graffiti on a cyber wall

 A good friend tagged me.  She wants me to play the box game.
So here we go.
This game begins with a list of the boxes people have tried to squeeze me into.  I'll start with the most recent because those are the ones I'll remember first. None of these are bad or good unless taken individually.  If all I'm seen as is one facet of who I am then I'm not being seen at all.

The old box
The invisibility box.  This box is closely related to the old box.  It seems once you are placed in the old box you are also placed in this box.  It is odd to not be seen a lot of the time.
The father box
The son box - since my parent's died this box has gone away
The husband box - after the divorce, this box was gone
The grandfather box
The parent box
The friend box
The substance abuser box
The pot farmer box
The preacher box
The hippie box
The crazy box
The eccentric box
The weird box
The dirty old man box
The pervert box
The photographer box
The artist box
The professor box
The AS/400 guru box
The 'nice guy' box
The Jesus freak box
The Christian box
The sinner box
The lonely box
The sad box
The depressed box
The 'takes too many chances' box
The 'needs to act his age' box
The 'good teacher' box

What is more of the truth about me?  I'll put a list for you to read.  If you pick one from the list or several or all of them to be who I am you've still missed seeing me.  I'll be pixelated.  There is no way a list of labels can share who I am.
I tried to teach my children this little song:

The word is not the thing
The word is not the thing
hi ho the dairy-o
The word is not the thing!



I seek out the beauty, joy, and love in life.
I like to find the best in others.
I'll trust you until you prove to me I can't.
I encourage others to follow their passion and find their bliss.
I think all beings deserve basic dignity and respect.
I find discrimination in all its forms abhorrent.
I won't waste my time arguing with people who can no longer see or hear.
I'm heterosexual
I smoke
I drink
I don't buy and cook meat to eat at the house.
I like to eat food I've never tasted.
I seek out new and different ideas and things.
I think change is good.
Attachment is a trap.
I'm not afraid of death.  It came with the ride.
I'm a Zen, Taoist kind of Christian with  a little Hindu thought tossed in for seasoning.
I meditate and pray daily.
The God I worship has no gender or ethnicity and is totally beyond the scope of my imagination
I'm present moment oriented.  I don't want to miss anything while thinking of the past or future.
I believe unconditional love surrounds us all the time especially when it looks like it doesn't.
I live alone and sometimes I'm lonely.
I'm gregarious. 
I'm not afraid.  I walk in faith.
I don't watch television very often.
I believe the universe provides.
I believe less is more. I think the current term is minimalist. 
I'm creative.
I love to take pictures.
I'm modest.
I'm not a people pleaser.
I'm  not confrontational unless I believe speaking up will actually change something. 
I don't try to change other people....working on me is a full time job.
I'm selective about my companions preferring optimistic, creative, intelligent, educated, fun people.
I'm Ra, Star father
I'm a good computer programmer
I'm a good teacher and have taught most my adult life (not always as a college professor).
I have three degrees.  My Master's degree is my terminal degree.  I didn't finish the research paper for my Phd and don't regret that one bit.
I'm divorced
I'm loved and I love.
I like to hug and be hugged.
My children mean the world to me.
I am a little eccentric and crazy, just like everyone else.
I'm not a big believer in western medicine as it is practiced in the US.
I love living in America.
I'm more liberal than conservative.
I don't 'know' and that doesn't bother me.
I believe everything is one thing and any separation I feel is an illusion.
My thoughts are not who I am.
I like Christmas lights
If you want to know me better, look at my pictures.

And remember, the word is not the thing.