Labels, where do you fit?

So I guess there has been some confusion with my returning back to Mandurah land in recent times. You see when I left at the beginning of the year, some would have described me as a “typical southern metro”, but when I returned I had changed my appearance… I didn’t have the same short back and sides which I have sported my entire life, I had a sensational bloom of facial hair and my clothes were weaved with exotic natural fibres.

Now this seemed to be a bigger problem for other’s as it was for me, because somehow I now looked, well different. The typical manner to deal with something different though is to label it, because once labelled it can be readily identified and categorized and thus the risk of the unknown extinguished.

Sure I’m extremely guilty of the above myself, especially when these new young gun types started coming out dressed in black, canvassed with slogans I still don’t understand, Band names I’ve never heard of.. It was different, so I labelled them Emo. The same as the rest of the population not listening to “The Used” or spending hours doing whatever an Emo does.

Ok I’m getting off track here, so back to me now finding myself in the epicentre of a branding phenomenon. The first and probably the most obvious was Jesus, son of, well God I guess.. But a quick re-evaluation of this term revealed very little real connection. In fact only two things: A beard and the popular phase from the movie, The Life of Brian; “He’s not the Messiah, He’s a very naughty boy!”



So the second category and honestly a much loved idiom by most is the humble Hippy. WTF is a Hippy? Really one moment I’m supposed to be gassed off my nut on some psychedelic Pepsi cola concoction, stumbling around hopelessly through time not giving a s*^t about my body. But in the same breath I’m an earth loving, mong bean eating, tofu fluffing, sex panther… I’m confused and to be honest, I don’t do drugs.. Which seemingly is a crucial part of the hippy way of life.. So again the re-evaluation program is stimulated.. Enter one B_O_B_D_Y_L_A_N. While the garments have a outwardly likeness to the late Dylan era, and I’m learning (hopelessly) the harmonic.. Well there’s not much else, and despite my willingness we could probably rule out “sex panther” from the inventory of hippy similarities while we’re at it.

My favourite is the Greenie. This is a bit like the Hippy but without all the wild experimentation with psychedelic narcotics and spiritual self discovery. And well the free love and all the other good stuff the Hippies were into. I guess I could fit in here somewhere, but more like that crazy cat man conversationalist from South Australia. I don’t have a problem with eradication type programs.. Hmmm I’ll leave that one there I think.

So what else do we have, Moses (Refer Jesus). Mongolian Sherpa, closer maybe. Actually I’d probably agree with this one apart from some small inherent problems:
1) I have enough trouble carrying my own gear.
2) I’m not a Mongolian.

So what is it, I can’t not be labelled! If I wasn’t labelled I’d be “A threat to other’s way of life” – Fear and politics by Carmen Lawrence. (A book worth reading) So one must label another, in fear of what this person may or may not represent. Sleep easy little one :S

Anyway that’s another tangent, overall in a roundabout way I guess there is one label I’ll wear if I must wear one.

Now signing over, your freak

….Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you….

So yeah, share away.. Where do you think you fit?