Last week we were “that” school…
THE STORY
…The school that had the front page headline in the local newspaper. The school that was the top story on the local news. The school that could no longer think “That can’t happen here”. The school that lost it’s innocence along with a part of it’s soul. The school that got lucky. This time.
All too often we all see the terrifying and tragic stories on the news. Stories of violence; violence carried out, violence fantasized about or in fortunate instances, violence thwarted. Last Thursday we were among the fortunate…any potential violence that there could have been was stopped before it ever started.
Even so, the threat left it’s mark. Friday was a monumental struggle to get through. In the morning only one entrance was open to each school building. Police officers were everywhere and the parking lot was full of cruisers. Every single person was required to have their bags searched and to be physically checked with a metal detector. One. At. A. Time. We are a smaller district, but that was still incredibly time consuming as well as nerve-wracking for the kids. All students had to be shepherded to the cafeteria after their safety check to wait until everyone went through the process before going to homeroom.
The school staff were required to take up positions in the hallways, stairwells and the cafeteria to make sure that all of the kids arrived in the cafeteria with no locker or restroom stops permitted. The sense of unease was palpable, and the silence of the kids filtering down the halls was unnatural for a middle school. We all were on edge and shook to our core.
I cannot begin to put into words how much it hurt my heart to know that every single one of those kids that walked past me Friday morning were forever changed. They now knew fear first hand; they had all lost their sense of equilibrium; they had been taught the hard lesson that the world is indeed a dangerous place; they learned that thinking “it won’t happen here” is nothing more than an illusion. It physically sickens me to know that we now live in a world where these are the hard truths that 12 year old children have to live with.
The number of absences that day was probably near half of the student population. Two thirds of my students were not there. The six that were in attendance were jumpy and their eyes were constantly darting around. We half-heartedly attempted to do some math, but didn’t get far. Ultimately we decided that Netflix and chill was the way to go, so we spent the day together with the door closed, the lights out and a movie playing with short breaks to play Uno.
I honestly don’t know where I was planning on going with this post…there isn’t a point per se. I just wanted to share with you what it’s really like to find oneself in one of those situations that we all delude ourselves into believing will never happen to us. We all need to realize that yes, it can happen to us. The unimaginable can come knocking at our doors. This is indeed our new reality.
THE OUTFIT
It may seem trite to talk clothes after the heaviness of today’s post. The thing is though, shattered illusions or not, life does go on, so here we are.
Today’s outfit tells a story of unexpected brightness on a gloomy winter day. Some tend to put away the brightly colored or pastel pieces in their wardrobes once cold weather arrives. It’s true I gravitate towards richer hues like burgundy, mustard and rust in the fall, but by the time we’re fully into winter I’m back to wearing all the colors. In my opinion nothing is off limits no matter what time of year it is. If a particular shade makes you happy why should wearing it be season dependent?
For example this neon pink cropped sweater (it’s still available in size XL) that I found a few months ago at American Eagle is totally unexpected. Neon pink is definitely not a shade that one traditionally associates with winter (or with the current decade or with 54 year old women for that matter…but that’s a story for another day. It’s so bright, pretty and happy though; you can’t help but smile when you’re wearing it. It’s such a vibrant fun hue, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s soft and cozy to boot. I layered it over my black jumpsuit (warning…layering a pullover sweater on top of jumpsuit makes using the restroom an exercise in flexibility…lol) and finished it of with my calf-height black slouchy boots.
The pièce de résistance though? The sublime brown long plaid coat shot through with the perfect shade of pink to match my sweater. While this coat is not designed to keep you warm in frigid temperatures, it’s perfect for a cool fall day or layered over a chunky sweater for added warmth on a colder day. The best part? I scored it on clearance at Target several months ago for under $15!
THE TIP
Color is good for the soul. Whether it’s soft pastels, rich jewel tones or in your face neons, wear the colors that make you happy season be damned. BTW…black is a color too and if that’s what makes you feel badass than rock it my friend…just don’t use it to hide your beautiful self from the world.
“Wearing colors that you love is an easy way to boost your self-confidence…”
Neons are still trending so if you’ve ever thought that you’d like to give one of the bolder highlighter shades a go, now’s the time. When dipping your toes into the technicolor world keep the following in mind:
- You can find bright fun neons in everything from earrings to dresses to shoes. If you aren’t sure about it start small…think earrings, a belt or bag.
- Keep price point in mind. If neon shades aren’t something you can commit to and you just want to have fun with it then keep your eye out for bargain pieces.
- Some neon shades like green and yellow might work better farther away from your face so maybe a skirt, pants or a cute pair of shoes would be the best option.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Coat: Target (Similar); Sweater: American Eagle (Similar); Jumpsuit: Amazon; Boots: Similar
**Disclaimer: Commission earned through shopping links in this post.
