Labels that Stick

Nothing sucks more than a name tag you forget to take off of your shirt & put through the washing machine. It never comes off after that! Fortunately, I haven't washed a nametag lately, but I have found myself stuck with labels in other ways.

Growing up, I was the first born. The first child of my parents, the first grandchild, and therefore the oldest kid in my family. Apparently, I was also the "perfect child." I did what my parents told me, I never got into trouble at school, and I cried if I made a B on my report card.
The adults would speak to the other children in the family with phrases like, "When Lindsy was your age...." Ok, I don't really know if they did that, but the other kids claim they did. I must have been oblivious.

Years have passed, and all of us in the family are pretty much young adults. So, I figured this oldest child image had passed. My youngest cousin turned 21 recently, and I went to a dinner with her and a bunch of her friends. She confessed to me that she was "nervous" about me coming because she was afraid I would judge her. For drinking. One drink. At age 21. And then she proceeded to tell the people at the table how I had been the "perfect child" and how "I never did anything wrong" and how she had worried that I would "tell her parents" if she was too crazy. All I could do was laugh. First of all, I haven't thought of myself as a "child" in a while. And I definitely don't consider myself "perfect." But to my youngest cousin, I still bear that image. And to her, I still represent our parents - someone who might disapprove and judge, someone who might spoil her fun. I don't know how to change her image of me, but it did surprise me that after all these years, it's a label that stuck and isn't too easily coming off.

It always amazes me how differently people view you depending on what time period of your life and in what part of your life they got to know you. Can you think of ways that other people have labeled you? Do you agree with their label or do you think they're way off?