So about a million years ago, when I was in 6th grade, our school had a " Year of Culture" theme going. We learned about a different country each month and then once a month had an "experience" day that was mostly about old people coming to tell stories and bring bad,smelly foods. Some experience.
But since May was the last month of our Culture year it was decided we would have a real Cinco de Mayo festival. We would research and do story boards of Mexican Art ( I did Mexican Pottery), culture, foods, history, geography, traditions, etc.
We made festival posters, paper garlands, pinatas and we got the class Mom's to volunteer to prepare "authentic" Mexican foods. The music teacher coached a group for a performance of "festival music". This included songs in Spanish and a musical ensemble which mostly consisted of beans in oatmeal cans, spoons for castanets, a pair of bongos, an accordion and a trumpet.
Somewhere in there it came to pass there would be costumed dancers so all that fine singing and music would not be wasted. Can you even have an authentic Mexican festival without dancing? Enter Fishy who loved to dance and promptly volunteered her amazing Mom to design and sew the costumes for the three girl dancers.
Yeah Mom! She made for us a white blouse and circle skirt with ruffled edges . A green ruffle layer, a white ruffle layer, then a red ruffle layer, right at the hemline. The weight at the bottom of the circle hem made it hang differently. It would twirl better than any skirt I'd ever worn. The blouse also had a three layer ruffle detail coming straight across just below my collar bone and somehow changed to elasticized sleeves on my upper arms, with my shoulders completely clear.
In sixth grade bosoms happen.
So once I put on that gathered at the neckline blouse and that fitted waistline full skirt and turned sideways to the mirror .... it was an OMG moment. Of course Mom had braided my hair, piled it up onto my head and nailed it to my skull with bobby pins. She had applied a bit of makeup, mascara for the first time ever along with a tiny bit of blush and lip gloss. Once I was permitted to turn toward the mirror I was really confused by the image I saw in there.
Where was the girl child I had been the day before? Gone. There before me in the mirror was an amazing sight. The transformation every girl experiences from child to young woman. An OMG moment for us each. A moment in time when our concept of self changes forever.
Every year for Cinco de Mayo I again experience that chrysalis . And I celebrate me.
er, still waiting to "bloom", but there is something about that age that is sweet and yet... not an easy time. What a lovely story and I love the last line of your commentl... how you celebrate YOU.
6 comments:
frida!
So about a million years ago, when I was in 6th grade, our school had a " Year of Culture" theme going. We learned about a different country each month and then once a month had an "experience" day that was mostly about old people coming to tell stories and bring bad,smelly foods. Some experience.
But since May was the last month of our Culture year it was decided we would have a real Cinco de Mayo festival. We would research and do story boards of Mexican Art ( I did Mexican Pottery), culture, foods, history, geography, traditions, etc.
We made festival posters, paper garlands, pinatas and we got the class Mom's to volunteer to prepare "authentic" Mexican foods. The music teacher coached a group for a performance of "festival music". This included songs in Spanish and a musical ensemble which mostly consisted of beans in oatmeal cans, spoons for castanets, a pair of bongos, an accordion and a trumpet.
Somewhere in there it came to pass there would be costumed dancers so all that fine singing and music would not be wasted. Can you even have an authentic Mexican festival without dancing? Enter Fishy who loved to dance and promptly volunteered her amazing Mom to design and sew the costumes for the three girl dancers.
Yeah Mom! She made for us a white blouse and circle skirt with ruffled edges . A green ruffle layer, a white ruffle layer, then a red ruffle layer, right at the hemline. The weight at the bottom of the circle hem made it hang differently. It would twirl better than any skirt I'd ever worn. The blouse also had a three layer ruffle detail coming straight across just below my collar bone and somehow changed to elasticized sleeves on my upper arms, with my shoulders completely clear.
In sixth grade bosoms happen.
So once I put on that gathered at the neckline blouse and that fitted waistline full skirt and turned sideways to the mirror .... it was an OMG moment. Of course Mom had braided my hair, piled it up onto my head and nailed it to my skull with bobby pins. She had applied a bit of makeup, mascara for the first time ever along with a tiny bit of blush and lip gloss. Once I was permitted to turn toward the mirror I was really confused by the image I saw in there.
Where was the girl child I had been the day before? Gone. There before me in the mirror was an amazing sight. The transformation every girl experiences from child to young woman. An OMG moment for us each. A moment in time when our concept of self changes forever.
Every year for Cinco de Mayo I again experience that chrysalis .
And I celebrate me.
super cool! i do not remember that moment for me. moms who sewed costumes. does that still happen? glad you have a special memory for CdeM!
may i recommend cazadorres for your shooters? enjoy the day, fish.
hi. see that little sun up there on the leftish side of the top banner?
I may or may not have that tattooed somewhere on my body.
:)
cool school...we din't have no such celebrations at mah school. Lucky you.
Bosoms at 6th grade--how frightenin'!
Yore mama rocks!
er, still waiting to "bloom", but there is something about that age that is sweet and yet... not an easy time. What a lovely story and I love the last line of your commentl... how you celebrate YOU.
Amen, to that.
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