LJIdol Topic 1 - Invisible

[millysdaughter]

LJIDOL Week 1
I cut the white fabric today.
Once upon a time, when I was a child and dinosaurs roamed the earth, our moms made all of our clothes because it was exponentially cheaper to sew clothes at home than it was to purchase clothing from a store. Mom made all of my clothes for years – I remember how proud and excited I was to wear my first pair of store-bought slacks to school in the 5th grade. Dark blue bell bottom pants, with huge yellow and white flowers printed all over the fabric. We girls only got to wear pants to school on gym day, so the odds of matching somebody that day were probably much better than random chance. In my ten-year-old brain, it was the total height of cool to wear the **very same pants** as my friend Connie and we were TWINS.
SQUEEE!!!!
My mom was not just the basic average household seamstress of her day, but I did not know it at that time. My mom had been offered a full-ride scholarship to the Chicago School of Design when she graduated from high school. Her entire wardrobe at that time -- and that of her younger sister – were all designed and sewn by my mother. Other people, not just other students, but the younger school teachers as well, were openly copying her designs. There was never any question that she was the one leading the fashion curve, no Miss Popular Queen Bee mean girl trying to take the credit for the style.
She continued that cutting-edge designing with my clothes, but I just wanted to blend in and look just like everybody else. Unlike her school, however, I had a Miss Popular Queen Bee mean girl in my class…and I was a wonderful target. I was big. I was fat. I was clumsy. I had bad eyesight. I was bullied at home. I was the wrong religion. I did not dress like the rest of the kids. And worst of all…I was smart. In 1968, a smart girl was a VeryBadThing. A smart girl who cannot keep from blurting out corrections when others are wrong was a danger to herself and others…especially when she cannot blend into the crowd and disappear.
It took me almost half a century, but I have now achieved invisibility. I am now totally invisible in car dealerships, furniture stores and at the car-parts counter. If I could only extend this power to the bank…I’d certainly be rich beyond measure!

Comments

[imafarmgirl]

I always wanted home made clothes. Still would like hand made dresses even now.

[gardeningatnight]

It's an interesting idea to have invisibility as the goal. So often it's the thing one seems to be fighting against, rather than what's desired.

[humanbeansradio]

I really enjoyed the contrast between being able to appreciate your mother’s incredible talent now and remembering how badly you just wanted to look like everyone else then. Childhood has such a different definition of what makes something special. ❤️

[pixiebelle]

I’ve always wanted to learn how to make my own clothes. But yes I was like you, I really just wanted to blend in while growing up since I got bullied so badly.

[simplyn2deep]

I loved how this moves from childhood, you desperately wanting to blend in, to adulthood, you joking that you’ve finally achieved invisibility. 😂 The image of ten-year-old you being absolutely THRILLED to match Connie in those dark blue bell-bottoms with enormous yellow and white flowers is adorable, especially because, meanwhile, your mom was apparently out there casually being an incredibly talented designer whose work other people were copying!

But there’s something bittersweet underneath the humor, too. Your mom was making you unique clothes because she had this remarkable creative talent, while you were experiencing a world where being different—in how you looked, dressed, thought, or behaved—made you a target. So wanting to disappear makes perfect sense in that context. And then the ending flips the whole idea beautifully: congratulations, you finally acquired your childhood superpower...unfortunately, it only seems to activate at car dealerships, furniture stores, and auto parts counters. 😂 If you ever figure out how to activate it at the bank, PLEASE share the instructions with the rest of us.

[scribblesinblue]

I like the theme here! Moving from matching one person, to blending in with a crowd (or not), to a form of invisibility that is a relief.

And cutting into white fabric at the beginning could be so many things - anything from a simple ghost costume to a wedding dress or a baptism outfit for a new baby. Or of course it could be a muslin for mock-up of a dress that will then be made in a more elaborate and expensive fabric.

[bsgsix]

I love a simple opening sentence that hints at so much more - and this definitely tells a story.

"And worst of all... I was smart. In 1968, a smart girl was a VeryBadThing. A smart girl who cannot keep from blurting out corrections when others are wrong was a danger to herself and others... especially when she cannot blend into the crowd and disappear."

WOW, did I feel this into my soul. I was in elementary school when I was seen as "very smart" - this was in mid to late 1980s - and while I was fortunately not bullied or teased in school, it felt like a burden and a curse back then to be the person who had to speak up. Who had to say the truth. Who didn't blend in because her mind didn't know how. I get wanting to be invisible... it's easier, or at least, more comfortable. (I ended up as an opera singer, so, invisibility never occurred, lol. But trust me, I get it.)

This is well-structured, with moments of humor and a lovely contrast. And it's very relatable. Well done. <3

[penpusher]

I think back to my days of being bullied and I can only think, how stupid were the people doing the bullying. I once tracked down one of the lead bullies from that school year. He had become an actor. But, he never did any job of consequence. Never starred in anything, was never even featured. And this was a guy who graduated from an Ivy League school and was pretty handsome by general standards.

Maybe I would have been the writer of a script that he might have starred in and both of our careers could have happened? But, that certainly wasn't going to ever happen after his treatment of me, and I can only presume he would hold the same opinion he had then, now.

Point being, how can anyone know who is important, valuable, worthwhile, meaningful, inspirational and a potential true friend, if you have decided they "can't be" any of that and are just cruel entertainment instead? It's just wrong.

We need less invisibility where it matters. And I bet you're richer than you might even know... Thanks for the perspective.

[adoptedwriter]

It would be cool to be a clothing designer. My lousy eye-hand coordination messed me up in some in home ec sewing class decades ago. I could barely sew on a button.

[halfshellvenus]

I know that feeling of being invisible. Though it carries some advantages, such as really reducing self-consciousness (a plague when I was younger) through realizing that nobody else notices or cares. :)

[hafnia]

I am (considerably) younger than you, I think, but my mom sewed all of my clothes until I was in second or third grade, and this brought back memories.

I find that I'm achieving invisibility myself. Alas that it doesn't extend to the bank, as you say! I enjoyed the introspection in this — thank you for sharing it ♥

[ofearthandstars]

I can understand the desire to be invisible and float under the radar as a kid, or even as an adult.

This brought back memories of my mother sewing my sister's wedding dress and my bridesmaid dress, for weeks on end - my sister is an artist so her dress, though white, had color and all these carefully sewn silky rosettes. (I still have the bridesmaid dress because even though it shows the stains of time and perspiration from that day, I can't let go of something my mother spent so much time making).

[kandigurl]

I long to be able to make my own clothes! I can sew quilts and bags, but if something needs to fit a body, forget about it! I’m always so impressed by anyone with that skill.

[lapis_lazuli615]

My mother made my clothing. Unlike yours, she wasn't talented at design and was fashion-blind. The fabrics came from the wal-mart bargain bins - 60s' flower power and 70's brady bunch stripes - and I was the quiet reader who wore glasses and chose the 'wrong' friends (my two best friends were Egyptian/Yemeni-American and Thai-American) so I was quite a target too.

At 56, I haven't quite achieved invisibility, but only because I take up too much space and am too loud - yay ADHD - and only when I leave the house, which is not often.

[muchtooarrogant]

My mom sewed some of our clothes growing up, and I particularly remember the shirts that were similar to button down ones, but instead had snaps. I loved the snaps! :) Being blind, I don't know if it ever occurred to me that my clothes might be different from those worn by other kids, they were just marvelous because my mom had made them. :)

In my ten-year-old brain, it was the total height of cool to wear the **very same pants** as my friend Connie and we were TWINS.
SQUEEE!!!!
You do such a great job of capturing your past self's exuberance here! (grin)

Nicely done.

Dan