Who Are You?

D.Advice from a Caterpillar

1. "Identity Crisis - Who Are You?" - create a blog entry (or static item) that deals with moment(s) you’ve questioned yourself over any decision. (<1000 words)

Identity Crisis - Who Are You?

Some time after the caucus incident, Euripides and the author were sitting in the tailor’s store, drinking coffee and conversing idly. Business had been quiet of late for Euripides and, as a result, he had more time for socialising and the better things in life.

“D’you ever make a decision and then worry about whether it was the right way to go?” asked the tailor.

The author looked sharply at him. “All the time,” he answered. “In fact, it would be better to ask me if I have ever made a decision that I’ve been completely happy with. It’s kinda my job to be constantly investigating whatever I do and looking for motivation and reason in it. But don’t ask me for a specific instance. There are far too many for me to single one out.”

“Oh come on,” pressed the tailor, “there must be something that stands out, something that made you doubt it the moment it was a done deal. Take me, for instance. I’ve been wondering whether I should ever have moved to Athens to set up this branch. Eumenides and I have a perfectly good business in Carthage but this Greek adventure doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere. My suits aren’t exactly the rage, that’s for sure.”

“Well, yeah, I can see what you mean,” responded the author. “And I suppose I could find a few low spots like that in my life as well. Two failed marriages isn’t a great score, after all. And there have been other things but I don’t really want to talk about them.”

“Why not?”

“Too embarrassing. There are some things that are too painful to think about.” The author shifted into a more comfortable position in his chair.

“What, more painful than marriage break ups?” Euripides asked.

The author looked at him ruefully. “Maybe there wasn’t anything painful about them. Maybe they were just at the end of a long road of paying for mistakes.” He brightened then as he continued, “But that wasn’t really what you asked me. You wanted to know if I’d ever questioned myself over a decision I’d made. And the answer is still the same: I’ve questioned every one of them. Not forever, I grant you, but always there’s that little doubt, that feeling that things might have gone a bit better if the other option had been taken. If it turns out alright, that’s fine, I forget all about it. But, if I answer honestly, I have to say that I question every decision, even if only for a brief time.”

There was silence then and they both sipped at their coffee as they pondered the author’s response. Finally, the tailor put down his cup with decision and remarked, “You authors are a funny bunch.”


Word Count: 462