Washington Irving

He is known for writing "Rip Van Winkle" which is a crazy and imaginative tale. I couldn't help but think of Irving's own biography while talking about this tale because Rip became a bachelor and learned to be thankful for things in life. Irving also became a bachelor in his lifetime. Rip's case is different considering he fell asleep for twenty years and awoke finding out that his nagging wife had passed. He could have been relieved at first, but he starts realizing how much life has changed and has a shift in identity.

This made me wonder if people define ourselves by what's around us. Rip used to live a carefree life, and everyone accepted who he was (besides his wife it seems), and now he is in a place where no one knows him. He starts having to find his identity on his own, and goes through a hard and growing process.

I started thinking about this story and my own life. I think that if I went to a different high school or college, or grew up in a different city I would be a different person. It scares me to think about that; how fragile our lives are, but it also makes me thankful for where I am today. Thinking about this story really helped me reflect on my own life, and if I'm being thankful for each person that's in my life and where I've been placed. I also thought about how I need to find my identity fully in Christ. People will come and go in my life, and places with change, but the only stable and consistent One is the Lord and He'll guide me through.