Thursday 24 January 2013

Shop'n in 'Madman'hattan!

Out and about on a beautiful January morning, I see it!!!  My eyes make contact with a spectacle of beauty, loveliness, and delicate ecstasy, why, this has to be the most exquisite dress I'd ever laid eyes on. [Insert holy glow.]   I immediately snap out of the LSD-like high when I see the surroundings in which this gem lay.
The unofficial store, like the true church of God, has no windows or doors, for truly the church is the people and the store is...well...the raw bawn clothes-some heng up pon some rusty hanga and di oddas jus lih dung pon one t'in piece a plastic pon di grung.  An dis grung is no ordinary grung, dis is dutty grung-yes, yes all grung was created equal yuh might say but dah one yah deh cross from a dutty KFC-ahhhhh yuh get mi now.
Mi almos' drap dung inna one ditch a stare pon di frack.
I wanted to go over for a closer look but mi neh waah nobaddy spot mi a go line up ova dat deh filthy, t'inking place deh.  Unnu nuh understan' enuh-the clothes were second hand looking and  look like seh dem get rejected from our local Food for the Poor or Salvation Army-dem.did.tan.bad..  The clothes were hung on a fence in a wholly dilapidated area.
After the generous secretion of my pride hormone(pridefrinephrine) wore off, I mustered the courage to approach the unestablished establishment and engage what looked like the owner of the merchandise.  I maintained good distance as this eager salesman seemed to be of less than a fully sound mind(diplomatic skills increasing-woo Jo!)
He enthusiastically showed me his goods, which he assured me were of excellent quality.  I looked at the clothing and my fears were confirmed, dem look wussa dan ol' claat, dem deh look like wah yuh use clean yuh winda an furniture BUT when mi look pon di dress weh did ketch mi yeye...mi almos' ketch inna spirit in front a KFC(dash in likkle tongues an shake yuh uppa baddy vigoroulsy-under a sheet-yeah-spirit!)
Mi did kinda concerned tho, cause di clothes dem looked tattered and worn an mi neva aggo buy nobaddy poop-inna.  But den a ray of light descend from heaven an claat what I would later recognise as a TAG! Wha yuh seh? Mi seh a TAG meaning never-before-worn.  Nuh badda refute it, yuh too badmind-the tag was legit!
Mi seh a let out a squeal of delight and it was sold-to me-the highest bidder!!!!  An mi get ih frack fi likkle an nuttin too enuh.  'Pose yuh see how di frack nice-vintage at dat!!! Glad.bag.buss.and.nasty.up.di.place!!!  No mi naw post no pics fi unnu come bright unnu self when unnu see mi a rock out mi frack! Eh-eh!

So I wondered to myself, do I miss out on excellent opportunities, finds, chances to love, the general beauty of life because of my own preconceived notion of what it should look like, from whence it should emanate, the standard that it should bear?  Why did it take me a trip around the world and back to figure out that this is really what I wanted?  Why was I ashamed to be seen in the hogpen harbadashery but not ashamed to rock the dress? Why did I feel to deny how I secured this fabulous find? Am I this way with other things in life-with my origin, with people, certain experiences that I'm ashamed to share?  Thing is, we embrace the beauty, we must embrace the shame.  We ought to accept and own every part of our life experiences.  Never be ashamed of who you are.  Had I bought this piece for an incredibly marked up price at some fancy named place I would have wanted to share it with the world.  Oh! we say, but we are not defined by our experiences! Yes we are! And I learnt this about myself-I'm all things.  I will not be daunted by society's pressures to conform to their reality.  I will be true to me, and in so doing represent the freedom and detachment from people's expectations that should be characteristic of my life.
Madman! I salute you, you contributed to my life!  Big up yuh store-less store-yuh ting a shat!

Guess wha nuh? When mi google di brand- ah one top-a-di-line French company mek it enuh! and den memba seh there was no changing room enuh so yuh a buy pon so-so faith!!! Di frack fit mi like a glove.  Was made just for me! A bayyyyy!!!

Open yuhself to di expanse of di universe.  Never limit yourself.  There is beauty ALL around AND in the most unexpected places.

Much love ma peops!

I am your Jodi!


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