Kindness Matters…let’s be nice girls!
I’ve mentioned it’s Rodeo time in Houston, which is one of my favorite seasons! There’s 20 days of great rodeo, livestock show, tons of booths to shop and my favorite thing is getting to see so many friends during these 3 weeks that I don’t see as often as I’d like throughout the year.
There’s an underlying tone of “Rodeo” amongst women and what everyone is wearing. I don’t “dress up western”, I grew up western, riding horses, feeding horses, hauling hay, shoveling stalls and hauling a trailer. Those are some of my best memories growing up. Even in High School though I bounced between {showing my age} corduroy shorts with tights/flats, Rocky Mountain jeans and boots and my Umbros/cowboy boots working in the barn.
I have loved putting outfits together for a long time. I love all sorts of styles from western to urban and everything in between. I love hunting for bargans and mostly shop TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, Target, Gap sale rack and small businesses in small towns. So, yes, it’s fun for me to pick out clothes to wear to Rodeo the same as it is every other day of the year. But, just the same I love seeing what others put together, what’s new in magazines {and finding the bargain version}and others individual style.
Then I went out to the Rodeo like this….
Left side, I had breakfast with a friend and then met up with one of my College Besties to shop the Rodeo booths, so I wanted to be comfortable! But, I was going to the Rodeo that night with another bestie and so I changed…rest of the pics. You would have thought I walked in wearing bacon dress a la Lady Gaga. The comments, looks and questions I got really surprised me.
I ran into several groups of friends and later one of those friends told me someone in her group asked if I was a “socialite” and was I a “snob”? All because of what I was wearing. I know I’m no where close to “socialite” (nor do I want to be) and I would certainly hope my friends would say I was far from “snob”!
I bought a new Cowboy Hat shopping yesterday and ran into a girl (I didn’t know) who was also getting a hat later in the night. She was wearing her hat and I told her again how much I liked her hat. Her response to me “that one you bought today looks a lot better than the one you have on.” Thank you. Smile. Keep going.
All those looks and comments last night didn’t hurt my feelings, it just really weighed my heart.
I know I was catty at a point in my younger years. But, I’ve long grown out of that stage. I wish that women my age and older would realize how many girls and young women are looking up to them. I surprised my nephew and nieces this week at school for lunch. While we were eating they were so fun showing me all their friends. Then my niece told me a girl in her class said “she hated her”.This breaks my heart, she’s 5!! Girls learn this from other girls. They are watching us “big girls”. They see how we view our bodies, how we view others and listen to {and repeat} what we say.
Then I thought back to a great visit earlier in the day with one of my long time friends. She and I were talking about Rodeo, how many people get caught up in so many little things and politics. One of her students called her while I was with her to tell her she won a RodeoHouston scholarship and what a committee member had done for her, they went above and beyond which made that student’s day. She turned around and did something really nice for her Ag Teacher (my friend) and it was a story that would put tears in your eyes.
Most of all I’m grateful for the women in my life who are leading younger girls well. Who led me well, who helped me learn to be a better woman and who instilled kindness in me. Kindness matters. So, let’s resolve to be kind and leave women/girls/young ladies in our lives better than we found them.