ODD-BALL

by ene ijato - January 08, 2019

On Identity and the enveloping of self.

I’ve probably written too often on the brazen force that is, non-conformity, but I recently was drawn into the web of full on enthrallment with punk culture, so pardon moi (or not).

The case of deciding who you want to be and wearing the identity like a skin, with a sense of adept uniformity can for some, sometimes be evenly as tiring as conformity. The idea that we have to be completely and incandescently true to an idea of self, a passive notion that as human beings we can all be completely one thing and one thing only. The poignant sardonic effect of being an encompassing effigy of labels we try to attune ourselves to. Could it ever be that we can be simply fluid with the ways we choose to represent our conceptualizations of identity. Infused in our mannerisms, our interpretations of fashion, our career choices and etcetera. Or is it simply that the world is more comfortable with the ability to place things in categories. To know what is, and how to relate with it based on sociological norms.

Perhaps we need to be more welcoming of the vast nature of human dispositions. Perhaps the idea of stability is what we are most comfortable handling. Either way, there is a liberating essence that effuses from the sheer ability to break away from the shell of denial. Of recognizing that the world cannot be viewed on a singular perspective, and that by allowing others the right to be expressive of their questions and challenges, we recreate better perspectives than those previously used.

The freedom to express, recreate and redefine, this should be a transition we should try to further embrace, and accustom ourselves to.