Member-only story
The Only Thing Labels Are Good For
And it’s not defining a person
The first time I met him, he seemed oddly cautious. A group of us were gathering for a practice session, and while we recognized each other, we had never spoken over the many years we had crossed paths in our small community.
As the first arrivals, we chatted while waiting for the rest of the group. I made the usual small talk, asking about his day, and immediately got my first clue to his distant behavior.
He said he was at an event where he is a highly involved activist.
Ever curious, I asked what he was an activist for.
I did not expect the answer I got.
To be blunt, his answer smacked a big label across his forehead and put me a bit on guard. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was sitting across from.
You know. The kind of person you see on the news.
And not in a good way.
Seeking to understand first
Some people would have gotten up and walked away from him. He looked at me almost as if he was expecting — or perhaps daring — me to do so.
He didn’t seem like a bad person. He seemed cautious, but once we began chatting, he softened, and his energy felt very kind and…
