CHAPTER 18: “ARE YOU GONNA WEAR THAT?”
Nearly
ready to go to Jane's house that Saturday afternoon, Tess came downstairs,
where her brother Rick looked at her a little strangely.
"You
gonna wear that to Jane's house?"
"Yes."
"No,
she's not," her mother said, pointing to the holes in Tess's blue jeans.
"Not in those pants."
"But,
Mom…."
"No
'buts' about it, Tess. You can look like a ragamuffin playing football or
basketball outside, but I won't have you going to your friend's house looking
like a bum."
"But,
Mom…."
"People
judge you partly by how you look, how you dress. Daddy wears a uniform at work
to show he's an EMT with the Fire Department. I dress up to teach at school.
When you go to someone's home, it shows respect not to look sloppy."
"But,
Mom…."
"Don't
you brush your hair before you go out?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Tess
thought for only a few seconds. "I don't want to look messy."
"Right.
The same goes for how you dress. It should fit the occasion. People treat
well-dressed people better, and dressing appropriately is part of that. When
you get married, you'll probably be telling your husband how to dress, and
you'll probably want to dress so he thinks you look good, too."
"Oh,
Mom…."
The
tempest in a teapot blew over. Tess put on a better pair of jeans, went to her
girlfriend's house, and returned home shortly before dinner. That evening,
Tess, Rick, and Tim were eating alone, because their parents were going to a
Fire Department banquet.
Mrs.
Williams looked very pretty in her dress for the evening, Tess had to admit.
Mr.
Williams came downstairs in slacks, a blazer, a striped tie, and a plaid shirt.
Mother
and daughter looked at each other, aghast at the clash between the stripes and
plaid, and said together,
"You
gonna wear that?"
Moral: Friends don't let friends look foolish.
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