Name it

How do you respond to the question, “What do you do?"

I ramble excitedly. I did this earlier today. It’s all those hats I’ve worn. They float to the surface the moment I hear that question. I need to pick one hat. The current one.

Today, environmental education for me looks like journalism. I’m getting more comfortable wearing this hat. Writing articles, interviewing, reviewing books and doing research have been part of my practice for over 25 years. Even so, that simple question continues to create anxiety every time I am asked about how I spend my time.

Wait.

Did you hear that?

When someone asks me what I do, are they literally asking me what I do, or are they asking me how I spend my time?

These are two different questions. One question has a simple answer. That answer is: "I'm a journalist. I write about environmental careers. I'm interested in what environmental education looks like across sectors."

The other question triggers a defensive posture. Let’s call it what it is. It is a stance that leads you to rambling as you explain yourself to someone who doesn’t know you - all of you - in context. 

All of your hats float up so you can see them. Not only do you feel the need to create a snapshot of your life for your new acquaintance, you also speak quickly before being dismissed. This is how the opening seconds go for me, anyway. 

After a couple of minutes, I’m fine. I get to what I’m doing now and state my intention without apologizing for it. This didn’t happen right away, of course. As you can see, I still ramble. 

My point today is this:

Identifying why a harmless question triggers a defensive posture changes how you advocate for yourself.

It took time, but the simple answer works because I finally found the language for what I do. It’s accurate, without being complete.

Tell me, what will you say the next time someone asks that simple question?