who are you?

How do you reply when somebody asks "Who are you?"
In preparation for job interviews, this was one of the questions that I was advised to have a reply for. Who am I? Who I am.

The reply to this I find, for most people, is not so much "who" but "what." People define who they are by what they do. Most frequently, this translates to what they do for work. "I am an artist." "I am a plumber." "I am a doctor."

"Who" is also defined by relationship. When someone knocks on the door, a voice from behind the door asks "who is it?" or when you are at work and there is an unknown person there, when you ask "who is that?" what you are asking is "What is that person's relationship to me?" and the answer is something like "Oh, that's the I.T. guy." "Who" is a relative term.

The problem with the question is that it is oversimplification. We are complex beings, so to define ourselves in limited terms and in a simple statement is a matter of efficiency. It is not intended to be a statement of ultimate truth.

As for me, I would say that at my core I am a simple gardener. But it is not as simple as that. I am also a multi-layered, complex person, with various talents and skills that go way beyond gardening. I do not say this as a point of arrogance. It is just what is, and also only from my own flawed perspective.  


So it's an interesting exercise to ask yourself "Who am I?" Are you, indeed, your job? If not (and I would argue that you are not), then what, or who are you? I'd like to know.