The world would be a much easier place to navigate if we all shared the same point of view. On everything. But the world would also be a rather bland and colorless place if that were the case…
THE STORY
…Think about it. As individuals we have differing views on everything. From trivial matters such as our favorite flavor of ice cream and whether women over 50 should wear shredded jeans, to meatier issues like the origin of the universe and who should sit in the White House. And that, my friends, is what makes the world such an interesting place.
Listening, really listening, to a differing point of view gives us the chance to learn and to grow as human beings. It gives us the chance to see a situation from outside of our own experiences. Perhaps understanding a differing opinion will change our own views; but at the very least it can give us insight into what makes the other person tick.
Here is the question: At what point, if any, do we stop listening to an opposing point of view and cut the person off? By cutting the person off I mean ending the relationship; unfriending or unfollowing if you’re talking in terms of social media. What got me musing on this was a post I read by Allie at Wardrobe Oxygen. Like me, Allie’s blog is predominantly fashion/beauty related although she does include the occasional post that provides glimpses into her real life. And sometimes those glimpses are political.
I have tried to make sure that when I have written about anything even remotely controversial, I’ve kept my words focused on me; my thoughts, my feelings. I have made sure not to name call or cast blame. I quite simply wanted to share my feelings both for myself as well as to give others food for thought. I always choose my words carefully. As does Allie. She too participated in the Women’s March last week and has shared several well-written posts about it. One comment in particular caught my eye. An individual who indicated that she had been a long time reader said, that if the political related posts continued, she would no longer follow the blog. Hmmm…
Anyone who has been around here long enough knows that not only do I have strong opinions against the current administration, but I’m also a huge advocate for gay rights, the rights of the disabled and public education. Do you have to agree with me? No. But do I hope that you read what I write and at least think about my words? Yes. If you choose to stop reading, or if you choose to skip ahead to the outfit portion of the post (that’s why I divide my posts with subheadings) that’s okay too. It is a free country after all.
I won’t lie to you. I have either unfriended/unfollowed people on social media or avoided them in real life over emotionally charged issues. But only if they have gotten ugly about it. For example, last year I unfriended a former high school friend on Facebook after she posted a particularly hate filled (although sugar coated) article in regard to the fact if you are gay you are going to hell, but since she’s a good Christian, she would still love you anyway. Sorry, but if you are going to presume to tell me that my baby is going to hell then I quite honestly don’t need you in my life. I also blocked a family member who believes that those of us who marched are whiny unemployed cry babies. How about taking a moment to try and understand why people are afraid enough to march as opposed to resorting to negativity and name calling?
After my post about why I marched, which I copied and pasted on to my personal FB page, I had a comment from a friend on the other side of the aisle. She said that she appreciated my words and my point of view. And do you know what? I appreciated hers. I believe that we all need to be a little bit more open minded and tolerant to the feelings and ideas of others; even when they are in direct opposition to our own. Blocking, unfollowing or avoiding people in order to avoid blatant negativity is one thing, but doing so simply to avoid differing opinions accomplishes absolutely nothing.
THE OUTFIT
Whenever I see a shot on Instagram or Pinterest with tights, in particular fishnets, under distressed jeans I always think it looks so cool. It’s just so visually interesting and a little bit edgy. The thing is though a) I’m not a fan of tights, and b) I don’t typically wear my “ripped the whole way through” jeans outside in the winter. But the other day I decided to give it a go.
Guess what I discovered? Fishnets are more comfortable then regular tights (which I already knew) so they aren’t confining under jeans, and they add a surprising layer of warmth under distressed denim. I suppose I never thought of fishnet tights as being warm due to the open weave, but quite honestly my legs weren’t cold at all. And they really did, at least in my opinion, look super cool under my jeans.
This gorgeous olive lace up sweater from Shein is one of my new favorites. It’s chunky and cozy and hello…olive green. The lace up detail, while currently on trend, is something I’ll continue to love long after the trendiness has died off. It can be tied tighter for warmth or left looser and open to show off lace bralettes or camis layered underneath. That detail kind of makes it the perfect layering piece.
THE TIP
If you’re intimidated by fishnets because of, you know, that bad girl vibe, try layering them under distressed jeans. The jeans don’t have to be as shredded as mine; even a small peek of fishnet adds a hit of visual appeal. And if you are a fan of shredded denim, this is the perfect way to make them winter weather friendly.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Sweater: c/o Shein; Boots: Bearpaw Boots (Similar); Jeans: GAP (Similar)
**Sweater provided c/o Shein, but all opinions, as always are my own.
