(Photo by Nathan Dumlao)
What’s the one thing that all of the following have in common - beyond the fact that they’re all labels?
High-achiever, moron, quitter, republican, racist, druggie, mean bastard, entrepreneur, democrat, athlete, failure, hero, janitor, optimist, imbecile, angry white guy with a weapon, homeless loser. Anyone who immediately goes to the comment icon and contributes their guesses, will get a FREE virtual hug, handshake or high five from an unknown author. If you also answer correctly, you’re the grand-prize winner and will get all three.
Before I give you the answer, let me just say that I’ve always struggled with the concept of labels, in part because I’ve often been on the receiving end of too many. Who knows, the buried psychological trauma from being called “Spaghetti Arms” throughout junior high, might be the underlying reason for me writing this post. I do jest and recognize that labels negatively effect all of us. To many, it’s far from a joking matter.
Just recently I figured out another reason why I personally detest “labels.” Their sole purpose in life is to provide a mechanism for us to file away people and things into nice, neat categories. Well, I really dislike filing anything. I prioritize being neat right up there with cleaning the hairballs out of our vacuum, and I’m not sure what the word “organized” actually means. But I digress.
To answer my opening question, ALL of the italicized labels above have been or are ...
This is an excerpt from my new and improved blog / newsletter - "Us AND Them" and is continued at
