Neighbor News
Shaboo Tales: Individuality as Style
A stranger's unique style creates strong contrast for Doreen's very ordinary life.
Mary, wearing her mid-length gabardine pencil skirt and sensible low-heeled shoes, carefully unwrapped her roast beef and pickle on rye. Sitting on the park bench next to her was her co-worker Doreen. Doreen’s left cheek was already full of her first bite of tuna on sourdough as she gingerly tucked a napkin into her white poplin collar to protect it from her careless hunger. For minutes, nothing but the sound of thoughtlessly rustled butcher paper was shared between them. Doreen was busy thinking that if it weren’t for this nearby park and the yummy sandwiches of Bartello’s Deli, her mundane job at Star Systems Telecomm would make her depressed. The taste of salty mayonnaise on her lips and the gratitude of a regular paycheck helped her to brush off further introspection.
“Oh my GAWD!” bellowed Mary.
Doreen looked inquisitively at her astonished friend from behind her sandwich. Mary was pointing her drink cup at an individual walking passed them on a parallel park path lying 20 yards away. It was a woman in her late thirties wearing jeans rolled up to the tops of her ankles. She made noble, confident strides in her hiking shoes, swinging her left arm like a great pendulum as her right hand held the strap of her backpack onto her shoulder. Her white gauzy blouse hung loose and billowed like a proud flag.
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“Look at that hat with the silly feather!” Mary went on.
Atop the woman’s head was a smoky purple fedora festooned with a large colorful peacock plume so long that it bowed in a great arc behind her and playfully waved at onlookers with her every footfall. Long red tendrils of hair flowed down from beneath the hat and jiggled in synchronicity with the pulse of the feather.
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As instructed, Doreen focused on the absurdity of the plumed purple hat and was about to oblige Mary with a disapproving scoff but her focus relaxed and her vision digressed to see genuine smiles on the faces of the other people in the park observing it. Doreen then looked upon the open face of the hatted woman to see a spirited smile and astonishingly bright eyes that appeared to relish the horizon. She wondered if she had ever caused spontaneous smiling like the plumed woman did and she couldn’t recall an instance since she was a toddler. Carefully, her eyes moved to her friend’s sensible beige shoes then down to her own sensible beige slacks. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, pulled the napkin free from her collar then defiantly faced Mary.
“She wears it well!”
Signature characteristics, or those behaviors that make us unique, tend to be labeled as eccentricities, however these differences are what makes life colorful. It isn’t easy being labeled “different” and it’s even bolder to embrace it, but if it weren’t for our signature expressions, creativity would be impossible and life would be downright drab.
Upholding your own signature style, in the intimidating face of contrasting social standards, is an act of bravery that Shaboo Prints openly supports. May you find your way towards your own colorful distinction so that the rest of us may gain!
Uniquely yours,
Shaboo
Shaboo Prints designs greeting cards and gifts to spotlight your self worth and support the value of your individuality. These are the creative writings that brought many of the products to life. Sign up at ShabooPrints.com to receive notices of our latest designs and receive 10% off your next purchase!
Watch the YouTube video! http://shabooprints.com/work/individuality-as-style/
Shop the greeting card! http://shabooprints.com/product/dont-change-a-thing/
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