That's All.

Benjamin Franklin said: "There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self."

I don't really know where to begin on this one.
I like to think I know who I am, what I want from life, and where I stand when it comes to my values. At times, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the Anna within, but then people surprise me by telling me things about myself I either never considered, or flat out didn't know.

My dad, for instance, has a pretty accurate perception of who I am, and often calls me on my shit when he catches me putting up a facade or misrepresenting myself. Lately he's been holding me accountable on my reasons for opting out of motherhood.

Most people, when they ask why I'm not having kids, get one of my go-to cop-outs.
"Oh I'm too selfish for kids. I like my sleep too much." 
"I'd be a terrible mother!! Do you know how many times I forget I have a dog??"
"I'm a workaholic, and that's not fair for a kid."

While some of those lines hold a degree of truth, Dad wasn't having it. To keep this part of the story short, he basically called me out, saying he knew deep down that if I spawned I'd be able to step up and raise a mostly functional human being, since I handled Rachel so well.
That's just one, more mostly superficial example of someone knowing me, without getting too personal.

Husband generally gets a good read on my true self, as well as My Coz. Like I keep saying, I hold myself to unreachable standards sometimes, and they tend to keep me pretty grounded in reality.

So I guess in some ways I have a good grip on myself, while other things still need exploring. I'm only 25, so I don't really expect to know everything yet, since there's still so many life experiences I have yet to encounter. How will I deal with aging; does youthfulness matter to me? Will I change my mind again about my political, religious, or ethical views? I haven't really thought about adopting or fostering children, since I assumed my lifestyle wouldn't allow it, but maybe once Husband and I have "seen the world," I might want to positively influence a child's life. Who knows?