Labels

We come across labels just about every day in our life, right? I mean, if you went and opened your fridge right now, you'd find yourself looking at a load of labels on a range of different things. I mean, without them, you wouldn't know if you were eating a tin of salmon or a tin of cat food. And they look the same, too, so you really would be in deep trouble without them.

But I feel like that in today's world, we place labels on things that are totally unnecessary. Here's a few examples of an unnecessary label: emo, hipster, jock, goth, nerd, geek.

We like what we like, and we wear what we want to wear. Why do we put a labels on things like that? Why don't people just let others be, why not let people just wear what they want to wear without shoving a shiny little sticker on them saying what they are?

Its something I don't really understand - especially not when things like clothes and fashion styles - but it's something I've become very passionate about. Not because of the fashion, though, there's something else that we're all too willing to label.

Ourselves.

Now when I say that, I don't mean our names, or our professions, or anything along those lines. But I've come to find that, in our world, we're either one thing or another. For example, we're either male or female. We're either gay, straight or bisexual. 

And that is what this post is about, so if you're homophobic , stop reading now. Close this window and pretend that I haven't said anything. If you're not...continue reading to what I have to say.

Now, I'm a female. But the thing is, by societies standards, I'm not. I wear baggy men's jeans because I love the way they look. I wear mostly men's t-shirts and shirts because they have proper sleeves and they don't have unnecessary prints, puffs, buttons or glitter. I wear sports shoes because that's what my feet require. I also have short hair, wear no makeup whatsoever and don't wear fancy jewellery. 

On top of that, I love sport, hate the colour pink, love crime shows, hate chick flicks and love action.

I've been this way all my life. And do you know what else I've been? An outcast. I got people teasing me at school because of the way I dressed and the way I acted. When I was in my final school year, a rumour went around school that I was lesbian and got up to nasty stuff. Which wasn't true but it hurt. I'd get people asking me every day if I was a boy or a girl. I'd also get people asking me if I wanted to become a boy.

They also asked if I was anorexic and made fun of my small and skinny stature. Kids are mean.

Now, several years on, I was faced with a dilemma. It all started a few months ago when my older brother came over with a buzz cut. I wanted one so much. But I'm a girl. Girls don't get haircuts like that. For the next several weeks I had many panic attacks and went into a depressive spin because I was faced with the question I never, ever wanted to ask myself: what am I?

See, I had a similar dilemma earlier this year, when I realised I didn't look at men like the way a normal female would, and instead looked at women. Well, one in particular. And in the end I decided I was gay and that was it.

But am I gay, and am I transgender? That's what I wanted to know, and that's what I couldn't answer. Because of that, I went into such a depressive spin. Fear of not being accepted made it much worse.

And then I talked to my friend, who made me realise several things. Mainly, does what I like make me something? Maybe I just like the look and that hairstyle because I'm a no fuss type of person. It was something to think about.

A few months later and I've come to the following conclusion: it doesn't matter. 

It doesn't matter what I like, or if I'm more male or more female. I'm me, that's the main thing. I'm a unique person. Personalities and love is fluid, it changes and molds you depending on the circumstances. Yes, I found myself looking at a woman but whose to say I won't look at some man, ten years down the track, in the same way? Yes, I love men's clothes but does that make me a man? Does having a lady bits make me a woman? 

By societies standards, yes, it does. By mine, no, it doesn't. Why must be call ourselves one or another? Why can't we be in between of the two? Why can't we just be who we are, without putting a label, or a definition to it?

I am me, and you, reader, are you. Don't let society, or your family, or your friends, put a label on you and expect you to conform with that label because life doesn't work that way.

Just be yourself, and don't question it. Don't label it. You are you.