I can't say that my childhood was graced by the presence of good fashion. Case in point, when I was fourth grade, we visited the science museum. I took the opportunity to waste my entire allowance on the purchase of two articles of clothing, a t-shirt and sweatshirt.
Both bore the same identical design, which prominently featured the surface of the world. It looked like the surface of a globe that had been shaved off and then awkwardly glued to the cloth.
I wore both articles of clothing, one underneath the other, quite deliberately. Even if I spilled something on the top layer, I could take it off and in effect could still show how enamored I was with the image itself.
Naturally, I took every opportunity to show everyone. Adults feigned interest and other children were less than impressed. It didn't matter. It made me happy.
***This really brings us back.***
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I can't say that my childhood was graced by the presence of good fashion. Case in point, when I was fourth grade, we visited the science museum. I took the opportunity to waste my entire allowance on the purchase of two articles of clothing, a t-shirt and sweatshirt.
Both bore the same identical design, which prominently featured the surface of the world. It looked like the surface of a globe that had been shaved off and then awkwardly glued to the cloth.
I wore both articles of clothing, one underneath the other, quite deliberately. Even if I spilled something on the top layer, I could take it off and in effect could still show how enamored I was with the image itself.
Naturally, I took every opportunity to show everyone. Adults feigned interest and other children were less than impressed. It didn't matter. It made me happy.
Two
Marcus pulled his shirt up but underneath was the same thing all over again. Rayna couldn’t decide what that meant. Two identical shirts. Twice the neediness, perhaps. Or a desire to prove himself committed. Maybe it was a cry for help, uttered so loud it produced an echo. It could be a symbol of anger, an underlying aggression spoken in duplicate for emphasis. Rayna traced Marcus’ naked chest with her fingertips and thought about it. He pulled her on top of him, kissed her hard, stroked all the right places. When he squeezed his eyes shut, she tossed the hair back from her face and glanced at the shirts piled beside the bed. The significance of two. Duality. Pairing. Later she would wear one of them home and Marcus would pull another from the box in his closet.
Troop Individuality.
“The difference between us and other green movements is that we believe in individual responsibility to the environment. We’re not like these other green groups running around telling people what to do. We just want to inform people of how much of a cut in their personal carbon emissions they need to make, but we leave it up to the individual to decide where they want to make those cuts. They could get a hybrid car, or stop taking aeroplanes, or maybe they decide to offset their carbon instead by planting trees, using renewable sources of energy or whatever they chose. It’s about CHOICE, FREEDOM and INDIVIDUALITY.”
He spoke enthusiastically but without pressurising me, I liked his style and I was genuinely excited, “So when is your next meeting?”
”It starts in about ten minutes in seminar room six. Do you want to come along and ask some questions?”
”Yes sure I’d love to come along!” I couldn’t wait. He pulled off his jersey, underneath the t-shirt bore the same design.
”Great,” he said, “but you best put this on so that you fit in with the crowd.”
This was not my kind of individuality.
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