Of the 90+blogs I follow (Yay for Google Reader!), the vast majority are diet, weightloss, fitness or healthy lifestyle-related. I guess this is because it’s been a focus for me lately (well, in all honesty, for a bloody long time!) and because I was part of an online community when on my recent weightloss program.

I’m often inspired by some of my favourite bloggers in that universe and must confess, when I think of my blog post topics compared to theirs I feel almost ashamed at my lack of creativity! And the post that’s inspired my own today is no different.

Just a few days ago I was scouring Google Reader when I came across the latest from MizFitOnline – who I’ve referenced in my diet blog a few times (but never in this one). I was intrigued by the title ‘What’s on your laundry tag?’ and was thinking it was going to be about the need to take note of instructions on clothes’ laundry tags. But no… it was far trickier than that.

MizFit instead was musing over the notion of laundry tags informing us how an item is to be treated: ‘warm wash only’; ‘do not dry clean’ etcetera; and contemplated the concept of we humans coming with our own little tags: telling those around us how we should be treated.

MizFit admitted that she went through quite a process before coming up with her ‘tag’ instructions and it required her to do some prioritising. My own comment on her post praised the topic, and said that – like her – my own tag instructions needed much introspection (ie. navel gazing and/or the consumption of alcohol!). There was, I said, NO WAY I could (then and there) come up with my own tag lines. ‘Handle with care’ seems obvious… but perhaps a bit too much so. And quite frankly, that could be said about anyone and everyone.

Miz’s post inspired others, and another of my favourite bloggers, Big Girl Bombshell, did a follow-up post, and in addition to adopting her own tag instructions, she suggested that we should ensure we DO NOT REMOVE those tags because they are important. She also noted that you NEVER find a tag that says: normal! Obviously reflecting on the fact that there is no normal. We are all unique, and perhaps normal in our own universe.

In my diet blog I often aspire to be ‘normal’; to blend in with the crowd and not stand out because of my weight. That’s hilarious because for much of my early life I wanted to be ‘special’ or be ‘noticed’. Even now, I wonder how my attention-seeking behaviour fits with the ‘blending-in’ desire.

Naturally – because that’s what I do – I’ve been chewing over MizFit’s original post since I read it.  IF I could give those around me instructions on how they are to treat me and deal with me, WHAT would I tell them? How would I want them to act?

The sarcastic funster in me wanted to make a statement about everyone falling to their knees in deference whenever I enter a room. Or to instruct them to laugh hilariously at my witty repartee and blog posts.

But… I realise there’s an opportunity here: for me to contemplate my own ‘value’ or ‘worth’ to the world and make a statement about how I ‘deserve’ to be treated.

In my diet blog I often say I feel unworthy, but interestingly I am finding it almost impossible to write such a thing in this forum. (And how bloody interesting – though weird – is that?!)

So… after a bit of thought, I’ve come up with my ‘care instructions’ (which is what I discovered they are called). Naturally I’m expecting you all to commit these to memory if we are to have further dealings!

• Demonstrate appreciation 
• Treat with respect 
• Soak in warm soapy water (cos I love love LOVE my baths. Hello, have you seen this blog’s banner!?!)
• Keep out of the sun and away from heat sources (cos I hate hot weather)
• Do not feed after 9pm (my dietician has instructed me thus).

What would your care instructions (aka laundry tag) say?