here comes the 'bride'
i told buggy i had a surprise for him, to look in the goodwill shopping bag. he had it out of the bag, but not unfolded, and was looking at it with a mixture of bewilderment and something i couldn't identify - the realization, perhaps, that this item was not a coast guard rescue helicopter? which would generally be his first choice of gifts. his eyes lit up when he saw it was a dress. it fit. it fit perfectly, i couldn't have hoped for a better fit if i'd brought him along. he asked if he could wear it to school every day that it was clean. he went right outside and added his cowboy rain boots to the ensemble and came upstairs with me to admire himself in the full-length mirror and adjust his hat so the flowers faced forward. he beamed, he chirped - he chattered away happily about how we need to get more dresses so he can wear one every day. and he was shocked that girls generally don't wear anything under skirts. "it's a bit breezy, i know," i replied. "you can get tights to wear under, if you're cold. and i think we need to put on white undies. your green ones are kind of glowing through the dress."
"glowing?" he asked.
"well, sometimes girl clothes aren't as easy to deal with. it's not scratchy, is it? i tried to see if it was scratchy before i bought it, but it's hard to tell sometimes."
for the investment of seven dollars, i'd say it was worth it. it's not a coast guard rescue helicopter, or a tugboat, but it's still pretty good. it's still pretty good.
what are girl clothes, anyway? what a silly thing to say. these are boy clothes, because they're on a boy. girls can wear pretty much anything but boys' jockey undershorts and not have an eyebrow raised in their direction. it's a bit unfair. dresses are for people who want to wear dresses.
"it's a good thing i wasn't with you when you went to buy this, hallie," he said. "the owner of the goodwill wouldn't let you give it to me."
isn't it astonishing how we build these prejudices? he actually thinks there is a fashion police who will come and take his dress away if he's not a girl. i can't feel it anymore, but i remember thinking things like this, that were taboo to me somehow. and realizing only much, much later that the taboo was all something i imagined. imagined with good reason, maybe - with logic applied to feeling - but that were utter nonsense. meaning that our culture is filled with nonsense that we usually ignore. so i'm happy to help someone who is five start ignoring this one. and who, at age five, is reading every word i type here, as i type it. that's how brilliant he is.
i love you, buggy. may many happy, dress-clad days be yours - today and ever after. *smooch*
"glowing?" he asked.
"well, sometimes girl clothes aren't as easy to deal with. it's not scratchy, is it? i tried to see if it was scratchy before i bought it, but it's hard to tell sometimes."
for the investment of seven dollars, i'd say it was worth it. it's not a coast guard rescue helicopter, or a tugboat, but it's still pretty good. it's still pretty good.
what are girl clothes, anyway? what a silly thing to say. these are boy clothes, because they're on a boy. girls can wear pretty much anything but boys' jockey undershorts and not have an eyebrow raised in their direction. it's a bit unfair. dresses are for people who want to wear dresses.
"it's a good thing i wasn't with you when you went to buy this, hallie," he said. "the owner of the goodwill wouldn't let you give it to me."
isn't it astonishing how we build these prejudices? he actually thinks there is a fashion police who will come and take his dress away if he's not a girl. i can't feel it anymore, but i remember thinking things like this, that were taboo to me somehow. and realizing only much, much later that the taboo was all something i imagined. imagined with good reason, maybe - with logic applied to feeling - but that were utter nonsense. meaning that our culture is filled with nonsense that we usually ignore. so i'm happy to help someone who is five start ignoring this one. and who, at age five, is reading every word i type here, as i type it. that's how brilliant he is.
i love you, buggy. may many happy, dress-clad days be yours - today and ever after. *smooch*