Labels

Back in the day, when I was working in grocery stores, there were still products on the shelf that were packaged in black and white generic boxes or bags. Now, if you're under 30 years old, you probably don't remember them, but trust me, back then Kroger's store brand was sold in a plain yellow and black "Cost Cutter" package. Well somewhere along the way, some marketing guy or gal got smart and decided that if they spruced up the store brand label, to look a little more upscale, they could move more product.

You see, Americans judge things by their marketing and packaging. We love pretty labels. That is until we start getting labeled ourselves. But are labels really a bad thing? Who we are, how we market and present ourselves, don't they give us our identity? They not only identify us to other's, but they also help us define who we are.

For two weeks now I've been long overdue for a hair cut. Heaven forbid, my hair had gotten long enough to part, and long enough to show that I now have more gray hairs than brown ones. Tonight I got a hair cut, yep, my standard cut, skin on the sides and only slightly more on top. Now my hair cut is not going to win any awards for a local stylist, but it fits who I am and more importantly who I want to be. I'm sure that as Samson's hair grew out, he remembered who he was. For me, getting it cut is much the same.

This topic, Labels is one I would like to expand on, but my mind is racing with a myriad of ideas and directions to take this. Bottom line, I've spent the last several days trying to resolve the question of who am I. Here's my list, in no particular order.

Father, Husband, Friend, Son, Brother (tack on "in-law" where appropriate), a boss, a subordinate, a runner, a Christian, a sinner, a professional, and a redneck.

You see, the blessing mentioned in another post forced me to take a look at who I am, who I want to be, what I'm willing to change and what I will not allow to change. I haven't sorted it all out, but a few things are clear. I love my family, so all Family related labels stick. I've lost contact with many friends since taking my current job, traveling makes it hard to keep up with what is going on with everyone and staying connected, but they are my friends and I'll keep trying. A job is a job, and in my profession, no matter what I do, I'll be giving and taking orders, so that's a label that isn't going away anytime soon. As a Christian, I recognize that I'm a sinner, so despite the fact that other's may see the labels as conflicting, I know these are both labels that I will carry to my grave. A professional and a redneck, or perhaps a professional redneck, or a redneck professional. I don't mind this label. My parents were depression era share croppers, my father would have preferred to have been a farmer, but placed putting food on the table over this less than certain career path. So, while I was raised in the suburbs, I can fit in with small town America, and hope to soon. And while my career in management requires me to "dress the part", both literally and figuratively, know when you talk to me that I've got no problem with old jeans, a sleeveless T, a tin of snuff, and a cold beer after a long day of putting up hay. "These are my people, this is where I come from..."

Now to the part of this post that has to do with running. I haven't ran since last Friday. I've since discovered I needed the break. Physically and mentally. Running and training had become a task, instead of something I enjoyed. I'm ready to get back in the saddle. Wednesday morning will find me at the "Y", cold or no cold. I'm a runner. It doesn't control me, but it is a part of who I am. It's a label I've put on. Perhaps someday I want be, but for now, I want to do this, it's part of who I am.

I hope this post made some sense. I hope that if you read it, you can connect with it on some level. Then again, it may have been mindless ramblings at the end of the day. Either way, I'm ready to go again. I'll see you on the roads soon.

James