"You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl."
About a week ago, my good friend Joy (who also used to live in CA) called me up and said she had free tickets to Fashion Week in Phoenix. I knew of the real Fashion Week that takes place in New York....but had no idea that other cities have their own versions of this event. Fashion Week, like the name suggests- is a week long event where people go to see different vendors and clothing designers showcased everyday. These vendors and designers are showcasing the "hottest trends" for the upcoming season. The tickets Joy got were for Friday night...the last day of the shows. So we were both apprehensive about what to wear and what to expect. Was it going to be a real event or lame? Dress-up or dress-down? I was catapulted back in time to my High School dilemmas. And the insecurities were soon to follow, accompanied by a major zit on my chin....look closer you'll see it!
Once we got to the Fashion show, I was amazed to see how "clothed" we were in comparison to everyone else. I mean, I'm talking I felt like a Grandma compared to the girls in the room. I felt just like I did when I was in high school at Junior and Senior Prom- like a dork.....the odd one, the one sticking out...where people are staring at you, but not in the nice kind of way.
I am just shy of 30, relatively confident and completely committed to the Gospel, and in the course of a few brief hours I felt insecure, unattractive, outdated, and retarded. And the only reason I am admitting this (because I am actually really embarrassed it affected me so much), is because I couldn't believe how quickly my self-esteem and sense of self disintegrated once I was in the "real world." The world outside of our backward little town.
Once I got home I felt so much respect for the YW in the Church. These beautiful and modest girls have to deal with all of these emotions and situations day to day and week to week. And what's more is that the other girls did not look skanky or slutty......it was small things in their appearance- a flash of skin here, bare shoulders there, a slightly shorter skirt here. To me it showed how crafty and cunning the adversary is.....nothing was overtly obvious or obnoxious in nature....the diversions from modesty were slight, small and sexy.....
