Labels

Like many people, most of my communication nowadays is via e-mail. When I want to save an e-mail, which I frequently do, I apply a label, or several labels, and archive that message.

There are times when I am reminded just how inadequate labels are, however. Not just in e-mail, but in life. E-mail is just one specific example that I'll use today to illustrate the point. Not surprisingly for one of my blog posts, I'll go on a long tangent before getting back to the point. :)

Recall that in two blog posts I talked about past bosses who had a big impact (for the better!) on my life.

• Rita, 54545, USA, June 22, 2010
• Engage your team, June 11, 2010

As I mentioned in my post about Rita, I did make contact with her family and we have continued to stay in touch. Her niece, Linda, recently ran across this video clip and she said she had to send it to me because it reminded her of ... Rita.

• Rick Monday Saves the American Flag from Burning, April 25, 1976

Before I go on, I should say that Linda is absolutely correct. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing Rita would have loved.

Naturally, when I get an e-mail like this I save it. But what labels to apply? Friends? Business? Politics? Maybe even Family? The point is: I HAVE A LOT OF LABELS, AND NONE OF THEM ARE SUFFICIENT FOR AN E-MAIL LIKE THIS. None of them are up to the task. None of them convey what I really feel about an e-mail like this.

What do I do in this situation? What do you do?

I replied that I had "stinky cheese"* dressing for lunch today, which also reminded me of Rita (it always does). I then applied my "Friends" label. I archived the e-mail. And I felt somewhat ... (searching for the right word) ... hollow. Somewhat lacking.

There are some cases where the technology doesn't quite live up to the person. It doesn't measure up to real life. This was one of those times.


* Rita made GREAT Bleu Cheese dressing, but we were always running out. When it was available, people ordered it and just like that it was gone. Rita was not in a hurry to make more. I don't think she liked it (she always called it Stinky Cheese Dressing). Or if she did, she didn't care to spend her whole life making it. Just like her Shrimp Chowder soup, if people got there at the right time, great. If not, they'll come back another time to get it. Both were THAT good, and she knew it.