I am British and therefore eccentric, if the stereotype is anything to go by.
Actually, maybe I am a little eccentric, but that's good as far as I'm concerned; we all know how boring our little blue planet would be if we were all the same.
The dictionary definition of eccentric is "unconventional and slightly strange" and I'm completely ok with that. I feel that life is just too damn short to worry too much about conforming to society and what a bunch of complete strangers think of me. As long as my loved ones love me back and are not overly disappointed with me, that's all I could wish for.
To this end, I wear brightly coloured tights, flowers in my hair and FAR too much colourful makeup for a woman my age (if you are to pay any attention to "fashionistas and style experts"- which I don't). I wear these things on a daily basis, be it to work in my little office, or to the local supermarket, or just at home when nobody is looking except the dogs.
I read that dogs cannot see the same colours as people anyway, and they do not judge anyone unless there are no biscuits forthcoming, whereupon they judge very harshly.
Last weekend I outdid myself. I had seen a lovely Pony dress in Hot Topic and was instantly attracted to the pretty colours and style, and was just waiting for the "Hot Cash" promotion. I knew that if my size dress was still in stock on that date, then it was indeed waiting patiently for me and I should buy it immediately or risk the wrath of the Shopping Gods, and you NEVER want to risk that. Ignore these signs at your peril, for if you do, you will never find a bargain again, simple as that.
So upon entering the shop and not seeing MY Pony dress you can imagine how I felt; those tiny stirrings of panic that maybe I waited too long and my bluff had indeed been called. I asked in a plaintive voice where the Pony dresses were, only to have the assistant find them hidden behind something else that wasn't half as pretty. Maybe they hid them so as not to blind customers with their beauty, or maybe it was just another of those constant stock rotations that shops do all the time to try and force you into buying stuff the very moment you first lay eyes on it, so as not to lose it.
I almost thought I had lost this particular dress; my relief was short lived when the assistant informed me that the only sizes left were large and extra small; I had been banking on a small, but decided to take the chance of experiencing the poorly lit changing room with the VERY unkind mirror and try my luck with the extra small. To my joy I got into it and even got the zip up without having to do emergency rib removal, and the sun shone down on me and my dress, and all was right with the world........
I wore my Pony dress to work yesterday, but the hideous Alaskan weather meant that it was more of a Pony skirt as I had to wear thick black woolly tights and black cardigan with it, but the addition of some glitter and a pink hair flower more than made up for that. I was invincible and most definitely 20% cooler all day. I honestly felt like nothing bad could happen to me in my beautiful Pony dress; ie if I crossed paths with a moose on the way to the bus stop I would simply have undone my enormous Parka and showed my dress, and the moose would have bowed its great head and simply walked away without trying to stomp on me even a tiny bit.
And that's the great thing about being free to express yourself; it gives you confidence, and the more confidence you have, the more free you are. So go to it, people, and wear whatever YOU like, not whatever society tells you to like. Go on, try it, you'll feel at least 20% better I guarantee it. And if you are wondering why I keep writing 20%; it's a Pony thing.
I am 45 years old, and I am making the best of it.
The tragedy is that the upload thingy isn't cooperating for some reason; maybe it doesn't feel the same way about the pony dress as I do. I'll try and upload a photo later......
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