The few times I find a person's title to be useful are out of respect (Mr./Mrs.) or on a business card. They just take so much away from the "who" and focus too much on the "what". When I took classes for my BHP certification, we spent some quality time on this subject. For example, it is unacceptable to say things like, "s/he's autistic" -- the appropriate wording is, "s/he has autism".
Even saying something as simple as "boyfriend" makes me cringe most of the time. It's not because I'm ashamed or because I'm trying to hide anything, it's just scarcely relevant whether or not I'm in a romantic relationship with the person I'm talking about. And if it were an important part of my story, generally the person I'm telling it to is already aware of it.
In the past, I've also known some who despise feeling as though they're having the information rubbed in their face, and golly, I try to do anything and everything I can to avoid that type of tension.
So now that I've said it, I'm going to ignore all of it and you should too.
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Here is a picture I drew of the picnic I had with my boyfriend, Abs. Or as I like to call him, Phoe Phoe (pronounced "fifi")! I colored it with crayon on pastel paper and inked it with a blue Micron brush pen and we are a couple and I am his girlfriend. (;
1 comment:
Yeah, labels are tricky things. I try to leave the interpersonal relationships up for interpretation, and if someone unravels them on their own, it's like an Easter egg. But assigning a social function carries with it expectations and obligations that don't necessarily apply to us, so let's not explicitly say it and invite unreasonable anticipation.
But more importantly, congrats! Hope you're pleasantly awash in the glow of happiness.
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