Image by Gustavo Frazao

This piece by Maria Bello in The New York Times and her piece that preceded it were food for much thought as I was reminded of them again recently. Consider:

Echoing the thoughts of many, one person wrote to me: “I’ve been feeling ‘whatever’ and I didn’t know what to call it. I’m a whatever too.” Another said: “Being a divorced mom I sometimes don’t know where my life fits, and your story brought to light that everything doesn’t always have to be black and white. There can be ex-husbands who are still partners in our and our children’s lives, friends who could be lovers — whatever it is.”

Yes. And so continues the journey toward liberation from the preconceived notions and the labels of others we so often think we must personify.

At the risk of labeling you … are you a whatever?