So MSM appears to want to create Do's and Dont's lists for everything. If only life were as simple as a list. They asked milspouses to weigh in on what not to wear. This is NOT a new topic. Milspouses who have nothing better to do take great delight in putting down other milspouses clothing choices.
As expected, this turned into a judgmental free-for-all, with one woman going off on pjs/sweats at the PX and Commissary. This is just the example I am focusing on, not the sum of all of the bitchiness.
I confess. I wear sweats to the PX.
You see, I work in a lab where I deal with chemicals that stain clothes, dissolve clothes, etc. Even with a lab coat, I occasionally get something on me. It is a waste of money for me to get dressed up to work in an environment where my clothes will likely get destroyed. After working for long periods, a few times over 36 hrs straight, I just want to do what needs done and go to bed. So I roll over to the commissary in my stained, dissolved, disheveled sweats. Often my hair, which is curly, is escaping from my pony-tail to stick out every direction. My skin is greasy from working in an uncomfortable environment for long time periods without being able to wash my face. There are times when after 18+ hrs in the lab, I have not brushed my teeth. I am everything this woman despises.
Then there are other days when, after pulling an 80-100 hr work week, I am just tired. I ache from having to contort myself in awkward positions and perform repetitive exercises. I actually strained some muscles in my left arm and shoulder from pipetting for 12 hrs a day for several weeks. After all that, I want to be comfortable. Sweats are comfortable. That's how I roll. I think I've earned it.
And there were several times when I was a newlywed and my husband was deployed when I was so depressed, I was proud of myself for getting it together enough to leave the house and buy groceries. Sweats were as good as it got. It took me several hours to work my way up to even putting them on and leaving the house.
So tell me, in these scenarios and the myriad of others not recounted here, what right does another milspouse have to judge me and put me down for wearing sweats?
I would like to suggest that if you are bent about my attire, make an effort to get to know me. Either you will walk away realizing I am doing the best I can and you should nag someone else, or you will pitch in and help out so that I have time to worry about something as superfluous as fashion.
5 comments:
Everyone has a story and none of us know it. I think what some women see is, time and time again, someone simply being lazy. If the woman is in sweats, dirty, AND her kids are running around nuts, then it's easy to judge, I guess. I'm trying to get better at it, considering everything that's happened lately. I ran around the hospital with unbrushed oddly colored hair, super hero t-shirts form the boys' department, and jeans. Make up was out of the question. I think it's good to try every once in a while, though. I try to get out of the house with make up on at least three times a week, just for me. But it doesn't have to be make up, it can be anything that is good for you but takes time.
I'd rather wear my sweats and have time to ride my horsey, swim and walk the dog during the week. These are my times to step back from thinking and worrying about everything and just breathe and connect with nature, the divine, and myself.
I've come to realize that MSM is mostly for the KoolAid drinkers anyway. I rarely find anything in there that applies to me. I try. I really do. I still pick it up occasionally after all these years, but it's always the same. And really, I wish my life were so uncomplicated that all I had to worry about was what other spouses were wearing at the PX or commissary.
My friend has an article about food/shopping in the March issue that is good. It's unfortunate the rest of the magazine isn't as amazing as her work.
Pshhh. I dont think it matters what you wear to the comm n bx. Personally i was taught to never wear shorts, sweats, or pjs in public so i dont. Personal preference i think. But then again im night check so i dont really have human interaction. I should wait until i rejoin the land of the living before i weigh in lol
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