Words can carry a powerful message of dislike and discounting of another individual. Take the word “ditzy,” a word usually followed by another word, “blonde.” Now, we know that not all blondes are ditzy, although some may be, if one believes the stereotypes. I will not recount the most pejorative words I have ever heard. You know them as well as I do.

Lately, the word “obese” seems to be on the lips of many news anchors who comment on the state of Americans and their health. I hate the word. It seems judgmental, lacking tact, and downright insulting. Not every overweight person sits guzzling beer all day, or “pigging out” on food or sweets. People may be overweight for a number of reasons, including hypothyroidism or “low thyroid.”

Every human being has a different rate of metabolism and many people have a sedentary lifestyle, tied to a desk at least 8 hours per day. It is no wonder that Americans have weight problems. The issue of weight can increase with age. However, to label someone is to cast them off as of no importance. Some people would do better to look in the mirror at their own shortcomings.

People are short; they are tall, they have receding hairlines, no hair, or abundant hair. They come in all weights from Twiggy-thin to Ample and Womanly. Some men are flabby; others are muscular. None of this matters. None.

Keep your labels for soup cans and file folders. Labels for people just don’t work. This is a poem I wrote 10 years ago.

On Labeling

Patricia Cummings, September 2, 2000

At the cupboard, I try to decide, will it be soup or spaghetti?
The label that helps me to choose
precludes me from opening beets or confetti.

Labels for food would most certainly be missed
were a youngster, bored, to remove them
but labels for people, just don’t seem to work
as much as we try to conjure them.

Until you are dead, you will all live in dread
of the words people say about you.
But you know who you are, and the gifts that you have,
so turn a deaf ear to the critics.

Patricia Cummings

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 11:16 pm and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.