President’s Message

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

How untrue, unfair and wrong that saying was and still is!

How did you respond to it? Have any of those names stuck? Were you crushed by it? Did you cry, get angry, fight? Was it humiliating? Do you still respond to that hurtful memory, or did you bury it, Internalize it or Rebel against it? Has it changed your life?

That name calling may have been your first labeling. Or maybe not!

Were the life decisions you made a response to that childhood name calling?

Name calling may have been the first bullying. Not just by “friends”, but family, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles played their part. And the names may not have been slurred out to you directly. Sometimes just whispers heard.

So, let’s acknowledge and explore the use and allure of labels, the concept of Labels and why they often fall short in capturing the richness and complexity of human identity. They provide a sense of belonging, recognition, a way to navigate the world, and shorthand for communication.

Everything, everything in our world is labeled! Not just people.
Look at the labels on candy bars or snack bags, which most of us ignore. I’m not talking ingredients, even foods have special names. Some packaged tomatoes at Publix are call Bombas, it’s Chaquita bananas, Vermont Cheddar and Ben and Jerry’s. You know what that is!

We label Ourselves with the style we wear, our hair style and color, the way we walk and talk. And we also hide our true selves, using avatars on Facebook, younger photos on biographies.

But do labels we ascribe to people show understanding of their life, dreams, family, pain or joy, the personality? Do the labels describe, hide, belittle or amplify the person, the human being?

And now that we’re adults with histories and background lives, we don’t do that anymore… Do we! Do we?

As Unitarian Universalists, we are guided by principles that celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of Every person. Yet, too often, we rely on labels to define ourselves to others, inadvertently limiting their understanding and connection.

Why? It’s it vanity? Projecting a different, stronger, maybe slightly false image. Is it who we want to be? Are we flaunting our label? Is it fun or just vanity? Are we showing off to the world or flattering ourselves? Then again… So what? Let us show! Let’s celebrate our freedom to be who and what we wish to be, letting our “freak flag” fly!

Unitarian Universalism reminds us that every person has inherent worth and dignity. This means that we are all valuable, just as we are, and we deserve to be seen and respected for our whole selves, all our labels.

So, Namaste! Look deeper than the labels we see, beyond the labels we’ve learned. Celebrate each other, our history and theirs, all our experiences and labels we may share. Celebrate their “freak flag” and ours too!

Namaste, I See You! Let’s practice that. Chas