There are a lot of people who object to being put into boxes by people because of the negative views others have about those in that box. I used to be guilty of this too but over time I am realising there is nothing to be ashamed of with many labels, and objecting to them does nothing but discredit me or anyone else in that group.
I am a white male who listens to some of the most abusive, angry and often indecent music imaginable, and I have a good imagination. Therefore I am a metalhead, the common view of this group is a very anti-establishment group of ignorant Neanderthals who never bathe, wear denim and leather 24/7 and either wants to fight or fornicate with every other living being. Don't see anything wrong with that, surely riding a motorbike in the rain is as good as a shower anyway. Of course the fact I disagree with a lot of the establishment just means I know more about what they are doing than those with heads in the sand or conspiracy theorists who don't realise the world has better things to do with it's time than watch them watching trash TV. Ignorance is all too embraced something insulted in a lot of the music and we talk about ourselves as Neanderthals for humour, something very key to the metal psyche. As for the violent reputation, interesting that most metal clubs sport the lowest number of violent incidents compared to those playing other genres, not very Hollywood I know but good for those of us who enjoy dandruff distribution.
Being white is a big thing of course, because it means I have never suffered racism or prejudice and have had a life of privilege, likewise for being male too. What a total load of rubbish that is. I moved hundreds of miles to escape the stigma of the area I was brought up, something that reached a point where my career would be affected by people knowing where I was from because of my mothers need to be housed without a high income. I remember a black person years ago announcing that the first thing I saw looking at him was a black man, proving that I could see basically. The fact he declared this proved he had judged me based on my skin colour, something I should just accept, until he made this stupid remark I was willing to consider him as someone who could be worth knowing, but this display of ignorance proved me wrong. Ignorance is all that is required for prejudice and all of us are guilty of it, our survival has relied on our ability to judge a situation fast and mark potential threats, but intelligence enables us to move past that and see the door filling shaved ape with dark skin could be just as intelligent and privileged as anyone else. As far as privilege goes, I am from the UK so have had the privilege of a statutory education and free use of libraries so consider myself very privileged, now with the internet, the learning is so easy I love it.
I am a fitness fanatic and more than a little obsessive about it, proven by the way I consider my routine of three 5+ mile runs, 1 interval and 3 weight sessions a week as very part time. As a straight head teetotaller I can definitely say I would rather push iron than have a drink. The view of many for this is that I am some health freak and must be the most boring person on the planet for refusing to addle my brain with alcohol or narcotics. No arguments there really, most people have no interest in fitness, despite often liking the appearance of it so to many I am very dull. However when out with people it was usually me first on the floor to dance, because they hadn't had enough to drink, and later of course prepared to approach and be rejected by potential dance partners because I didn't need liquid courage. Nowadays I don't go out, so am even more boring but while other parents are afraid to get involved and play with their children or just plain too unfit and uncoordinated to be able to, I am the one making my son and their children laugh and enjoy themselves. The additional joy we get if we have done well in fitness was made clear several years ago when someone asked me what I had taken to get like I was, the answer of 4 years wasn't what they expected.
Middle aged or old. I'm 40, if I make it to 80 I will have done well, so I am either middle aged or passed the middle making me old. Middle aged is matched up to midlife crisis and old as past it, both are states of mind and being we are supposed to be ashamed of, and I really don't get it. I like midlife crisis, the song is great, heard it covered by disturbed recently and preferred faith no more's version but both are good. This years idea of training for aesthetic gains for the first time in decades is as close to midlife crisis as I am likely to get, and far from doing so to impress a younger crowd it is my wife who has inspired me to do this by appreciating the additional bulk I have been gaining. I am not young, there is no aim to reclaim a youth I didn't give up but outgrew. I rode a big bike years ago, it was fun, I won't be doing it again, in fact the car I now drive has a smaller engine than that bike did and I don't care. I am not trying to discover myself, I know who I am and am pleased with it.
So and so's dad. Parents who miss having their own identity really do annoy me, I wanted to put that stronger, but you get the idea. My son is one of the most important things I have ever had in my life. Being associated with him is wonderful, and if the only way people know me is as his dad great. I will often introduce myself in situations where there are parents as Tony aka x's dad, so they understand I am happy to be known this way. The reactions to this are usually either a broad smile from others like minded or an uncomfortable movement from someone who later demonstrates how keen they are to dump their children at any opportunity. If you aren't going to be proud of being associated with your children and haven't the confidence to know your own identity, don't have one, then you can be known as just yourself.
Atheist or religious label. I do get a bit tired of the I'm not religious, I'm Christian or denial of being atheist because of the negative views of some. If you follow a religion you are religious, be proud of it, it doesn't make you ignorant, pushy or anything else people will try to assume if trying to put you down. It should mean you live your live following the guidelines set down by your chosen worship and your life is improved by it. Being an atheist I have encountered some real classics including the most stupid assumption that I am of the devil, because stating the characters in biblical texts as predominantly fictitious will mean I worship one of the less mainstream characters, fortunately this is rare, as most religious people aren't this stupid, but as I pointed out to one in particular who had got on my nerves for too long fearing the devil as 3 of the 5 main religions do is actually worshipping the character more than I do by declaring him imaginary. Because of the number of people declaring atheism as immoral too many try stating they aren't one despite no believe in any of the thousands of deities mankind has imagined. I am proud of what it means to me, I answer for my own life and make the most of it while it's here firm in the belief that when it is over only the energy and chemicals in my body will live on to be absorbed back into the natural cycle as I absorbed others.
IT geek/ nerd. Well databases, or at least data manipulation in any case. We in IT are often stereotyped as computer game obsessed, nerdy, weedy, sorts with specs, no social skills or confidence and very uncool. This is changing as more people start getting into tech, but the divide between tech savvy and full on IT nerd is very present. I remember working in a place where one of the sales team was asked by a customer how they dealt with credit control and stated he would send round the IT team, the customer laughed until it was pointed out we were the crew spending lunches in the gym or playing basketball/ tennis in the park and that our line manager was a former semi-professional rugby player. For many of us, like me, this is a job, we do it then go home and live a real life. I am hopeless at computer games but even though I am somewhat strange in many ways people have often declared I am cool, something you have to not be seeking to achieve by the seems of things.
Medical labels. I am epileptic, something that shocks many people. For some reason having something that has to be declared on the disability/ health section of forms means I am supposed to have given up on life and started making excuses for having done so, medical being the main one. It does impact my training far more than I like but I get on with it, there are many things that could kill me epilepsy is just another one on the list and I don't think it has much hope.
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