I am in the midst of a move to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. My weekend was spent sorting clothes, shoes, coats, and toiletries into piles of yes, no, and maybe. How many bottles of shampoo and conditioner does one woman need? I didn't realize how out of control my fragrances had become, either. Expensive designer perfumes and lotions purchased over the past twenty years that I have been stubbornly hanging onto even though they probably smell like hell now. Three contractor bags later, I feel like my personal belongings are manageable and moveable.
After move number seventy, I vowed to quit counting...and I did. This move is hovering somewhere around ninety, but I am not sure. The very first time I left my home state of South Dakota I was nineteen years old and I landed in Denver. I am now moving back. Have I come full circle in my travels? Is this where I will weather out my final years? I have no way of knowing at this juncture. Oglala Lakota nomadic blood still courses through my veins, pumping adrenaline along with red and white blood cells, promising excitement, challenge, and change. Where will I unpack this time? House? Condo? Townhome? Apartment? I don't prefer the latter, yet a tiny voice keeps whispering "Downtown loft"—a lifestyle I have yet to try. This thought has been nagging me since my trip to New York City in January. Moving to Manhattan is not financially feasible, but the notion of not having to drive everywhere appeals to me. I can see me walking out of a newly renovated historical warehouse into the heart of the arts district, drinking mocha latte and reading the morning news perched upon a stool in the local java house, returning after work to eat Eggplant Parmigiano at an Italian bistro, and then walking a block to my spacious loft to watch the sun slip behind the Rockies. These romantic ruminations fuel the fire that is necessary to perform the drudgery of purging and packing.
In reality, where I live in the Denver area will depend on where I find employment. I have numerous resumes floating in cyberspace and have had several promising phone interviews. There will be no change in my career path. I am sticking to what I know and where I excel—construction, architecture, and design—and with Denver currently booming in the energy market, ranking fourth in the world after Dubai, Calgary, and Rio de Janeiro,* there are new positions being created in my field.
The job market may be hot for me, but the decision to relocate to Denver came from my heart. I miss my little family who moved here earlier this year. In their absence, my inner joy has gradually subsided. I can’t bear to be separated from my granddaughter’s smile, laughter, and contagious enthusiasm for life, and I know the cure for this temporary melancholy. And so, a new chapter unfolds.
* Colorado Energy News, July 5th, 2011. Denver Top Five Hub for Oil and Gas Professionals. Staff reporter.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
Has there ever, in Hollywood history, been a more handsome rakish man or enticing manipulative woman? Has any other onscreen couple engaged in so many passionate squabbles? I don't think so. Entranced with the love story at age fourteen, I made this movie an annual "must watch" for many years, never tiring of watching Rhett Butler's devilish smile as he pulls Scarlett to his chest, "Scarlett! Look at me! I've loved you more than I've ever loved any woman and I've waited for you longer than I've ever waited for any woman. Here's a soldier of the South who loves you, Scarlett. Wants to feel your arms around him, wants to carry the memory of your kisses into battle with him. Never mind about loving me, you're a woman sending a soldier to his death with a beautiful memory. Scarlett! Kiss me!"
That is all that we saw in the film—grasping, kissing, and morning-after gloating, but it was enough for me, and for the millions of other women who have watched the movie "Gone with the Wind" in the past seventy decades. I'm sure there have been almost as many men who have watched the film (at the insistence of their significant other) but I don't think they find it as titillating as a woman does.
Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize winning book, one of the best-selling novels in history, was published in June 1936, supposedly on this very day, and remains a timeless classic. David O. Selznick, Hollywood producer, knew a winner when he read one and wasted no time in purchasing the film rights to her book for $50,000.00. The production cost of the movie was 3.9 million and in 2010 (with inflation adjustment) had grossed 2.9 billion dollars. The classic film won ten academy awards. Vivien Leigh won Best Actress, but Clark Gable, up against Robert Donat for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", did not win Best Actor. Humph. Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress, which made her the first African-American actress to be nominated and to win.
The accolades do not stop there. Mitchell gave us the unforgettable line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," which was voted the #1 movie line of all time in 2005 by the American Film Institute.
Sadly, Mitchell did not live to write another novel. In 1949, at the age of 48, she was struck, and killed, by a drunken driver while crossing Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. The driver was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served eleven months in prison. I am grateful she was on this earth long enough to write her glorious tale of the old south.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
My Father's Shoulders
 |
| 1956 |
He adopted my older sister, brother, and me two years after their marriage; four biological children followed, and we were raised as one family. Father provided food, shelter, clothing, wisdom, and comfort throughout our childhood and this continued into our adult years if the need arose. I have never looked upon my father as a stepparent—he is the only father I have ever known. Some biological fathers do not accept their child-rearing responsibilities or acknowledge their own children and a child is fortunate when a stepfather assumes the role. Often, it is not the bloodline, but the decency, integrity, and trustworthiness of the adoptive parent or stepparent that forms and solidifies a lifelong bond with the child.
Although, our family has had many challenges—family dynamics are difficult even for flesh and blood kin—we all recognize and honor one father; the stoic man who worked for the federal government for twenty-eight years to provide for and care for his family. We are blessed that he is still with us and I am grateful to be going to my sister's house today to celebrate his contribution to our lives.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I love you.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
They Play Music in Heaven
For sweet baby Bionca. A song for a child from a child.
Devasting news today. I am at a loss for words, so I will post this video for a little angel who no longer walks with us. There is a time and a place for Blues and never has that time been more appropriate than today.
Yesterday, driving home from Colorado after visiting my son and his family, I was listening to BB King's Bluesville on Sirius XM. Bill Wax was interviewing the legendary bluesman, Buddy Guy. With Buddy was his protégé of four years—Quinn Sullivan. In 2007, Quinn went to a Buddy Guy concert with his father and was asked to come up on stage by Buddy. When Buddy heard the eight-year-old play guitar there was no turning back. They have been jamming together ever since. They played this live recording on Sirius in the studio and I was deeply moved by this young man's talent—his tender voice and amazing guitar riffs. I want to share it with you.
If you are reading this post, please say a prayer for a father and mother who tragically lost their little girl today. Hold your children and grandchildren extra tight tonight, be patient with them, give them a kiss and tell them how much you love them. We never know what tomorrow may bring.
Video by RollercoasterMania
Quinn Sullivan and Buddy Guy at the Egg in Albany, NY, March 31, 2100
Yesterday, driving home from Colorado after visiting my son and his family, I was listening to BB King's Bluesville on Sirius XM. Bill Wax was interviewing the legendary bluesman, Buddy Guy. With Buddy was his protégé of four years—Quinn Sullivan. In 2007, Quinn went to a Buddy Guy concert with his father and was asked to come up on stage by Buddy. When Buddy heard the eight-year-old play guitar there was no turning back. They have been jamming together ever since. They played this live recording on Sirius in the studio and I was deeply moved by this young man's talent—his tender voice and amazing guitar riffs. I want to share it with you.
If you are reading this post, please say a prayer for a father and mother who tragically lost their little girl today. Hold your children and grandchildren extra tight tonight, be patient with them, give them a kiss and tell them how much you love them. We never know what tomorrow may bring.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Osama bin Laden's Death Does Not Bring Closure for Everyone
I interviewed a friend this morning who was an FBI agent during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She agreed to talk about her experience and requested anonymity. I will call her Ann.
Tracy: The death of Osama bin Laden is a significant event and I wanted to talk to you because you were involved with the clean-up after 9/11. The media is reporting "a sense of closure." Are you feeling a sense of closure?
Ann: When I watched the news last night, I didn't feel a sense of closure at all. I felt numb. I thought that maybe it was because I was tired and I would feel differently today, but I don't feel any different. I still have no sense of closure. I hear that people are dancing in the streets, but I don't feel like dancing.
Tracy: Why do you think that is?
Ann: I am grateful that a very evil man is no longer alive, but I can't help but feel it is still not over. He has loyal supporters who are still very much alive. But, it's more than that.
Tracy: What is it?
Ann: I worked the night shift at the Pentagon. We worked twelve hour days, seven days a week recovering body remains and important government and military documents. Beside the Pentagon building was a large platform. We would bring the debris out of the hole and lay it on the platform to sift through it. The hole was lit up with enormous light fixtures that turned the night sky into day, enabling us to work around the clock. Families of the deceased and missing would come by at all hours of the day and night and they were allowed up on the platform. The Red Cross and Salvation Army had tents set up with food and water for the agents and workers. One night, during my shift, I had an overwhelming sense of fatigue and hunger and, you know, just burn-out, and I was on my way to the tent. Golf carts shuttled us back and forth. Sitting in the golf cart, I had a clear view of the platform. On the platform, with the bright lights behind them, stood a little boy and little girl - I would guess they were ages four and two. The boy was dressed in a suit and the little girl in her best dress. Their mother was taking a picture of them. This was a moment of clarity for me and I forgot all about being hungry and tired and remembered why I was doing this. It was so obvious that these children had lost their father in the Pentagon attack. They stood there, solemn, out of respect for their father who had suddenly been taken from them. This photograph would define their lives. (Long Pause) And the injustice of what this man had done..(her voice breaks)...this psychopath who ordered this horrific attack on the United States... I'm sorry...(heavy-hearted sigh).
Tracy: That's okay. Take your time. (I dab my eyes.)
Ann: That little boy and little girl are burned into my memory and when I recall what happened on 9/11, this is the picture I see. It was an honor for me to recover the victims' remains and treat them with the respect and care they deserved. (Pause) I don't feel like celebrating or dancing. Today, there is a twelve-year-old girl and fourteen-year-old boy who have been raised without a father. Every person who lost a loved one that day will have their own closure. When the time is right for them. Bin Laden's death closes a chapter, but it does not bring a total sense of closure. His followers...what are they going to do?
Tracy: That was my first thought as well. I'm sorry I've brought up painful memories, but I truly appreciate you sharing this with me. You have provided a personal perspective for the tragedy ten years ago and to what happened yesterday.
Ann: No, that's fine...it's okay. I'm glad to do it. This memory is the human side of FBI work. We're trained to close off emotion and to distance ourselves from the case and this memory is what I carry with me as an emotional, feeling person.
Tracy: Thank you so much.
Ann: Of course.
Tracy: Is there anything else you would like to say?
Ann: The fact that he was killed while hiding out in a mansion disturbs me. He was too...comfortable. He used a woman as a human body shield to protect himself. I hope his followers will see what a coward he was. He died a coward. That's about it.
New York City, the World Trade Center, the Twin Towers, the North Tower, the South Tower, Ground Zero. These are all landmarks we have heard mentioned time and again when referring to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Some of us may forget that one hundred twenty-five civilians and military personnel lost their lives while working in the Pentagon that day. If anything, the death of Osama bin Laden should humble us, remind us to pray once again for the thousands who lost family members, friends, and co-workers and to also say a prayer of thanks to the thousands of dedicated behind-the-scene workers who cleaned up the carnage wrought by an evil man. There may never be closure for them. I thank my good friend for her words today and for her work ten years ago.
*
Tracy: The death of Osama bin Laden is a significant event and I wanted to talk to you because you were involved with the clean-up after 9/11. The media is reporting "a sense of closure." Are you feeling a sense of closure?
Ann: When I watched the news last night, I didn't feel a sense of closure at all. I felt numb. I thought that maybe it was because I was tired and I would feel differently today, but I don't feel any different. I still have no sense of closure. I hear that people are dancing in the streets, but I don't feel like dancing.
Tracy: Why do you think that is?
Ann: I am grateful that a very evil man is no longer alive, but I can't help but feel it is still not over. He has loyal supporters who are still very much alive. But, it's more than that.
Tracy: What is it?
Ann: I worked the night shift at the Pentagon. We worked twelve hour days, seven days a week recovering body remains and important government and military documents. Beside the Pentagon building was a large platform. We would bring the debris out of the hole and lay it on the platform to sift through it. The hole was lit up with enormous light fixtures that turned the night sky into day, enabling us to work around the clock. Families of the deceased and missing would come by at all hours of the day and night and they were allowed up on the platform. The Red Cross and Salvation Army had tents set up with food and water for the agents and workers. One night, during my shift, I had an overwhelming sense of fatigue and hunger and, you know, just burn-out, and I was on my way to the tent. Golf carts shuttled us back and forth. Sitting in the golf cart, I had a clear view of the platform. On the platform, with the bright lights behind them, stood a little boy and little girl - I would guess they were ages four and two. The boy was dressed in a suit and the little girl in her best dress. Their mother was taking a picture of them. This was a moment of clarity for me and I forgot all about being hungry and tired and remembered why I was doing this. It was so obvious that these children had lost their father in the Pentagon attack. They stood there, solemn, out of respect for their father who had suddenly been taken from them. This photograph would define their lives. (Long Pause) And the injustice of what this man had done..(her voice breaks)...this psychopath who ordered this horrific attack on the United States... I'm sorry...(heavy-hearted sigh).
Tracy: That's okay. Take your time. (I dab my eyes.)
Ann: That little boy and little girl are burned into my memory and when I recall what happened on 9/11, this is the picture I see. It was an honor for me to recover the victims' remains and treat them with the respect and care they deserved. (Pause) I don't feel like celebrating or dancing. Today, there is a twelve-year-old girl and fourteen-year-old boy who have been raised without a father. Every person who lost a loved one that day will have their own closure. When the time is right for them. Bin Laden's death closes a chapter, but it does not bring a total sense of closure. His followers...what are they going to do?
Tracy: That was my first thought as well. I'm sorry I've brought up painful memories, but I truly appreciate you sharing this with me. You have provided a personal perspective for the tragedy ten years ago and to what happened yesterday.
Ann: No, that's fine...it's okay. I'm glad to do it. This memory is the human side of FBI work. We're trained to close off emotion and to distance ourselves from the case and this memory is what I carry with me as an emotional, feeling person.
Tracy: Thank you so much.
Ann: Of course.
Tracy: Is there anything else you would like to say?
Ann: The fact that he was killed while hiding out in a mansion disturbs me. He was too...comfortable. He used a woman as a human body shield to protect himself. I hope his followers will see what a coward he was. He died a coward. That's about it.
*
New York City, the World Trade Center, the Twin Towers, the North Tower, the South Tower, Ground Zero. These are all landmarks we have heard mentioned time and again when referring to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Some of us may forget that one hundred twenty-five civilians and military personnel lost their lives while working in the Pentagon that day. If anything, the death of Osama bin Laden should humble us, remind us to pray once again for the thousands who lost family members, friends, and co-workers and to also say a prayer of thanks to the thousands of dedicated behind-the-scene workers who cleaned up the carnage wrought by an evil man. There may never be closure for them. I thank my good friend for her words today and for her work ten years ago.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Plant a Fruit Orchard - Vote for Manderson, South Dakota
For the past two weeks I have been voting daily for a cause that is dear to my heart and near my hometown. It is a nationwide contest for a deserving community to win a fruit orchard. A non-profit organization on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, "Sustainable Homestead Designs," has entered and needs all the votes they can get. They are up against much larger communities and have been holding their own at 4th place, which is a remarkable feat for such a small community as Manderson, SD. Chicago is in first place, with Colorado and Minnesota communities in 2nd and 3rd. Sustainable Homestead Designs is working diligently to acquire votes and have even put up a new website to help those with the voting process. I commend all who have been working on this project. You can go to their website at http://www.naturalhomes.org/ or you can go directly to the contest website at http://www.communitiestakeroot.com
Click on Vote Now, List By State, Scroll down to SD, Manderson, Plant My Vote. It will ask you to register the first time, but once you do, it takes less than a minute to vote each day. Round 1 voting is until May 31st and the finalists will go into Round 2 voting beginning June 1st. Help bring fresh fruit to the Rez! Your vote is an easy way to keep on giving year after year. Thank you!
NOTE: I am building a writing website and will be integrating my blog. I decided to do a cohesive look for both so I have changed my banner for my blog to resemble my website. My blog content will remain the same...tidbits from around the world and unsolicited opinions from yours truly.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sexualization of Young Girls
I have never done this before in my blog, but I am reposting verbatim an article written by LZ Granderson. It is too good to pass up and he wrote it so well that nothing more needs to be said (and his writing voice is similar to my own). I am in complete agreement with Granderson's opinion. I am categorizing this post under Profound because that is how strongly I feel about the "shame on you" in this. And, by "you", I mean all who are involved in the blatant sexualization of prepubescent girls - designers, fashion buyers, retailers, and parents. If you have children or grandchildren under the age of thirteen, Puleeeeze read it! - Tracy
Editor's note: LZ Granderson writes a weekly column for CNN.com. A senior writer and columnist for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, he has contributed to ESPN's "Sports Center," "Outside the Lines" and "First Take." He is a 2011 and 2010 nominee and the 2009 winner of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation award for online journalism and a 2010 and 2008 honoree of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for column writing.
Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) -- I saw someone at the airport the other day who really caught my eye.
Her beautiful, long blond hair was braided back a la Bo Derek in the movie "10" (or for the younger set, Christina Aguilera during her "Xtina" phase). Her lips were pink and shiny from the gloss, and her earrings dangled playfully from her lobes.
You can tell she had been vacationing somewhere warm, because you could see her deep tan around her midriff thanks to the halter top and the tight sweatpants that rested just a little low on her waist. The icing on the cake? The word "Juicy" was written on her backside.
Yeah, that 8-year-old girl was something to see all right. ... I hope her parents are proud. Their daughter was the sexiest girl in the terminal, and she's not even in middle school yet.
Abercrombie & Fitch came under fire this spring for introducing the "Ashley," a push-up bra for girls who normally are too young to have anything to push up. Originally it was marketed for girls as young as 7, but after public outcry, it raised its intended audience to the wise old age of 12. I wonder how do people initiate a conversation in the office about the undeveloped chest of elementary school girls without someone nearby thinking they're pedophiles?
What kind of PowerPoint presentation was shown to the Abercrombie executives that persuaded them to green light such a product?
That there was a demand to make little girls hot?
I mean, that is the purpose of a push-up bra, right? To enhance sex appeal by lifting up, pushing together and basically showcasing the wearer's breasts. Now, thanks to AF Kids, girls don't have to wait until high school to feel self-conscious about their, uhm, girls. They can start almost as soon as they're potty trained. Maybe this fall the retailer should consider keeping a plastic surgeon on site for free consultations.
We've been here with Abercrombie before -- if you recall, about 10 years ago they sold thongs for 10-year-olds -- but they're hardly alone in pitching inappropriate clothing to young girls. Four years ago the popular "Bratz" franchise introduced padded bras called "bralettes" for girls as young as six. That was also around the time the good folks at Wal-Mart rolled out a pair of pink panties in its junior department with the phrase "Who Needs Credit Cards" printed on the front.
I guess I've been out-of-the-loop and didn't realize there's been an ongoing stampede of 10-year-old girls driving to the mall with their tiny fists full of cash demanding sexier apparel.
What's that you say? Ten-year-olds can't drive? They don't have money, either? Well, how else are they getting ahold of these push-up bras and whore-friendly panties?
Their parents?
Noooo, couldn't be.
What adult who wants a daughter to grow up with high self-esteem would even consider purchasing such items? What parent is looking at their sweet, little girl thinking, "She would be perfect if she just had a little bit more up top."
And then I remember the little girl at the airport. And the girls we've all seen at the mall. And the kiddie beauty pageants.
And then I realize as creepy as it is to think a store like Abercrombie is offering something like the "Ashley", the fact remains that sex only sells because people are buying it. No successful retailer would consider introducing an item like a padded bikini top for kindergartners if they didn't think people would buy it.
If they didn't think parents would buy it, which raises the question: What in the hell is wrong with us?
It's easy to blast companies for introducing the sexy wear, but our ire really should be directed at the parents who think low rise jeans for a second grader is cute. They are the ones who are spending the money to fuel this budding trend. They are the ones who are suppose to decide what's appropriate for their young children to wear, not executives looking to brew up controversy or turn a profit.
I get it, Rihanna's really popular. But that's a pretty weak reason for someone to dress their little girl like her.
I don't care how popular Lil' Wayne is, my son knows I would break both of his legs long before I would allow him to walk out of the house with his pants falling off his butt. Such a stance doesn't always makes me popular -- and the house does get tense from time to time -- but I'm his father, not his friend.
Friends bow to peer pressure. Parents say, "No, and that's the end of it."
The way I see it, my son can go to therapy later if my strict rules have scarred him. But I have peace knowing he'll be able to afford therapy as an adult because I didn't allow him to wear or do whatever he wanted as a kid.
Maybe I'm a Tiger Dad.
Maybe I should mind my own business.
Or maybe I'm just a concerned parent worried about little girls like the one I saw at the airport.
In 2007, the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls issued a report linking early sexualization with three of the most common mental-health problems of girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. There's nothing inherently wrong with parents wanting to appease their daughters by buying them the latest fashions. But is getting cool points today worth the harm dressing little girls like prostitutes could cause tomorrow?
A line needs to be drawn, but not by Abercrombie. Not by Britney Spears. And not by these little girls who don't know better and desperately need their parents to be parents and not 40-year-old BFFs.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-19/opinion/granderson
Editor's note: LZ Granderson writes a weekly column for CNN.com. A senior writer and columnist for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, he has contributed to ESPN's "Sports Center," "Outside the Lines" and "First Take." He is a 2011 and 2010 nominee and the 2009 winner of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation award for online journalism and a 2010 and 2008 honoree of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association for column writing.
Grand Rapids, Michigan (CNN) -- I saw someone at the airport the other day who really caught my eye.
Her beautiful, long blond hair was braided back a la Bo Derek in the movie "10" (or for the younger set, Christina Aguilera during her "Xtina" phase). Her lips were pink and shiny from the gloss, and her earrings dangled playfully from her lobes.
You can tell she had been vacationing somewhere warm, because you could see her deep tan around her midriff thanks to the halter top and the tight sweatpants that rested just a little low on her waist. The icing on the cake? The word "Juicy" was written on her backside.
Yeah, that 8-year-old girl was something to see all right. ... I hope her parents are proud. Their daughter was the sexiest girl in the terminal, and she's not even in middle school yet.
Abercrombie & Fitch came under fire this spring for introducing the "Ashley," a push-up bra for girls who normally are too young to have anything to push up. Originally it was marketed for girls as young as 7, but after public outcry, it raised its intended audience to the wise old age of 12. I wonder how do people initiate a conversation in the office about the undeveloped chest of elementary school girls without someone nearby thinking they're pedophiles?
What kind of PowerPoint presentation was shown to the Abercrombie executives that persuaded them to green light such a product?
That there was a demand to make little girls hot?
I mean, that is the purpose of a push-up bra, right? To enhance sex appeal by lifting up, pushing together and basically showcasing the wearer's breasts. Now, thanks to AF Kids, girls don't have to wait until high school to feel self-conscious about their, uhm, girls. They can start almost as soon as they're potty trained. Maybe this fall the retailer should consider keeping a plastic surgeon on site for free consultations.
We've been here with Abercrombie before -- if you recall, about 10 years ago they sold thongs for 10-year-olds -- but they're hardly alone in pitching inappropriate clothing to young girls. Four years ago the popular "Bratz" franchise introduced padded bras called "bralettes" for girls as young as six. That was also around the time the good folks at Wal-Mart rolled out a pair of pink panties in its junior department with the phrase "Who Needs Credit Cards" printed on the front.
I guess I've been out-of-the-loop and didn't realize there's been an ongoing stampede of 10-year-old girls driving to the mall with their tiny fists full of cash demanding sexier apparel.
What's that you say? Ten-year-olds can't drive? They don't have money, either? Well, how else are they getting ahold of these push-up bras and whore-friendly panties?
Their parents?
Noooo, couldn't be.
What adult who wants a daughter to grow up with high self-esteem would even consider purchasing such items? What parent is looking at their sweet, little girl thinking, "She would be perfect if she just had a little bit more up top."
And then I remember the little girl at the airport. And the girls we've all seen at the mall. And the kiddie beauty pageants.
And then I realize as creepy as it is to think a store like Abercrombie is offering something like the "Ashley", the fact remains that sex only sells because people are buying it. No successful retailer would consider introducing an item like a padded bikini top for kindergartners if they didn't think people would buy it.
If they didn't think parents would buy it, which raises the question: What in the hell is wrong with us?
It's easy to blast companies for introducing the sexy wear, but our ire really should be directed at the parents who think low rise jeans for a second grader is cute. They are the ones who are spending the money to fuel this budding trend. They are the ones who are suppose to decide what's appropriate for their young children to wear, not executives looking to brew up controversy or turn a profit.
I get it, Rihanna's really popular. But that's a pretty weak reason for someone to dress their little girl like her.
I don't care how popular Lil' Wayne is, my son knows I would break both of his legs long before I would allow him to walk out of the house with his pants falling off his butt. Such a stance doesn't always makes me popular -- and the house does get tense from time to time -- but I'm his father, not his friend.
Friends bow to peer pressure. Parents say, "No, and that's the end of it."
The way I see it, my son can go to therapy later if my strict rules have scarred him. But I have peace knowing he'll be able to afford therapy as an adult because I didn't allow him to wear or do whatever he wanted as a kid.
Maybe I'm a Tiger Dad.
Maybe I should mind my own business.
Or maybe I'm just a concerned parent worried about little girls like the one I saw at the airport.
In 2007, the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls issued a report linking early sexualization with three of the most common mental-health problems of girls and women: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression. There's nothing inherently wrong with parents wanting to appease their daughters by buying them the latest fashions. But is getting cool points today worth the harm dressing little girls like prostitutes could cause tomorrow?
A line needs to be drawn, but not by Abercrombie. Not by Britney Spears. And not by these little girls who don't know better and desperately need their parents to be parents and not 40-year-old BFFs.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-04-19/opinion/granderson
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