Self-Identification and You

For the past couple weeks, it’s been a wild ride in the self-identification field.

Caitlyn Jenner, in self-identifying as a woman, not only won a gold medal for transgender people around the world, but caused us to question our long-held notions of sex, gender, and how it is entirely possible to escape the clutches of the Kardashians, create a name starting with a letter other than K (albeit sounding like K,)  and to make a real difference in peoples’ lives.

Rachel Dolezal, in being outed as white, after spending all of her adult life as a self-identified back woman, caused us to question our beliefs about race, misrepresentation, and how an ordinary-looking white woman managed to transform herself into a hot-looking black woman .

Greece, self-identifying as an ancient version of itself, continued to ignore what has been happening on the planet for the past two thousand years and voiced surprise that her credit card was seriously overcharged, even though she didn’t feel that she lived a very lavish lifestyle and rarely purchased anything online.

Donald Trump, in running for the Republican presidential nomination for the 35th time, once again affirmed his self-identity as a piece of chalk squealing its way across a blackboard.

The NRA, self-identifying as the last remaining upholders of the Constitution, suggested, after the horrific mass shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, SC, that the worshipers would still be alive, had they all been armed. It advocated for all people attending church to arm themselves, all school children to arm themselves, all Americans (and their pets) to arm themselves, as a way of creating a safe, peace-loving society.

Pope Francis, self-identifying as A Pope Possessing A Heart and A Brain, bravely acknowledged mankind’s role in the climate change debacle in a papal encyclical. Many of the approximately 245 Republican presidential nominee wannabees, self identifying as supply-side Catholics, immediately discounted the Pope’s words by saying “The Pope should stick to things he knows, like waving and wearing big hats, and leave the real thinking to people like us .”

Sarah Palin, formerly self-identifying as a bear, gave a speech in which the teleprompter failed, and she was left to utter a lot of words like “ya,” “gettin'” and “y’know.”  Many people who shared Palin’s level of verbal dexterity and so actually understood what she was saying, were thrilled that she indicated the possibility of joining the crowded field in the run for the Republican nomination.

What does all this mean to you, the reader? It means that you, too, have the right to self-identify. Life in the Boomer Lane personally self-identifies as a late 19th century Oglala Sioux.  She does so, in spite of the fact that her chosen people, once noble and prolific,  usually got the shit kicked out of them by the time the late 1800s rolled around.

LBL invited you to self-identify and share.  Don’t be shy. She suspects that of the 12,060 followers listed on her blog, there are actually only about 7 who read her posts. Your secret is safe.