Reading Labels
I found a label in the crack of the dryer door. Now, when this shirt or towel needs to be ironed or washed, I won’t have the directions. But, really, who reads the labels? Everything is washed on “Heavy Duty” and everything is dried on “Cottons/High”. The labels mean very little to me, unless something is delicate or expensive, neither of which find their way into my laundry room very often. But some labels matter, the ones that define us.
Some of the more distasteful labels we wouldn’t mind losing: 20 pounds overweight, crabby hormonal mom, terrible cook. Some labels we know we’ll lose and we’re hopeful that they will fall off soon: cancer patient, graduate student, pregnant. But there are these new labels, the kind that can’t fall off. My underwear has these “tag-less” labels and so does my New Balance running shirt. And, after all these years, clothing manufacturers have finally wised up and are making baby clothes tag-less. (So some of us, who wear the “neurotic mom” label, no longer have to cut out every microscopic thread that could irritate baby’s skin.)
We have these permanent labels too, the ones that even after sweat and dirt and years in the “Heavy Duty” cycle, never fade. Some of these tags I like: John’s wife, mother of four, devout Christian, chocolate lover. But there are a few that are harder to wear – my tag-less label, “Parent of a handicapped child”, still seems to itch.
Even though some labels don’t fall off, they can serve as a warning to friends, family and the elementary school principal, to handle with care or wash with like colors. We don’t like to be sorted out, but we are. We define each other with labels and titles and designations. A few we’re stuck with; and some we have the power to change.
I don’t read too many labels. I threw John’s coat in the dryer and the label said, “Tumble Dry Low.” Dry on low? Right. Reading more labels I realized almost all of them said, “Tumble Dry Low.” Treating his coat like it was fragile would have had the dryer running all afternoon. Of course it went in on “High Heat”. I continue to ignore the labels, because whether I’m stuck with a permanent one, or one that itches, no one can really dictate my care instructions.
9 Responses to “Reading Labels”
Leave a Reply
July 15th, 2007 at 10:41 pm
Here’s a label for ya: brilliant.
I love it!
July 16th, 2007 at 11:22 am
what a great post…so insightful and one I can definitely identify with! Except I do usually tumble dry low or medium because anything on high and all my shirts shrink LOL
July 16th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Wonderful post! You put such thought into them. I don’t pay attention to labels on clothing, either. Actually, I don’t even sort lights and darks when I’m doing laundry. I don’t really own anything that I worry about ruining!
Jane, P&B Girls
July 16th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I love how God gives you such wisdom and insight to think up these posts. Only YOU could take a picture of
a label stuck in your dryer door and turn it into a meaningful, inspirational blog post!! God is using you!
I don’t read lables either!
And as a special ed teacher I really try not to read the “label” (the IEP) about the student until I get to know them, and form my own thoughts on the kiddo, they are so much more then the label that is often stuck on them!!!
July 17th, 2007 at 8:18 am
SAME IS TRUE OF MOMS!
Jessy
There was an article in a church paper entitled, “32,850 Sermons Later.” It started off with a letter printed in the British Weekly from one of their English readers. The British letter went like this:
“Dear Sir,
‘It seems ministers feel their sermons are very important and spend a great deal of time preparing them. I have been attending a church quite regularly for the past 30 years, and I have probably heard 3,000 of them. To my consternation, I discovered that I cannot remember a single sermon. I wonder if a minister’s time might be more profitably spent on something else?
“Sincerely….”
For weeks a real storm of editorial responses ensued. The uproar finally was ended by this letter:
“Dear Sir:
“I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals-mostly of my wife’s cooking. Suddenly, I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I have received nourishment from every single one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them. I would have starved to death long ago.
“Sincerely….”
July 17th, 2007 at 9:14 am
This one is one of your best yet!! We can all learn from it.
July 17th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
Wow! I loved this post! Very thought provoking! Thanks for sharing it with us!
July 18th, 2007 at 9:27 am
Very good! Thanks for the a.m. inspirations!
July 18th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Great post, I don’t know where you come up with these things, but as m.g. said–brilliant–that label fits!