Behind the Mask
#2022
Everyone around me is talking about AI.
But they’re not really talking about AI.
They’re talking about identity.
What happens when the thing you’ve built your life around becomes obsolete?
When the role you’ve worn for decades might not exist in two years?
That’s not just scary.
It’s grief.
I know that grief.
I’ve changed skin many times.
I studied to become an accountant.
Didn’t like it.
Became a developer.
Then something else.
Then something else again.
Each time felt like losing a piece of myself.
Each time I had to ask: if I’m not that, then who am I?
I’m still asking that question.
I’m not even sure there’s an answer.
And sometimes, that’s painful.
But here’s what I learned:
The role is how we show up in the world.
It’s not all of who we are.
When we lose it or leave it, we don’t disappear.
We just become unmasked.
And that’s terrifying.
But also, maybe, it’s where we start to meet ourselves.
Not the engineer. Not the teacher. Not the title.
Just... us.
The world is changing fast.
Faster than we can keep up.
And yes, that hurts.
But underneath the fear, there might be something else.
A question worth asking:
Who am I when I’m not performing a role?