Why was I yelling? ....hmmm, Let me give you some background. Normally, the students in my building are made to wear white button down shirts, a tie, slacks and dress shoes everyday. However, it's the end of the year, it was a Friday and they allowed students to dress down out of their uniform. There were only two problems. A- It was hotter than a a pig's ass outside and B--my principal forgot to give a "do not wear this type of clothing" memo the day before. Yeah, I know what you are thinking..."A HOT MESS".
Think Freaknic, or Black Beach Week or Bike week at Myrtle Beach (ha!...if you've ever been to ANY of those three events back in the day, then let's pick your bottom lip off the ground in 5, 4, 3, 2,....1). I saw tube tops hanging so low on double D's with nipples playing hide-and-go seek, insanely tiny shorts stopping not even three inches from crotches, and dresses so tight that it was constricting my bronchial tubes at mere glances!
I went into what I call my Santa Claus syndrome. The folks in my weekly bible study have heard me speak of this syndrome. It's a self proclaimed condition that seems "mature" at first, but it's really not conducive for my health! The Santa Claus syndrome is this: If I see, hear, witness or experience an issue that pisses me off, I tend to just collect my thoughts and toss in this imaginary bag. I prop it on my back and keep.... it..... moving. Basically, I take note of it, but I don't outright address it. I call it "I'm not letting anything steal my joy"....sounds nice and Christian, right?...ha! I was always raised in my family and in sports to not harp or wine about every little thing....to not sweat everything and rise above issues. However, there's one issue... if Santa Claus keeps tossing tons of toys in the sack on his back, then he eventually has to drop it off somewhere or unload because it gets heavy, correct? I had collected all of the utter nonsense images in my brain the entire day and had made it up in my mind that I was not going to kill myself trying to being the fashion and moral police; however, at 3:40pm, my bag got too heavy when the last "toy" or image met me around the corner.
I had packed my bag and was heading out the door for the weekend, when I turned the corner and saw one of my male students (I'll call him Craig for the sake of this blog)--who conveniently skipped my class earlier that day--hanging in the hallway. His pants were sooooooooooo low nearly down to his knees. Then I saw he had basketball shorts on and boxers underneath his basketball shorts. There were three distinct VISIBLE layers going on that were all 2-3 inches above each other and to top it off, his boxers were riding so low I saw Craig's pubic hair staring back at me!!!!!!!! Now fast forward to the top of my blog and you now understand why I was screaming on dude!
"Craig, PULL UP YOUR PANTS and cover yourself! "Boy, I'm a grown ass woman! I don't come to school to see your mess! Are you crazy?"
Craig responds, "dang Ms. T, why you feenin' (A quote they always use when I go hard on them). Why you always going in so hard?..I'll fix them, just wait a minute."
Craig responds, "dang Ms. T, why you feenin' (A quote they always use when I go hard on them). Why you always going in so hard?..I'll fix them, just wait a minute."
I say, "Wait a minute? Really? No, you wait a minute. Do you see me hanging out in the hallway with my vagina hanging out? NO! Have some decency about yourself so that no one else will see what you have...that is your business! Fix yourself and get out of my face!"
I shook my head all the way to my car and home. So many funny yet crazy things were going through my head. I was wondering why this boy had on three layers and it was hotter than a slave ship outside? I was wondering how could he possibly walk with his pants hanging so low? I was also wondering why such a "wanna be thug had on a belt with green rhinestones"...yes, that belt deserves a blog of its own! (I can't make these things up, ya'll) More importantly, I was wondering when will my male students and males that I see everyday get it together to know that they already have tons of strikes against them already. Why add more to their plate? I dig fashion all day long, but when it trumps above the basic concerns in life, then the epidemic of ignorance will continue to fester.
I'm planning now for next year....I've got to! Perhaps, a huge male AND female fashion etiquette seminar or contest. I'm a big believer that when folks know better, they do better. There's a time and place for everything. The only place pants that low belong is when they are about to step out of them! Let's hope my plan is cool, yet effective enough to help them step out of them and in a new direction of flavor and respect.
Here's to all of my other folks who suffer from the Santa Claus syndrome....sometimes, you just have to drop the damn bag and let folks know.
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