Stripes, Labels, and the Zebra That Knows Too Much
Have you ever noticed how quick we are to label things? We humans love a good category. Whether it’s “black with white stripes” or “white with black stripes,” we slap a label on it and call it a day. But then along comes this zebra in the poem “Zebra Question,” and suddenly, it’s us under the microscope. The kid innocently asks, “Are you black with white stripes, or white with black stripes?” And the zebra, probably bored out of its stripey little mind, fires back with a series of deeply philosophical riddles: “Are you good with bad habits, or bad with good habits? Are you neat with some sloppy ways, or sloppy with some neat ways?” And just like that, the tables turn. The label-maker becomes the labelled. Labels, Labels Everywhere Let’s face it, we love to label people. You’re either the “early bird” or the “night owl,” the “messy creative” or the “type-A perfectionist.” But life—and people—aren’t that simple. I mean, who hasn’t had a neat freak moment while simultaneously leaving thei...