Take the ink-blot test

If I were to move my computer mouse, position a cursor directly over you, then double-click to open the file of your life, what desktop icon would you be?

I asked that question a few days ago, in an "informal" survey of students, friends and workmates. (If Barbara Walters can go on national television and ask Katharine Hepburn what kind of tree she would be, can't I have a little harmless fun on my own time?)

The answers were rather revealing. It's like the Rorschach test, where people look at ink-blot shapes and tell what they see. One person picks a butterfly, while another sees an image of Armageddon. It all depends on the subject's psychological frame of reference.

Overall, I found my survey results reassuring. Most people I talked with had a positive view of themselves and a realistic sense of their strengths and talents.

One teacher said she would undoubtedly be the "Start" button, because everything in her classroom and her life depends on energy from her to get moving. Several other teachers said they could be any icon, as long as they were blinking, so they wouldn't be lost on the desktop.

One self-confident student said she would be the hard drive, because she retains information, has a lot of memory, and is good at "multi-tasking." Another said she would be the "Open" selection on the pull-down menu, because she likes sharing her feelings with other people.

A staff member said she felt like the "Delete" button, because she's had a lot on her mind lately and she's getting "fragmented," slowly losing vital bits of information. A student had a different view. She wanted to be the "Delete" button so she could be in charge, determining exactly what "stays" and what "goes" in a document.

One helpful young woman said she would be the "Search" function, so she could help other people find what they were looking for. Another said she'd rather be the "Off" button, so she could shut things down if she got annoyed with a situation. Yet another chose the "Exit" key for similar reasons.

One person wanted to be the "Caps Lock" key, so she could make everything bigger. Another opted to be the mouse, so she could control the cursor and be indispensable.

Quite a few people immediately asserted that they would definitely not be the trash can. (Because everything would get "dumped" on them!) One eclectic-minded young person said she would be "Accessories," because she is not limited to just one area of interest in her life.

Most of the male students I talked with chose icons representing favorite hobbies or pastimes, like basketballs, fishing poles, or sports cars. One young woman wanted to have an image of herself, in a Michael Jordan jersey, sinking a hoop shot over and over again.

My icon would probably be a spinning top. To find me on the hard drive, you' d have to go to "Find file" and type in "dervish." I'd reside somewhere in the "Working Moms" folder.

That's where I hang out, with the many other thousands of women who find themselves cleaning out the dishwasher, scheduling a doctor's appointment, phoning the pharmacy, finalizing the grocery list, balancing the checkbook, making a peanut butter sandwich, preparing notes for a workshop, and writing a paper for a distance education class, all at the same time.

Whatever icon people responded with, they revealed something about themselves. What would you be? You can pick a computer function, or go with Barbara Walters and chose a variety of elm.