Irony

My friend recently sent me that e-mail that's going around with the images of people in Walmart. There is a website that hosts these images and it's gained a lot of attention for how hilarious it is.

As I was scrolling through the images of poorly dressed people I thought to myself, why did she send me this? She obviously thinks it's funny... The irony is, my friend is so self conscious of her own looks, and what people might be saying about her, that I find it odd she would encourage this.

Doesn't it feel like high school, when we go out of our way to laugh at how someone is dressed?

Granted there are people who call attention to themselves, and they probably like that. You may exchange a curious look among whatever group of friends you re with, but you don't make a huge spectacle of it.

When a girl in one of my classes came in, literally pouring out of her corduroy miniskirt, and tight neon shirt, with those black metallic leggings... I thought that was a bad choice. A real bad choice. But I'm not taking her picture and posting it on the Internet. I didn't even share what I saw with my friends or family.

I couldn't help but think that she thought, she was stylish or trendy. Regardless of what this girl thought of herself, when you get out of high school and you continue to see people like that... you drop your antics. You don't point and stare, you don't call them out.

And I promise you every town has its very own Elvis impersonator!

When you get into bigger cities you will see wilder people. I wonder how the people of San Francisco view the people who go to Walmart. A city that's busting with colorful characters, flamboyant parades, and a lot of skin. Go to poorer countries like Brazil, maybe you wear whats available even if its laughable. How many judgements are passed on fashion sense?

I'm not saying you cant assess your observations of others... we can afford the privilege to discern what we would or wouldn't wear. But to make clowns of ourselves by picking people apart is the kind of fashion for the soul that's always ugly.

What my friend doesn't know, the one that sent me the e-mail... The evening she walked into my place of work with a rather spandex top that showed off every unwanted curve in her body... my co-worker (who didn't know she was my friend) said,"She definitely should not be wearing that kind of top!"

The truth is, I know... spandex is a privilege, not a right. But I also know my friend is an individual that I love.

In conclusion, there will be those that stand out for the unusual things they wear. There will be things that they wear that go against all sense and reason. It may perplex us, concern us, it may even frighten us... but to take people's picture (even if what they are wearing is beyond stupid) without their knowing so you can scrutinize them later is ... so petty.