A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted

Able to Keep a Stable Label? (Part 1: Questions) July 18, 2006

Lately, I’ve been asking myself an odd question: What defines who I am? In other words, what single label best applies? Am I a Baptist? A Coach? A Republican? A Liberal? A Christian? A Father? A gun-toting, Bambi-shootin’, baby-spankin’, football-coachin’, church-goin’, pun-lovin’ fool?

Depending on who you ask, I might be any one of these (or something much less pleasant). Why is it that we have such a strong tendency to put labels on people, and why does this seem to be more of an issue in our current society than in years past? Does the label used to identify me also define me?