Hello September. Hello Labor Day. Hello to my annual “Y’all put your white pants away” status update on Facebook and other Social Media.
[insert record scratch sound effect here.] I didn’t post that status update this year, and here’s why:
It dawned on me that aside from the fun I have thinking of what witty remark I can put into the reminder, what I was actually doing was unwittingly creating a judgement zone. And y’all, I honest-to-goodness try to live my live in a judgement-free zone.
My new and improved ‘rule’ for white after Labor Day? It’s simple: You be you, baby. You wanna wear white linen pants with open toed sandals and a seersucker jacket on a cold, snowy January day simply because it’s your fave? Get it, girl. Maybe you’re that hot-natured! Do you have a favorite sweater you want to wear in the heat of August because it’s always 25 degrees below zero in your office? Honey, I feel you. Bundle up and enjoy every second of it. I will not judge you, and I will no longer refer to some silly rule about what to wear and when. For many of us it’s been handed down through the generations without ill intent, but rather in an embrace of tradition. I’m certain my Maw Maw didn’t ask her mother why; she just abided by the rule and didn’t wear white after Labor Day. She may have had no idea it was a rule put into place to silently judge folks who didn’t ‘know better’ or ‘have better.’ If you’re like I was before this ‘road to Damascus’ white pant conversion experience and are wondering what the big deal is, it’s simply this: Nobody should be judged for what they wear or when they wear it whether they make the conscious decision to break a rule or whether they wear it because it’s all they have.
My name is Jessica Hughes, and I’m gonna wear white jeans again this year. It’s after Labor Day. And it’s still 1,743 degrees here in Myrtle Beach, so I may REALLY get wild and wear my favorite white skirt again the next day.
It’s been a year of overcoming old fears and ideas that have traditionally held me back. Things like literally digging into dirt to plant flowers in spite of a long held DEBILITATING fear of earthworms. (which could be a totally separate blog post) How about leaving the comfort of a corporate job to start something all my own, or once again trying cheese on my burger. (Still don’t like that, by the way- but the point is that I tried.) If we don’t challenge old rules we’ve had for ourselves from time to time regardless of how big or small they are then we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to grow. When we stop growing as individuals, then what’s the point?
So here we are ending the first full week of September. I’m planning to wear white jeans sometime this week, and when I do I know it will feel awkward. All the new stuff does.) I’m pretty sure I’ll survive it. I’m also pretty sure someone somewhere will see me and think to themselves, “white after Labor Day…tsk, tsk, tsk.” I feel sorry for that person. I was her last year, but I won’t be here again.
So pull your white clothes out of storage (if you’ve just put them away) and embrace the joy and beauty that is doing what you want when you want. If I can overcome the silliness that I clung to so fervently all these years, then anyone can. And when someone tells you not to wear them, just thank them for their concern and say a quick prayer they’ll also see the light. Or see the white… after Labor Day.
