Self Expression

Mira wrote the following essay and said that I could share it on here. It makes me smile.....hope it makes you smile too.
Namaste,
Michele


Wear It Loud, and Wear it Proud
By Mira

The basement is ready. The tarp is laid down. The dye is mixed. The white shirts are neatly rubber-banded, twisted into contorted shapes that will soon be overcome with their own colorful identity. “Don’t forget to put on the rubber gloves!” my mom reminds us. I take the blue dye and aim the nozzle of the plastic bottle into the center of the wrapped shirt. The white slowly turns into blue, each thread absorbing the perfectly mixed solution. I grow tired of the blue and move on to red. Then yellow and green, repeating until there’s no trace of white left in the shirt. I proudly hand the sopping wet mess to my mom, feeling accomplished and a little bit anxious. She places it in a plastic bag, ties it up, and puts it high on a shelf only to be taken down 24 hours later.

As far back as I can remember, my family has always had a love for tie-dye. The proof is everywhere. You can find it in both of my parent’s closets, where two-thirds of the hangers proudly hold tie-dye shirts in all shapes and sizes. Their bedspread is even tie-dyed. If you look back far enough, I’m sure you can find pictures of me at no more than one year old, happily smiling wearing a tie-dyed onesie. I remember this one time at my end-of-the-year assembly in seventh grade, my mom told me she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able make it. When the teachers finished seating us in the gym, I quickly scanned the crowd, hoping she was there to see me receive my awards. I didn’t have to look too long, because my eye instantly caught my mom sitting in the bleachers wearing a bright blue tie-dyed shirt. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

I used to wonder why my parents couldn’t just dress like every other adult in our town. Why couldn’t they wear shirts from Express, Gap, or Talbots, like my friend’s parents did? My sister, brother, and I never quite understood it. I didn’t realize it then, but choosing to wear tie-dye over those expensive, over-priced clothes has taught me many important life lessons. Be who you are. Dress how you want to dress. Don’t worry about what other people think. Self-expression is important. These things have not only shaped my life, but they have molded me into who I am today. Most people cannot confidently walk around with their family wearing tie-dye. I can, and I’m proud of that.

People are kind of like tie-dye shirts. Each one is different. Whether its created simply in a basement of ones home, or if its manufactured by the hundreds, and sold to people just like my parents. Each one is bearing its own design. Every person is different, and we all have our little quirks that make us who we are. I believe that everyone should own one tie-dye shirt. I believe in wearing it loud, and wearing it proud. I believe in tie-dye.