• Meet Our Team
  • Advertise on SCDN
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
Monday, June 9
Scioto County Daily News
  • Login
  • Register
Subscribe For $1/week
  • Public Safety
    Illustrative Photo

    🔥“I’ll Burn It Down!” — Landlord Reports Scary Comment After Eviction Hearing 

    Death investigation

    Tragedy on the Trail: UTV Rollover Claims Life of Kentucky Woman 

    CREEPY KISSES & SHIRTLESS STRANGER: Nervous Grandma Calls Cops on Suspicious Men 

    🚨 BUSTED WIRES & BREAK-IN BLUNDERS: THIEVES ON THE LOOSE IN PORTSMOUTH! 

    Holiday Inn

    Holiday Inn or Homeless Hub? Ongoing Incidents at Downtown Hotel Raise Big Questions for Portsmouth’s Future

    🔥Pizza Parlor Feud Explodes: Alleged Threats, Health Complaints, and a Slice of Retaliation 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/07/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    scioto county rehabs in the news

    Kicked Out, Nowhere to Go: Rehab Discharges Fuel Homeless Crisis in Portsmouth 

    Mental Health

    🚨 MENTAL HEALTH MELTDOWN: Rehab Chaos, 911 Calls, and a Woman Hiding in an Ambulance 

    Fentanyl

    Ice Cream, Advil, and Fentanyl: Busted at Speedway with Knife and Drugs

    Stranger in the Bed? Portsmouth Man Calls 911 Over Bizarre Break-In — But There’s a Twist 

    good cops

    🚬 Cigs and Sanity: Portsmouth Cops Defuse Late-Night Mayhem with a Pack of Smokes 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/06/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    “STRANGER IN BLACK” RETURNS TO HISLE PARK — RESIDENTS STILL ON EDGE AFTER BREAK-IN, GUNSHOTS, AND SECOND ENCOUNTER 

    Scioto County Court Coverage 08

    🚨 TODDLER FOUND WANDERING — Woman Arrested, Sentenced in Disturbing Case 

    police investigation

    🚨 “GET IN THE CAR!” — Chilling Attempted Child Abduction Near Greenup Fairgrounds Sparks Police Warning 

    Sheriff sticker

    Sirens, Suspicion, and Squad Runs: June 4 a Busy Day for Scioto County First Responders 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/05/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    ambulance

    🚨 WORRIED FRIEND’S CALL SAVES RELAPSED ADDICT — But Jail Says NO! 

    SCDN File Photo

    🚫 HOTEL FROM HELL? Troubled Trespasser Sparks 4 A.M. Drama at Portsmouth Holiday Inn 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics

    ‘Praise God!’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Remarkable Progress After Harrowing Weeks

    Cathy Coleman

    Cautious Hope and Harsh Realities: New Details Emerge on Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Condition 

    Scioto County Commissioners Cancel This Week’s Meeting 

    Robert Horton

    Sudden Twist: Horton Court Dates Scrapped Ahead of Trial 

    ‘A Sign of Hope’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Small Improvements Amid Ongoing Critical Condition 

    Recorder Gary Jenkins

    Scioto County Recorder Gary Jenkins Unveils New Office Website 

    Staggering 236 Recovery Houses in Area — and the Fight for Reform Faces Pushback 

    Cathy Coleman

    Community Urged to Pray For Cathy Coleman as Family Faces Devastating Update 

    Scottie Powell

    Commissioner Scottie Powell on Trans Sanctuary Resolution: “Symbolic, Not Substantive” 

    Cathy Coleman

    Update from the Scioto County Commissioners on Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    What Did Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Resolution Really Say? 

    Portsmouth Rehab

    Portsmouth Rejects LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City Status in Heated Council Vote 

    Cathy Coleman

    It’s a Miracle! – Scioto County Rallies Around Commissioner Cathy Coleman After Medical Crisis Turnaround 

    Scioto County Rallies in Prayer for Commissioner Cathy Coleman After Tragic Crash 

    Risky Business? City Wants to Sell $4.5 Million in Bonds

    Portsmouth LGBT Sanctuary City Proposal Scrapped – New Resolution Coming

    Portsmouth Council Takes First Step Toward Homelessness Task Force 

    Scioto County Commissioners Cancel Without Explanation 

    Davis Ready for Flying Cars: Scioto Commissioner Eyes Future of Air Mobility at County Airport 

    Portsmouth OH 1

    Portsmouth City Manager’s Report

  • Feel Good

    Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia 

    Scioto County Champs: Lady Trojans and Word Wizards Bring Home the Gold 

    “I Held Those Keys Tight” — One Man’s Harrowing Journey from Addiction to Hope 

    Three girls in quinceañera dresses stand beside one another. The one in middle has a gold dress while the other two wear pink.

    Tips for Selecting the Color of a Quinceañera Dress

    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

    An angler standing at the edge of a lake just after sunset with three fishing rods resting on the ground next to him.

    Night Fishing: Who Is It for and How Do You Start?

    good cops

    Cops Rescue Lost Man 

    good cops

    Kid Misses Bus, Deputy to the Rescue 

    A group of people stands outside with their arms in the air. They hold their hands together, making a pyramid shape.

    Hidden Gems: Community Strategies for Mental Wellness

    good cops

    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

    Good Samaritan 2

    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

    A bearded man is sitting on the floor and comforting his dog in a wheelchair. The dog has his ears pinned back.

    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

    U.S. housing market

    Tips for Making Your New House Feel Like a Home

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    A man approaching the bowling lane with a red bowling ball as his three friends in the background cheer him on.

    How Bowling Can Improve Your Mental Health

    good cops

    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

    Backyard camping

    Backyard Adventure: Unforgettable Family Camping

    Sunshine or Snowflakes: Which Season Wins America’s Heart?

    Best Party Lakes in North America To Visit This Summer

    Best Party Lakes in North America To Visit This Summer

  • Obituaries
    Constance V. McQuay

    Constance V. McQuay, 89, of Waverly

    Jerry Paul Igaz

    Jerry Paul Igaz Sr. 55, of West Portsmouth

    Barbara Williams

    Lori Smith, 56 of McDermott

    Tina Marie Gollihue

    Tina Marie Gollihue, 61 of Franklin Furnace,

    Nichole Leigh Blanton

    Nichole Leigh Blanton, 41 of Portsmouth

    Deborah Sue Ratliff Bell

    Deborah Sue Ratliff Bell, 66 of Portsmouth

    Brenda K. Bentley

    Brenda K. Bentley 75 of West Portsmouth

    Rex Fitzgerald

    Rex Fitzgerald, 67 of Portsmouth

    Diana Lynn Redden

    Diana Lynn Redden, 57 of Vanceburg

    Richard Lee Biggers jjr

    Richard Lee Biggers, Jr.75 of Wheelersburg

    Ruth Evelyn Burns

    Ruth Evelyn Burns, 83 of Grove City

    Carolyn Sue Martin

    Carolyn Sue Martin, 77 of Portsmouth

    Paul White Wagner, 99 of Wheelersburg

    Barbara Williams

    Lola Rawlins Ferrell, 74, of South Webster

    David Allen Belveal

    David Allen Belveal, 28, of Sciotoville

    Diana Lynn Allen

    Diana Lynn Allen, 69 of New Boston

    David Allen Belveal, 28, of Sciotoville

    Amanda Jo Fuller

    Amanda Jo Fuller, 41 of Piketon

    Thomas Ray Crabtree

    Thomas Ray Crabtree, 55 of Lucasville

    Ernest Cleve Enz

    Ernest Cleve Enz, 80 of Rarden

  • More News
    • All News
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Education
    • Economy
    • Food & Drinks
    • Local Business
    • National
    • Opinion
    • Regional
    • Strange But True
    • Trending
No Result
View All Result
Scioto County Daily News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Scioto County Daily News
No Result
View All Result

Why Labels Don’t Fit: Embracing Complexity in a Simplified World

Mark Craycraft by Mark Craycraft
6 months ago
in Opinion
ShareTweetEmail

Audio Assist Version

https://scioto.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ElevenLabs_2024-12-15T12_42_15_Mark-SCDN_ivc_s73_sb80_se20_b_m2.mp3

We live in a world that craves simplicity, where people are desperate to slap labels on everything and everyone. Conservative. Liberal. Victim. Villain. Hero. These labels are supposed to make things easier to understand, but in reality, they do the opposite. They flatten the complexity of who we are, reducing us to single, shallow definitions. I know this firsthand because I’ve lived under so many labels—some I’ve chosen and some that were forced upon me.

As someone often called controversial, I’ve spent much of my life trying to navigate the friction between how others see me and who I know myself to be. I’m more than a collection of traits or a series of choices, and so are you. We’re not static, one-dimensional beings. We’re messy, evolving, and contradictory. And yet, society insists on forcing us into neat little boxes that can never contain the fullness of who we are.

The problem with labels is that they strip away nuance. They don’t leave room for growth or for the complicated truths that define us. Labels like “good” or “bad” can’t capture the way we all live somewhere in between. And when we accept these labels—when we let them define us or others—we lose sight of the humanity that connects us.

RELATED POSTS

CREEPY KISSES & SHIRTLESS STRANGER: Nervous Grandma Calls Cops on Suspicious Men 

The Antinet Zettelkasten: A Game-Changing Way to Take Notes and Boost Your Brainpower 

Kicked Out, Nowhere to Go: Rehab Discharges Fuel Homeless Crisis in Portsmouth 

Please Support This Local Business

Take the idea of being “controversial.” It’s a label I’ve carried for years, and it’s been used as a shorthand to dismiss me. But what does it even mean? That I speak my mind? That I challenge the status quo? That I make people uncomfortable by asking hard questions? I’ve come to see that being controversial isn’t a flaw; it’s a reflection of my refusal to conform, to play it safe, to prioritize being liked over being true to myself.

And yet, even I’m guilty of leaning into labels when it feels convenient. It’s easier to label someone than to try to understand them. It’s easier to write someone off as a certain type of person than to grapple with the full scope of their experiences and contradictions. But the easy path is rarely the right one. If we want to build real connections, real understanding, we have to be willing to let go of labels and embrace complexity.

This isn’t easy. Complexity requires work. It requires empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to sit with uncertainty. It requires seeing people for who they are, not just who we expect them to be. And perhaps hardest of all, it requires us to reject the labels we place on ourselves—the ones that limit us, that hold us back, that tell us who we’re “supposed” to be.

So if there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s this: Labels don’t fit. They never have. The world is complicated, and so are we. Let’s stop trying to simplify the unsimplifiable. Let’s embrace the messy, beautiful truth that we are all more than what meets the eye. In doing so, we might just find the understanding and connection we’ve been searching for all along.

Tags: Newsletter
Please Support This Local Business

TRENDING NOW

Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

Busted! 05/27/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

May 27, 2025
Christopher Ryan Bond

Christopher Ryan Bond, 43 of Lucasville

May 27, 2025
Tragic Discovery

Tragedy on Elliott Road: Authorities Respond to Apparent Self-Inflicted Gunshot Death 

May 27, 2025
Walmart Heist

Flaming-Red Heist! Tattooed Thief Caught on Cam in Walmart Rip-Off

May 27, 2025
Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

Busted! 05/24/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

May 24, 2025

ABOUT US

We are a grassroots team of local journalists on a mission to give our community up-to-the-second news and events for Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Western West Virginia. We believe progress inspires change and we believe our reporting has become the front-lines of Portsmouth, Ohio's comeback.

CATEGORIES

  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Casino
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Feel Good
  • Food & Drink
  • Local Business
  • National
  • Obituaries
  • Ohio
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Public Safety
  • Regional
  • Strange But True
  • Video

AREAS SERVED

  • Portsmouth
  • Wheelersburg
  • Minford
  • Waverly
  • Friendship
  • Ironton
  • West Union
  • Piketon
  • Coal Grove
  • South Point
  • Vanceburg
  • Grayson
  • South Shore
  • Greenup
  • Raceland
  • Ashland

SITE SEARCH

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

© 2025 Scioto County Daily News. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Public Safety
  • Lawrence County
  • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Feel Good
  • All News
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise on SCDN
  • Legal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service

© 2025 Scioto County Daily News. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Trending
  • Public Safety
  • Lawrence County
  • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Feel Good
  • All News
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise on SCDN
  • Legal
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service

© 2025 Scioto County Daily News. All Rights Reserved.