We define ourselves with work and profession…even in our Obituaries!

I have been reading our local paper, the Cape Gazette for a number of years but just now noticed that in the obituary section, each listing had a headline.

Here is a sample:

Kathleen, cherished her family

Margaret, Playtex retiree

Doris, longtime nurses aide

Anthony, avid outdoorsman

Jeffrey, Eagles fan

Norman, General Foods retiree

Ruth, huge Elvis fan

Nellie, longtime bus driver

I checked the prior month of obits and found that about 20% of the headlines had something to do with what the individual did for a living and or who they worked for.  It made me think of the observation we made in the book that we have been conditioned most of our lives to define ourselves by what we do and who we do it for.  Many of these individuals had been retired for many years, but whoever wrote the obit still identified them with who they worked for and what they did. 

The remaining headlines referenced family, church, hobbies, community etc. In fact some of them made no mention of the person's work or profession.  As we move into retirement we need to be careful not to think of ourselves as “no title=no identity”.  Many of those in the Cape Gazette look as though they moved on from that mindset to other things that gave them their true identity.

Andy Gogates