Last week I ran into one of my favorite teachers from high school at the nail salon…
THE STORY
…I run into her and my other favorite teacher from time to time and it’s always such a treat to see them. I’m sure that if we think back on our lives, most of us can pinpoint the exact people who had the most impact on who we are today. In all likelihood the people whom you think of were positive forces in your life during your formative years. In my case the people that I consider to be influential in shaping me into who I am were negative forces, but fortunately I had the presence of mind and resiliency of spirit to spin that into (for the most part) a positive outcome.
The exceptions are these two women. From the moment that I met each of them something clicked, and although I only had both of them for a few classes throughout high school they became my anchors to sanity. They aren’t my favorites because of what they taught me academically; more important than that, they are my favorites because they truly cared about me.
My entire childhood was a hot mess and it really ramped up when I was a teenager. My primary activity in high school was keeping my mother alive, literally. Because of her illness I didn’t know from one day to the next where I’d be sleeping. I kept most of my clothes in a few paper grocery bags for the sake of mobility. I could not have cared less about school work and grades; every day was a fresh hell.
The majority of my teachers judged me based upon the “bad” family that I came from. They assumed that I’d amount to nothing and had no qualms about letting me know that; one of them even wrote as much in my yearbook when I asked her to sign it. Not these two women though. They saw something in me that no one else bothered to look for, not even myself. They spent countless hours of their time talking to me, guiding me, and most importantly simply listening to me. They made me understand that my life would not always be that way; that it could be better, that I could be more.
I’ve written before about how I knew I wanted to be a special education teacher when I was five years old and my baby brother was born with multiple and ultimately life ending disabilities. The thing is, even though I wanted that, I never believed that I was smart enough or good enough to become that. Not only did those two amazing women show me what I was capable of, they also unwittingly gave me a mission. By the time I graduated high school, I knew that what I wanted most was to be that person for some other child with a lost soul. I wanted to do for other kids what those two had done for me.
I believe that is why over the course of my 28 year teaching career I have often attracted (and still attract) the “bad” kids, the troublemakers, the wild children; they are my kindred spirits. I know that under all of that ridiculous behavior, attitude and general bad assery they have a whole lot to offer the world. I believe in them. I see who they truly are. And I can only hope that one day they will see what I see. If over the course of my rather lengthy career I have helped even just one kid truly believe that they are important and good, or if having my ear to listen or my arms to hug them made even a small moment in their life better than I’ve done my job. And by doing my job I have paid tribute to those two women in the best way possible; I’ve paid it forward.
THE OUTFIT
This is one of those color combos that doesn’t always pop into your mind; red and bright pink. I assure you that the skirt is indeed pink…the second shot under this is a pretty accurate depiction. When I’ve worn it in the past the same thing happened, it photographs weird and comes out looking red. Weird. Anyhow, back to the color combo. I think that maybe it’s one of those combinations that is holiday associated much like red and green and orange and black.
I do love the two together and pair them from time to time even when Valentine’s Day isn’t on the horizon. I put this look together as a work friendly Valentine’s Day look and also as a way to show off another pair of my Berkshire hosiery. This pair is obviously nude (to me they are still pantyhose, but the rest of the world has apparently decided they’re nude tights) and are perfect for adding a polished look to Winter white bare legs. This particular pair is the Luxe Matte Sheer Easy On from Berkshire. Like the pair of tights that I shared with you Sunday, they have a wider stretchier waistband which makes them not only easier to put on, but also way more comfortable.
I love the bright colors in this outfit, but the mix of textures is fun too. Sometimes something as simple as different textures, in this case the chunky knit, lace and velvet, adds more visual appeal to an outfit. I chose nude tights because I just didn’t feel like black would have worked as well. And yes, it’s fine to wear nude hosiery. For whatever reason it had fallen out of favor for years, but it’s back and I don’t think it’s going anywhere soon. Besides, who cares if something falls from favor fashion-wise? If that something is something that you love to wear then by all means wear it. If you love how you look that’s really all that matters.
THE TIP
Nude hose are the perfect solution to adding a polished look to pale Winter legs or imperfections. They make a nice alternative to black tights. Just make sure that you choose a shade close to your skin tone. Nude is not one size fits all. The closer to your skin tone the shade is, the more seamless the look.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Skirt: Target (Similar); Sweater: H&M (Similar); Boots: Dorothy Perkins (Similar); Socks: Similar; Tights: c/o Berkshire; Coat: Vintage
