Why I chose Empty Roles? What does it mean?

          
I have recently gotten a couple of emails from readers wanting me to explain what the term “Empty Roles” mean and why I chose this name for my blog. The term empty role is an expression that I coined to describe the void that is left in your life when someone has left. In the field of sociology it is understood that everyone fills a role. The role and the person are two separate entities.  The role you fill in life is just a role, nothing more, it is not who you are, nor is it a description of your contributions to society.  Let me explain further.

You were born a human, that’s it, not a doctor, nurse, lawyer or Christian; these are roles that you picked up along the way. Think about it, when you were a child, were you a mother? No, you were just a child however when you got to the point in your life where you decided to bring a child into this world, you became a mother. I became a father when my son was born, prior to that I was just a human.  I was a socialized human because I behaved within the boundaries of what society had determined was reasonable but I was just a human.

The roles that we take on have specific characteristics, for example if you are a husband you will be expected to come home at night and to provide for your family. This role was established long before you were born. This role will exist whether or not you are there to fill it. If you have a child, and you are not present; that role will be empty. It is that simple.  This is why we should never limit ourselves to the roles we hold in life because they are only temporary.