What do you do?

You know the question, because you get it all the time. "So what do you do?". This question creeps into our lives at work, at family get together's, at church, at dinner with friends or social events. So why is this question the first words that are uttered in a standard introduction? This is such an open ended, shallow, and selfish question that I tend to have fun with my response.

This simple question is a result of the status society that we live in. What kind of cars we drive, what subdivision we live in, what job title we carry. Sadly, the folks that are posed THE question love to respond to it. "I am the VP of this or Director of that"...with a big smile and a "yep, that's me!" *insert the head nod* Sad. Even more amazing is the person that asks "What do you do?" then acts like they actually care. For the next 5 minutes as the "VP of this or Director of that" goes into a montage of a job description, riddled with industry terms and acronyms. While the person who asked THE question give the standard "Uh huh", or "Interesting"..

Try this on for size. The next time you get posed THE question at a bar, restaurant, or church function..actually tell the person what it is that you DO. You do many things that you are passionate about that actually have nothing to do with your job title or career. So, "What DO I do?"

I spend time being a loving husband, brother, and son. I spend time with my dog Bailey. I am passionate about competing in triathlons. I enjoy all three sports of swimming, biking, and running, but I feel that I am actually better at cycling than anything else. I love teaching Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to folks who are struggling with finances and it's tearing their families apart. I am amazed to see the transformation that couples go thru during this class while I am teaching it. I go to church and pray. That's what I DO. It's real, it's everyday, and it's genuine.

I have no problem with telling someone what career field that I am in to make a living, and many folks are passionate about their work and careers. Frankly, that's an OK response to talk about how passionate you are in your job or career, but that's not all that you are.

So the next time someone asks, "What do you do?"...stop, think, and actually tell someone what you do. God created you uniquely. God gave you passions, fears, skills, interests, and hobbies...and none of these things carry a VP or Director title on a business card. More importantly, the next time that you are introduced to someone, during that almost uncomfortable silence...ask that person a multitude of questions: "Where are you from?", "What hobbies do you enjoy?" You would be surprised by the refreshing response.

On the training front, today was a rest day. I am working from home today to meet the fridge repair guy as the ice maker is out. I have a 3 hour ride tomorrow that is going to be intense, so I welcome the rest.