UP Dreams: Labels and Descriptions

If you know me, you know that I'm into politics.

Oh no, don't worry, I promise to NOT talk politics here. At least not in any specific way.

Once upon a time, I thought I was a member of a certain political party. But, I knew in my heart that my real party was the party of "I don't know anything about politics whatsoever." But I met a man who knew a lot about politics and who held some very strong opinions. So I started learning stuff by listening to him. And it would be easy to say that he convinced me to belong to his political party. But it wasn't like that. Because I started reading, and listening to everything I could find. I think you can learn sooo much from listening to conservative and liberal radio or tv stations and comparing their slant on stories of the day. I got interested in finding the two very opposing viewpoints of the two major political parties in our country. And comparing them every way I could. By fact checking every way I possibly could. Which is a pretty tough job, because everyone does everything they can to get you to believe what they believe. Even if they really don't believe it and just want to convince you to go along with whatever their agenda for this for that particular issue. And unfortunately there are so many different ways to tell the truth, at least partially, which is what our media seems to be all about these days.

So, anyway, what do I learn from all this study and comparison? I learn that nobody is doing it very well much of the time. So my party becomes the "Lesser of Two Evils" party, which is really not saying anything very nice about the state of politics in our country right now.

Anyway.

I think the world would immediately change if we could just learn one really really simple difference--the difference between a description, and a label.

Labels are all over the place.

Christian
Atheist
Liberal
Conservative
Straight
Gay
Bisexual
Lesbian
Transgender
Black
White
Red
Fat
Skinny
Ugly
Beautiful
Racist
Ageist
Sexist
Homophobic
Rich
Poor

For a start. And if I have offended someone just by typing those labels, I assure you I don't mean ANYTHING by them, just identifying the fact that I have HEARD those labels used before. Among many many many others.

See, I think labels are a horribly slippery slope. On the one hand, it is often a punishable offense to CALL someone by a certain label. On the other hand, some people want to be able to say anything hurtful they want about anybody anytime and call it free speech. Which causes, on the third and final hand, people who are now allowed to use these labels about themselves as the reason they need to get preferential treatment. Like just by the virtue of being, or being called_______________(insert label of choice), they are owed something, compensation, a hand out, or an easier trip through this life than other people get. Usually this is directed AT another labeled party who they perceive has life a lot better than them, often based on money or stuff.

This bothers me.

Maybe it doesn't bother you. I don't know what I can do about that.

I know that people are often often often treated badly. And I would like to suggest that it is ALWAYS because of the way someone else has labeled them.

SO.

I would like to suggest something. Let's take the labels away. Which I think, if you take it literally, is an entirely BOGUS suggestion. So why am I suggesting it? Because I am an artist. And every day I think about how beautiful the world is.

What if we had a world with one sound? (a quietly chiming A 440, for example)

One color? (greige)

One taste? (cheddar cheese)

One smell? (cotton candy)

One texture? (soft brushed corduroy)

Even though to me, all of those sensations are nice ones, within a few hours, that would simply be ENOUGH OF THAT, right?

I would like to suggest that the world is beautiful BECAUSE everything is different. So....if not labels, then what?

How about DESCRIPTIONS?

Remember in fourth grade English class, when you were asked to write a descriptive story, so you came up with every cool adjective you could think of and tried to cram at least seven of them into every sentence? If you REALLY wanted to describe something well, you thought up the BEST descriptive words you could. Ones that weren't offensive to your teacher or to anyone else. And you started describing, at least in a little way, something that was beautiful to you.

What if, instead of saying everyone is wonderful, because as human beings we are ALL THE SAME, that we said everyone is beautiful because they are ALL DIFFERENT? And then we started to describe a person NOT as a label, but as a beautiful wondrous, unique creation of an infinite Creator? (Sorry....call me Christian any time you like...I won't be offended). I think this works no matter HOW you think we got here on this planet. Because every human being has value. So do trees and rocks and teacup piglets. What if instead of being offended by being labeled, we could be happy about being DESCRIBED?

It bothers me that you can't identify someone in terms of the color of their skin. Because skin is beautiful. "The suspect has skin the color of balsa wood," or "the rich loam of garden soil," or "hot chocolate with a touch of cinnamon." Just because it would be true, and yet a nice way to say it.

I don't want to be the same as everyone else. I don't want to be treated the same as everyone else, or given a privilege that someone else doesn't have, just because of my description. I want to be respected, appreciated, loved, especially if I am respectful, appreciative, and loving.

And descriptions only work IF we recognize everyone as beautiful, wondrous unique creations. The same way we do aspen trees, or diamonds, or teacup piglets. :) And if we remember our fourth grade teacher, and the rest of the people on the planet, who we wouldn't want to offend.

What if we made it like a fourth grade assignment? Go out and describe everything and everyone you see. In a nice way. Look and look for the beauty, even if it isn't immediately obvious. What I notice from taking pictures is that even something like a turkey vulture has beautiful qualities. Like a baby fuzzed soft looking pink head and gentle gray eyes. Glossy black feathers and a curious beak with a hole punched all the way through.

See, I think if we can remember to find the beauty in everyone and everything, it's like a double whammy of goodness. Not only would we be able to love people better, but we would be SURROUNDED EVERY MOMENT with fascinating, precious, intoxicating, kaleidoscopic, uplifting, soothing as well as electrifying (that's seven) people, animals, plants, water, rocks and air.

So. Don't label. Describe. Make sure your fourth grade teacher would approve. Go tell someone that you think their turned up nose is as cute as a teacup piglet's. Or that their hair is a glossy as a turkey vulture's feathers. Or do even better than that, if you can. I dare you.

And may YOUR day be as beautiful as