Hi Ananda:
You know, you have really come a long way over the years. You used to be absorbed in the drama much of the time, and now you are talking about your identification with the drama. That is a big change, perhaps not noticed as much by you as by others. So there is growing awareness, but the practitioner may not always be the first to notice it (a common situation for meditators). It can creep up on us like that.
The loosening of identification will continue as your efforts on your path do, and awareness continues to grow. Not to worry. There is a big difference between being totally caught up in a fist fight versus noticing that we are in a fist fight and wondering why. It's big progress!
The guru is in you.
PS: With rising awareness, we also gradually notice our tendency to over-think things (the mind machine), and in time come to judge less and relax more within the ups and downs of our outer and inner life.