Missive from Non-Fandom-Land
Sorry I haven't been around much, but for the last ten days I've been shopping from 11 in the morning until 8 at night. My husband's former debate coach is visiting with his thirteen year old daughter, and all she wants to do, all day every day, is shop. She has dreamed of hitting the Lolita stores of Harajuku for months now and falls into despair if she is not trying on something frilly and pink. I find the aesthetic charming, but let's just say it doesn't exactly suit my life or body, so for nearly two weeks I've been reduced to aimlessly wandering aisles of frothy pink and black Victoriana and holding clothes while she decides whether to buy them or not.
I could throw up my hands in disgust at her and her annoying father who's happy to assume that because I'm not actively complaining I must really love shopping all day everyday with his daughter, but the difficulty is I know being thirteen is an awful time, you're struggling to figure out who you're going to be and desperate to find a way you can be cool and poised and interesting. She's a very considerate and charming girl and I do think if she knew how bored and frustrated I've been she'd be appalled (okay, considerate but not the best at reading people yet, lol). And she's just so happy to be able to share her passion--to shop in stores filled with other girls dressed in lace and ruffles and be able to talk to me about it. Her mother disapproves of the style--for the record, despite the name, Lolita fashion is generally anything but provocative, although of course, like any other clear style, it can be fetishized and sexualized. But most of the women I know who wear it just love the frilly elaborate look. But her mother keeps bothering her to wear things that don't make her stand out so much, can't she please just fit in more? Probably at lest an understandable maternal response, but she turned to me a few days in and sighed happily, "It's just so nice to be able to talk with someone who UNDERSTANDS." I mean, what I would have given to have an adult in my life who allowed me to go on about what I was passionate about at that age! (Star Trek and dragons, mostly). So I have bought a few of the more sedate accessories I can find (a necklace, some socks) and she's been in heaven to be shopping with someone who appreciates the style. Which I do, it's just the SHOPPING I hate. :P
Anyway, that's why I haven't been around, and I'm going to be traveling late in month as well, but I have nearly a week free starting Monday and plan to post fic and/or scans during it! Thanks for listening to my long ramble (written mostly in scraps while my Young Charge is in dressing rooms) and although I probably can't respond for a while, I'll be able to read any comments you leave and would love to hear any reports from the Land of Fandom! *hugs you all*
Posted via m.livejournal.com.
I could throw up my hands in disgust at her and her annoying father who's happy to assume that because I'm not actively complaining I must really love shopping all day everyday with his daughter, but the difficulty is I know being thirteen is an awful time, you're struggling to figure out who you're going to be and desperate to find a way you can be cool and poised and interesting. She's a very considerate and charming girl and I do think if she knew how bored and frustrated I've been she'd be appalled (okay, considerate but not the best at reading people yet, lol). And she's just so happy to be able to share her passion--to shop in stores filled with other girls dressed in lace and ruffles and be able to talk to me about it. Her mother disapproves of the style--for the record, despite the name, Lolita fashion is generally anything but provocative, although of course, like any other clear style, it can be fetishized and sexualized. But most of the women I know who wear it just love the frilly elaborate look. But her mother keeps bothering her to wear things that don't make her stand out so much, can't she please just fit in more? Probably at lest an understandable maternal response, but she turned to me a few days in and sighed happily, "It's just so nice to be able to talk with someone who UNDERSTANDS." I mean, what I would have given to have an adult in my life who allowed me to go on about what I was passionate about at that age! (Star Trek and dragons, mostly). So I have bought a few of the more sedate accessories I can find (a necklace, some socks) and she's been in heaven to be shopping with someone who appreciates the style. Which I do, it's just the SHOPPING I hate. :P
Anyway, that's why I haven't been around, and I'm going to be traveling late in month as well, but I have nearly a week free starting Monday and plan to post fic and/or scans during it! Thanks for listening to my long ramble (written mostly in scraps while my Young Charge is in dressing rooms) and although I probably can't respond for a while, I'll be able to read any comments you leave and would love to hear any reports from the Land of Fandom! *hugs you all*
Posted via m.livejournal.com.