What do people strive for through their lives? Wealth? Fame? Love? If I had to hazard a guess as to what weighs (unconsciously) on people's minds most of the time is being remembered, having a solid identity so that when meeting a new person, they can be like "Hello, my name is Bob, and I am a plumber" or whatever their name and desired identity happens to be. Perhaps, "Hello, my name is Glorkon the Third, and I am a bounty hunter, but you may call me Andy." Perhaps with a nametag resting contentedly on their chest, exclaiming "HELLO! My name is...ANDY!"

Which brings me, rather conveniently, to the subject of name tags. And how I don't have one. See, I've been working at this tutoring centre for a few weeks now, and the ever awe-inspiring name tag has become to me a symbol. It is a symbol of seniority, of authority, and of, you guessed it, an identity. You see, all of the people who have been working at this centre for longer than I have have a name tag. They are the ones that boss me around (although technically they have just as much authority as I do), they are the ones that correct my actions that need not be corrected, they are the ones that are younger than me yet feel that I am their underling.

But not for long! It is my goal to attain one of these identity-containing bits of plastic. To the kids that I help out, I am simply a plain blue vest. But if I were to obtain a name tag...I could be so much more. I could be...Carolyn. And not, simply, blue-vest lady. Not that any of them call me that. Maybe they do in their heads, I don't know. I could proudly pin my name tag to the front of my blue vest, hold my red correcting pen above my head in a Beowulf sort of fashion and announce to the world "Hello, my name is Carolyn and I am a grader!"

Yup. This is my life right now. One of the most intense things in my life that I have to look forward to and wonder about is when and if I will get a name tag. Well, I suppose that I have been learning a lesson, inadvertently. I will never take name tags for granted again! I will appreciate the convenience of people being able to stare at my chest to determine my name instead of having to inconveniently and possibly embarassingly inquire it. It is a luxury, kiddies. You should never assume that you will just have the ability to stick or pin a lovely bit of paper or plastic to your clothing or forehead or skin or hair to inform people of your identity.

You should heed my advice. I am very well versed in the pains of a lack of name tag.