On a dare, I went to the grocery store like this. It feels funny at first, but as time passes, you forget about it. Every once in a while, you notice that someone is staring at you, or find an odd expression on a stranger's face. I was surprised to find that, for the most part, people acted as if it was completely normal. This is an age where tolerance is the highest virtue.
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It reminds me of The Emperor's New Clothes. I can not understand why people acted as if it was completely normal. Not that they had license to be rude, but they kept their murmuring to themselves, and stifled laughter if I made eye contact. Please, people... I stand at 5'7"; that's hardly intimidating..
Finally, one older gent chuckled as he passed by. To that stranger I say, "Thank you, for your honesty." Between tolerance and honesty, I consider the latter to be the higher virtue. Hence, I respect him for that..
I kept the tiger stripes until the following morning. It was good for a laugh, but I'm back to a plain goatee again.
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15 comments:
I sort of like it. You're right, in this day and age, people are becoming used to the very unusual way people express themselves through a personal look. Interesting experiment.
I think you're braver than I would be, but I like what you had to say about tolerance and honesty. I think we could use a little more honesty in the world.
Brave guy!! I bet you had a great day as you watched and listened!
Have a great week, Craver! :))
Smiles,
Jackie
That's a strange attitude ;-) but I like it, I mean the attitude and yes i also agree with you, I think that very few people are honest in this world.. I guess they are simply afraid of not being like others!!!
Gaelyn, I find it interesting to note how even the "nonconformists" will fit into certain standards. Like the goth crowd. They're not so unique with the hair over their eyes, and black garb head-to-toe and black fingernails... when they're standing next to each other. I find it amusing to look at people and wonder what makes them tick.
I'm not very bold, really. It's just that once in a while, I need to let go of pride and test myself in areas like this where it doesn't have any serious consequences. But you're right, George. This cosmos suffers from truth deficiency.
The most fun Jackie, was when I got the initial reaction from my own kids. They did a double-take, followed by something like, "Oh Brother! We're not related to you."
Peer pressure is a puzzle to me, Chris. I think we feed the monster and it is bigger in our imaginations, than in real life.
I think some folk like to be different, thats ok, cause Im like that at times.
I've seen a lot (Worse)but thats the wrong word, the word is different, we sometimes like to make a statement, and show that we are all different in some ways.
You cannot judge a person how they look.
Fashion changes every few years, but those fashions come around again sooner or later.
When we first walked into the store, I noticed people giving you strange looks but you didn't seem to notice them - I did! :)
I also dared you to go to church that way - you should have! That would have been a hoot! :)
Respectfully Imac, I disagree. Maybe I can explain.
I happen to appreciate artistic diversity, and even tolerate some foolish idiosyncrasies. What made this amusing for me was that I got the impression that people were afraid to acknowledge that I looked unusual. When was the last time you saw a forty-five year-old moderately dressed, walking around with his family - also moderately dressed, but he had a tiger-do in his beard? It's not the same as a wheelchair or birthmark or any natural appearance. The context suggests either a dare or some poor fool clamoring for attention.
The part I disagree with is judging how a person looks. For example, if a young man came to me for a job interview or wished to express interest in my daughter, and he happened to be wearing droopy trousers half-way down his rear end, he will have created an uphill battle for trying to prove his worthiness. His appearance communicates disrespect. Sometimes a judgment can be bigoted, but sometimes it is the exercise of wisdom.
That's why I am perfectly comfortable with someone thinking that the beard experiment looked goofy.
That's the thing, Mrs. Craver. When I looked up, they would look away, and with the exception of that one older gentleman, they acted as if they didn't notice. But with our son feeding me information, I knew that they DID notice. I should have dared you to stay at my side, but you were only with me part of that time. Hmmm...
"I was surprised to find that, for the most part, people acted as if it was completely normal."
Well duh.
Just kiddin'.
Your a clever and creative brother Craver. That is really cool what you did.
If I tried that with my wife, well, let me just say, no possible way it's gonna happen. Now, if I went by myself, no problema.
The big fashion in our day is Tats, and this particular fad doesn't fade.
And you know, when I see a girl with tons of tats on her arm, I usually shake my head, and have been known to strike up a conversation.
And it is always interesting.
Well, Tattoos are a whole other post.
Have a blessed evening Craver & Mrs. Craver.
There are so many strange things that people do to themselves that this doesn't seem all that strange. Maybe you should have dyed it purple or something! :-)
I would like to offer an incident, 2 men, 1 dressed in a suit and tie, another dressed as you you described (wanting a date with your daughter)
as you would have this young lady was told by her parents to go out with the chap in a suit, they went on a date - walk in the park, he then tried to rape her, at that moment the chap who was wearing trousers hanging from his bottom heard her scream, he went to her rescue and saved her,1 year later they married.
As I said, how can you judge folk by their dress my friend.
Sandman, tattoos are an easy "in" for a conversation with a total stranger. People seem very eager to tell you the story behind their tattoo. As for me, I have no markings or piercings whatsoever, and I intend to stay that way. It's not that I don't find them to be cool or interesting, but it's just not me.
(lol) Maybe when I was younger, I could have been so inclined, Happyone.
That would never happen here Imac, because we are going to convert to Catholicism, then enroll our daughter in a ninja nunnery. She will spend all her days cloistered and learning how to use even her earlobes as deadly weapons.
The assumption that the better-dressed prospect is given carte blanche on the basis of his attire, is what they call a straw man. That wouldn't necessarily happen. All we can assume is that the father might not count this one thing as a strike against him.
A boy who dresses like a thug makes the statement that he does not care what the girl's parents think. That alone is enough to disqualify him. (If he is a good man, and serious about his intentions, he will change clothes and try again.)
I try to be fair and not judge people rashly, but neither will I close my eyes and ignore all external clues.
Surly its whats inside the heart and not whats on the outside my friend.lol
I perceive that you are motivated by kindness, Imac. And that is good. So I will say again that I do try to be fair and not judge people rashly.
It is what is in the heart that makes a man unrighteous, not the clothes on his back. Just like it is the content of the fuel tank that matters more than the gauge on the instrument panel. But we cannot see the inside of the tank, so our decisions must be guided by the evidence (dashboard). The same principle applies to the heart. Only God can see inside a man's heart. I can only apply discernment to external evidence. Is the method fallible? Yes. Am I fallible? Yes. But I do the best I can, and try to distinguish between my personal preferences or contemporary culture and the eternal principles of Sacred Scripture.
Craver my friend I sometimes make judgment by looks, then I have to kick myself - for I know Im wrong doing so, but at times we make the right judgement by doing so, thats the trouble, we try to be good but we all make wrong judgments at times.
I guess we have to do our best and hope we made the right judgement.
er I think I know what I mean.lol.
I do know that you are a good man, me maybe - maybe not.lol.
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