Maybe a week ago, there was a WordPress prompt about the different “me” I am when I’m in different situations and what would happen if two or more of my mes ran into each other.
I have actually thought about this a lot before, ’cause I feel so different in different contexts.
1. Traveling Sahara. Completely in the moment and looking for adventure. She went to her destination for something, and she’s gonna do that to the best of her ability. She is focused on making that experience as bright as possible.
2. Rennie Sahara, so Avis. She is part of a community, so she does lots of little tasks like stuff with kids, tossing cabers, dying fabric – whatever need to be done. She’s also more playful – flirtatious and loves to heckle others. And like all good Scottish lassies, she starts and ends her day with a drink of whiskey with her kinsmen.
3. Social Work Sahara. This is the Sahara that’s around most often. She’s quiet and observant, taking into mind the environment and non-verbal communication of another person, just trying to get what they’re saying. She puts herself in other people’s shoes, which takes a lot of work and a lot of energy.
4. Jock Sahara – When Mizzou was in the Cotton Bowl last year, she was yelling at the TV with the rest of the bar. When she’s on her bike, she talks about the merits of different trails or equipment. When she’s marathoning, she asking the other racers about other good races they’ve done.
5. Cigar Sahara – She’s quieter, ’cause she’s got her scotch and she’s reading or writing or thinking.
6. With Husband Sahara – I’m not going to go into detail about that but you are creative people, so I don’t need to.
Sometimes one Sahara, like Rennie Sahara or Traveling Sahara, runs into a situation that immediately calls up Social Work Sahara. Last year, at one Ren Fair, Cohiba and I were hanging out at one of the pubs. A woman walked by with a bruise on her arm that about looked like a hand, and up Social Work Sahara came. My heart started pounding and I started watching her and her male companion really close, trying to read their body language. I had to work to turn it off.
Another time that Rennie Sahara met Social Work Sahara was this past year I heard a fight break out in the lane outside the Scot’s camp. Rennie Sahara had to fight the Social Work Sahara’s urge to go intervene. Also as Rennie Sahara, I actually saw a client. I hid my face.
Finally, at a bar, Cigar Sahara meets an alcoholic, and, again, Social Work Sahara wants to come up. I have to remind her that I don’t live my job, and some things are none of my business.
*Writing 101
I Didn't Just Wake Up This Morning With A Craving 
Wow…that must be really hard to draw the line for Social Work Sahara.
Embarrassingly, yes, it is. 🙂
It’s actually really hard when there are kids involved, since I’m a mandated reporter for child abuse. A few years ago, I could hear my downstairs neighbor yell “shut the fuck up!” and then a loud sound, like he had struck his son who fell.
I don’t really know what happened, and I may have heard wrong, so I didn’t want to cause trouble for my neighbor. In many states in the US, unless I encounter the incident in a professional capacity, I don’t have to report. Actually, I don’t know if IL is one of those states, so I may have done the wrong thing.