement; airport and library/bookstores. I then ask myself, “Why do I do, what I’ve been doing?”

These places trigger emotions I could never describe every time I’m there. It gives me this new and inspiring vibe. I feel renewed and refreshed when i’m in those places.

I’m one of those nomadic people who love to experience foreign cultures and communities, traveling in search of tales and stories.

I enjoy and love traveling every now and then; last year, I managed to travel on average once per month.

I love that feeling of getting lost in unfamiliar territory. The anxiety kicks in and it heighten my senses and alertness level to a point that it made me capture moments in much better details and clarity. It feels something like I’m in this mode where everything slows down.

I guess tie that to the “librarian” person I feel inside, it made perfect sense that I seem to keep expanding my interests to learn new things. I lead most part of my life in this traveler behavior regardless if it’s my professional career or just simply my knowledge in some domain subject or value-added life skills.

Few years ago I asked few of my closest family members and friends to describe me in three words. Nothing more or less. Some of the most consistent answer was organized. I think could relate to it but I don’t feel the depth of the description. It felt wrong. One of them who has a master in English literature hits it home with this word; methodical.

I can be in organized mess mode in some area, so I know that description isn’t accurate enough but methodical, boy I do believe no matter what I’m doing even the simplest no brainer mindless thing, I do it in some method I feel right doing.

So if I have to fit in into conformist labelling of myself, the closest description I shall relate to who I really am will be:

As I spend a lot of my adult time invested in balancing the act of consuming web crafting and use that skill to bring meaning and value to people I care about;

I’m a web librarian that travel his life methodically and always in the constant loop practicing the art of balancing what interests me and what I care about.

And as to those who know me at some point in my life would notice this; I can be quite philosophically and serious at times, while being a clown as the anti-climax to conclude any sessions I might drive myself into. So with that, it’s a coin toss between these two descriptors;

I’m either a Batman, or an Ironman…

I’m only half-joking you know..

In Dark Knight’s Batman Begins, there’s one quote that sticks with me to this day and easily becomes one of my favorites;

“It’s not who you underneath, it’s what you do that defines you.”