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Sunday, July 12, 2009

Wardrobe malfunction

I had a wardrobe malfunction today. Not as in Janet Jackson's famous incident (which, don't google if you're not familiar with the story... this is a family blog people) but equally mortifying.

People here get dressed up for church. As I was getting ready for church this morning I realized I don't really have many dresses. I have lots of skirts and lots of t-shirts that I wear with them, but not a whole lot of dressy, "church" clothes.

So this morning, I got dressed (of course I had Nahomi iron all our outfits. She SWEARS she loves to iron, so hey, no sweat, know what I mean? The lady likes to iron-- pa gen pwoblem as far as I am concerned.) So I dressed in a dress shirt with a CUTE pair of capri's underneath. They were denim, but a bit fancyish, and around these parts, jeans can be REALLY dressy.

What I failed to realize is that NO women, I mean NO women (as in not one single one) wear pants or shorts to church. (or capris) I hadn't really thought about it too much because when we lived in Port au Prince, lots of women wore pants/capris, whatever to church. Yeah, not here. Not at all. Like zero. So I arrive at church all dolled up (I had even plucked my eyebrows AND applied mascara today-- so you know, ALL dolled up. ) I'm looking all cute. I get into church and start singing (well, lipsynching, cause I don't really know the songs.) And I start looking around and I realize EVERY SINGLE WOMAN in the room is wearing a dress or skirt. Little kids, big kids, teenagers, adults, babies, old ladies. Every one of them. Except, well, me.

It felt very uncomfortable. So I did what any self-confident woman in this situation would do... I slinked out the back and spent the rest of the morning upstairs in the children's church area where I could at least spread my rebellious dressing message to a younger, more "moldable" (ie; brainwashable) generation.

3 comments:

nanajobx said...

so... you need your mom to go shopping?? what size??

Dave said...

immediately following your departure, Pastor's message was changed to "propriety of dress for Women who aren't blasphemers in a God-fearing society" followed by a parade of the properly dressed females remaining in the congregation (all of them). There was then a brief PowerPoint presentation including snap shots of your "wardrobe" while attendin services in Port, and a map of the area of Jacmel to avoid at all cost (your house).

I'm so ashamed. :-(

Melody Strayer said...

I had a clever little quip all prepared, but then I read Dave's comment and realized that anything I could say would pale in comparison. I might have tinkled in my pants a little... which, 10 days postpartum, really isn't the end of the world.

You're such a sinner.