As many of us with blogs, we occasionally find things linked to us that seem odd at best. For a while now I've received spam about nude female celebrities. Now, anyone who has actually read my blog would find that to be not quite up my alley. Still, somewhere someone labeled it as such and on comes the blog spam. Today, just moments before writing this post, even, I found that my blog has been defined by someone as a blog about nudists. How they go that is seemingly in part due to a post I wrote about the way nudist blogs are being nuked, but I now understand a bit more of the spam I'm receiving and even some of the search words that come up under my stat page.
Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against nudists. I am a home nudist much of the time- but trust me when I say that you don't want to see that. Still, even though I am not against nudism in any way, that just isn't what this blog is about.
Just to be direct, let me tell you what this blog is about: It's about me. It's about you! It's about us; how we can help each other, what we find important, and the fact that we care about each other.
But, is it fair to put a label on something or someone? This blog has a lot to do with homosexuality, dogs, politics, religion, kids, growing and developing..... because, you see, growing and developing is what I am trying to do. So, I guess I talk about it a bit, and you who comment really help me understand myself and my world better.
In my life, I've had occasion to be labeled as many different things. None, no matter how accurate, could even get close to defining me. But, what they did quite easily, quite quickly, was limit the image I could project to that other person. After the label, it didn't matter -- in that person's mind, I'd been defined, categorized, and they'd moved on. You see, it is easier to label someone with an easily codified label than to really seek to understand them. That's not news, and frankly it's just common sense - there are way too many people in this world to understand each of them. The best, in my mind, is that we understand ourselves and be kind to everyone else. Easier said than done...
So, when I hear of the recent shooting, when I hear the commentators, everyone wants to know why. What made this person do this? The problem, the irony, is that we want to put a label on this man, not understand him - and surely not take steps necessary to arrive at a solution to the drives that brought him to that path. We just really want to to simply have a tag to put on it all and declare it behind us.
But, there are some very smart people pointing to things that are just wrong. They are not simply uncomfortable or inconvenient, they are poisonous. I'm not so smart to be one of these people, but they are out there. They are talking about the need for health care, non-petroleum/coal based energy, environment care, humane treatment for prisoners and law reform, equal rights. What do we hear? Do we hear the truth, the important things, the needful things?
One of the things that has me frustrated with politics is how often the truth falls victim to the brownie points or whatever it is that puts one politician or political party ahead of the other. They see it is a bid for power, but I see it as a real shame. In the end, we are private individuals and have the right to tell others what we will of ourselves, but to deceive and lie - to defraud? No. For then, the lie becomes the story, the thing people rely on, the hope they hold, and truth becomes inconvenient and a liability to be hidden and denied at all costs.
So, I beg you; if labels are a must, let them help to point us to the truth, not be a limit of the truth.
Hugs.
4 comments:
Hello Randy...OH wow I can relate to this post. I notice I was getting some scary search terms in my stats that were leading to my blog. I was freaked out. Sexual things concerning kids. I was stunned. How could this lead to my Toy Box. Then I saw where on my blog the people who used those search terms went to. It was some very old posts from when I first started the blog concerning nudist John and his own blogs. I had links to them before they disappeared. So in order to stop search terms like " sex with 10 yr olds" from pointing to my blog, I had to delete those two year old posts. I do really worry about those who were searching for that.
I also am pro nudism. I see nothing wrong with it in if done in the proper way and not done to offend others. After all we are all works of art, just different styles of art.
I once got passed over for promotion at the nuclear plant I worked even though I had passed all the tests with the highest score ever at the plant. As my boss said " no man is going to take orders or direction from a gay guy"! I pointed out I had run a shift on a military satellite site with critical information flows and highest clearances....still they could only see the label "homosexual"
However I have several labels I adore and treasure. I am called Dad by my son James who I am very proud of...I am called lover, partner and spouse to the most wonderful person Ron, who I adore, and I am called brother by a man I respect and admire named Randy. Many people call me friend. These labels I carry with pride. Hugs
Hi Scottie;
I've had so many labels that come off negatively, that very label of "brother" is my great source of pride!
Hugs!
randy.
Hi Scottie, hi Randy,
if labelling were existent, just to help us, getting people - and not only people - in some kind of order to deal with and help us avoiding to much mistakes, while dealing with the unknown persons and animals and even things surrounding us,
so if labelling would just serve this purpose, it would be okay.
But labelling is much more than that, people and especially GROUPS of people have found out, that labelling can greatly serve their own purposes - to promote their social and monetary objectives.
We always have to keep in mind, that labelling is mostly done on purpose.
And then we are already pretty close to prejudice. - and we are at labelling on prejudice, which nowadays seems to be more and more common.
We have to see, that labelling has been given a social function too - by politicians and people that think, their money gives them their right to set social standards :
- No taxes for the Rich
- America rules the world
- Same sex marriage is a sin
- there is only my religion telling the truth.
People will have to learn, that not anything is done - without purpose - normally it is the purposes of rich politicians and interests of the rich.
So there is one question, that we always have to keep in mind:
When at least looking on group-labellings:
Who intends to profit at the end!!
hugs around
<3 miles
My Friend Miles!
I was thinking about you last night and feeling very worried that I'd not heard from you. I'm so glad you responded...
You know, politicians have been perfecting this label thing for years. What they do is play on our prejudices, fears, hopes, and even positive beliefs to attach themselves, their opponents, or even to attach a third person or group. You are so right. And, in the end, what does that get us?
I love how you frequently remind us to look for profit, and that, somewhere, is the power-mad's game. I guess we all have that in portion: I profit greatly by my work with strays - but it is definitely not monetary! Not power! It is that personal profit, that positive feeling.
But, I want to stress, we have to be careful that we don't do the same labeling. I know a man who is Christian that you would love. He really walks his talk. He lives humbly. He teaches in prisons. He took a homeless girl into his family. He is a real inspiration! And sometimes, this kind man gets lumped into people like that bishop I mentioned a few posts ago because both are Christian.
Hugs and SO GREAT to hear from you!
-randy
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