I’ve long resisted labels – for me and others. One reason is that judgment is required, and artificial divisions between people – rather than coming together – develop and then persist. Besides, who needs to – or wants to – be defined by others, placed in a category to which they may/may not belong?
I fervently recall the era of blonde jokes, when I learned them in self-defense, sometimes leading with one in a conversation to head the other off. It was a better way of handling the teasing that had occurred in my childhood, when my hair was red. No doubt my face colored to match the hair on my head, giving away my reaction with no subterfuge. Two things occurred between the teasing phases of my childhood years and those as an adult:
- my hair became blonder through cycles of red to strawberry blonde to blonde
- I could better manage my feelings and reactions to the words and deeds of others as I matured.
My desire to skirt labels for people, places, and things stems from a belief in equality, as embedded in our system of government and my religious belief that God created all people, places, and things on Earth, endowing each with His love and respect. How could I override God’s perception of each item’s worth?
However, I recently discovered a word that may be the label for me. I was trained, in part to live within my parents’ means, to be a ‘buy and hold’ person, to not give in to fads and extremes in fashion, furniture, and the like. Thus, my possessions may be anachronistic. Further, I was encouraged to be pals with everyone, friends to many, inclusive, and kind – and to not join a clique.
Here’s the word, its meaning, and usage: Anachronistic, an adjective
- Belonging to a period other than the one portrayed.
- Outdated or out of place.
Examples of anachronistic in a sentence:
- The technology felt anachronistic.
- His views seemed anachronistic in a modern setting.
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