I can be so judgmental sometimes….
Like Nancy says in her challenge for us this week, I’m also not much of a girly girl. And unlike Nancy, for whom pink “is never my first choice of color for anything”, in days passed, I actively disliked and avoided PINK.
But I am cursed (yes, and blessed) with the drive to find a lesson in anything I “actively dislike”.
I wrote about PINK once before.
Some one gave me a gift…a polar fleece vest…in the ugliest color…bright fuchsia?! Not a color I would ever choose or wear…too fake looking….I didn’t even like people who wore this color. AND, didn’t the person who gave me this ugly thing, know that pink is way too “girly” for me? I put it in the closet…way in the back…
A couple of years later, I am on a Spring walk with my camera, in search of new flowers. I come across a stunning flower, the brightest color for miles around (or so it seems). I have these thoughts, “there are so many colors in Nature that we just have not been able to duplicate. We don’t even have names for some of the colors we see in a sunset or a flower. This flower is a spectacular color!! I wish I had something to wear in this color…”
I pick just a blossom leaf or two to take home. I put them in my pocket.
That same week I am doing a closet downsizing for a Goodwill run and find the never worn, long-forgotten ugly pink vest tucked way in the back…..and then I remember those bright colored petals!
I blushed about the same color!
Needless to say, it has become one of my favorite things to wear. I even got socks, a scarf and shoes with a stripe in the same color!
Now I’m wondering if I owe my gift-giver an apology…….
So I had to get to the bottom of this. Why such a strong reaction? It’s just a color, right?
Way too long a story (including a couple of years of hard-core therapy) later, I traced my prejudice back to a relatively off-handed comment from my Aunt. I had run away from home at 15 and ended up living with her in high school. She sewed these beautiful clothes for me, whole outfits for daily and church wear, as well as various Prom-type formal dresses. Always in hues of pink.
My favorite color is blue, since very early childhood, and my Aunt knew this so one day, I asked her to make me some thing BLUE. Her response, the casual remark I mentioned above? She said, “No, pink is better. Then the boys will all think you are still a virgin….”
I was shocked and protested, apparently way too much, because it was a disagreement we were still having when she was on her death bed. She never believed me and I never forgave her for that.
Still painfully ironic today because no budding young Flower Child, Hippie-Chick, California Girl in the 1960’s ever successfully fought harder to “save herself for marriage” than I did.
Talk about swimming against the tide of the sexual norms of those days!
So when I finally became more “enlightened” by the late 60’s and early 70’s, apparently I buried the reason for, but still held on to the active dislike of all things PINK!
Aren’t you glad you asked??
Oh wait, you didn’t…another bright pink blush here…
I have since fully embraced PINK in all its hues and tones, in nature, as well as in my decorating choices.
Here’s an example, if you feel inspired to read more about it. I wrote it to anchor the gratitude I have come to feel for my ancestors (especially my Aunt) and all their powerfully feminine (and PINK) influences in my life.
https://chosenperspectives.com/2017/05/24/heritage-for-wpc-5-17-17/
Thanks for reading and I really love comments, especially when my vulnerable, pink insides are kinda hanging out there for all to see….
https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2019/02/14/a-photo-a-week-challenge-pink/
https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/song-lyric-sunday-23rd-december/
Merry Christmas Helen.
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Merry Christmas to you as well!
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🙂
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I almost forgot today was Sunday because I have been trying to get my daughters room finished for Christmas, it being her Christmas gift and all. But I did remember, and I had no idea what to post until I heard a song on a Christmas play list this morning. It is a twist on the twelve days of Christmas, and by the way I loathe that song, but this one was actually worth listening to all the way, so here is the Twelve Days Of Christmas Straight No Chaser.
Arranged by Ken Burgomaster
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
A partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christ
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five golden rings
Four calling birds, three french hens,
Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree
On the ninth day of Christmas, (on the eighth day of Christmas)
My true love gave to me (my true love gave to me)
Nine ladies dancing (eight maids a milking)
Eight ladies dancing (seven maids a milking)
Seven ladies dancing (six maids a milking)
Six ladies dancing (five)
Better not shout, you better not cry,
You better not in a pear tree
On the ninth, no!
On the eighth, come on!
On the seventh day of Christmas (deck the halls)
My true love gave to me (with boughs of holly)
Seven swans a swimming (here we come a wassailing)
Six geese a laying (among the leaves so)
Five golden rings (Fa-la-la-la-la)
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves (here we come a wassailing)
The boar’s head in hand bear I (among the leaves so green)
Bedeck’d with bays
And partridge in a pear tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eleven pipers piping (ding)
Ten lords a leaping (dong)
Nine ladies dancing (ding)
Eight maids a milking (dong)
Seven swans a swimming (ding)
Six geese a laying (dong)
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And Rudolph the red nosed reindeer!
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay,
And when it’s dry and ready, my dreidel I shall play
Oh dreidel dreidel dreidel (hey, 12 days of Christmas)
(what? 8 days of Hanukkah. It’s a Christmas medley)
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)
Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)
On the twelfth day my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming like Olympus above the Serengeti
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba oh
Eleven pipers piping, ten lords a leaping (Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba oh)
Nine ladies dancing they were dancing for me
Eight maids a milking they were milking just for me
I had Christmas down in Africa
I had Christmas down in Africa
I had Christmas down in Africa (five golden rings)
I had Christmas down in Africa (five golden rings)
I had Christmas down in Africa (five golden rings)
Couldn’t take the halls into the things we never had
Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)
Do do do do doot do (do de do de do de do de do de)
Partridge in a big pear tree (do de do de do de do de do de)
Partridge in a big pear tree
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They’re great singers. Happy Holidays!
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One of my all-time favorite Christmas songs! Great choice!
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