Who Are You?

If you were asked, “Who are you?”, what would your answer be? A dispatcher, tow operator, business owner or mechanic? Or does your identity go deeper? Think about the many roles you have in life. For me, I’m a wife, mom, sister, aunt, daughter, cousin — and that’s just some of the roles I have in my family. I can then start a list of other identities — woman, friend, volunteer, manager etc. I don’t think there’s only one way to identify someone.

One of the many benefits of being a member of the Wisconsin Towing Association, the Towing and Recovery Association of America and the Women of the Towing and Recovery Association of America is that I’ve met so many wonderful members who have become my friends.

Who I am in these organizations is clear — I’m a member of the towing and recovery industry, but it goes much deeper than that. After the meetings are done, members often gather to have dinner and while the conversation is still pretty much about our businesses, the challenges we face, etc., it’s also a time to get to know the “other sides” of people.

For instance, I learned that one member is an avid race car driver, another sings in her church choir — and was asked to sing in Carnegie Hall. Another plays hockey. Another loves a good game of poker, and another — while recovering from knee surgery — watched a television show about painting landscapes and discovered she has a talent for painting — and she’s in her 60s.

There’s a saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I think the same is true about our fellow towers we meet every day. Take the initiative to get to know them, and find out who they really are — outside of towing.