If You Label Me, You Negate Me

Hello my name is Clarisse. It is interesting to read the perspectives of the people on here. They are a cornucopia of thoughts, fears, joys, and encouragement. They are each a small bit of intimacy that in some cases reflects things I have in common and some that I do not. It is all a wonderful learning process for me. Thank you for those who have had to courage to share a bit of themselves. I look forward to learning more about you wonderful people.

About myself, hmm, I would have to say that I am mostly harmless. If anyone tells you that you are they are all harmless, watch out, they are trying to sell you something that is too good to be true. In the title of this post you can pretty much get a summary of how I feel about trying to define who or what I am. Søren Kierkegaard is a philosopher from Denmark and he makes a great point when he says that labels negate us. I think perhaps that was why I had a little trouble coming up with a feminine name at first. You get certain images that come to mind with names. They are the quintessential label. They have been used all our lives to be a icon that is supposed to define us as individuals. All of your behaviors and beliefs who them to approve of or face their beliefs waved in your face. We are so used to seeking third party endorsement of even who we are as a person. Rarely to we find individuals who are self actualized beings.  I am just simply me and expect that others are also. With all of our joys and pains we are a brother and sisterhood in the great play of life. We have our entrances and exits. I generally think that the single biggest spiritual lesson that I have learned is: don't be a dick! Life is hard and we desperately need to have compassion for both ourselves and others. This is both for our own peace of mind and theirs. It is our peace of mind and that harmony that I seek for myself and those around me.

I wear feminine cloths a lot of the time now. I saw something from one site that says: "How do you tell the transsexuals at a transgender conference?”, “They’re the ones wearing jeans." This is a bit more of what things are like for me. I am not very conscious of what I am wearing unless I go out on the town. In that case I am very aware of how I look. I tend to dress conservatively.