Monday 23 February 2009

Fashion for the elderly

You know, it’s possible there are worse things for your ego than the well-meant comments of your offspring, but I have yet to discover them.

“You look good, Mum,” the ducklings said when I appeared in a new outfit the other day.

“Almost like a teenager,” says Demon Duck, who is a generous, if misguided, soul.

“Except for your hair,” says Drama Duck, surveying me with the critical eye of a ten-year-old fashion guru.

“Why? Can you see the grey?”

“No, it’s just a bit short. Teenagers have long hair, and you don’t, so you look old.”

My expression must have clued Demon Duck in to the fact that her sister isn’t exactly winning any prizes for flattery here.

“But the dress is beautiful,” she says, clearly eager to make up for her sister’s shortcomings. “It’s not fair, you know. I wish they made dresses like that for kids, but they don’t. They’re only for elderly people.”

7 comments:

  1. Laughing out loud amid this gray and rainy Oregon day. Thank you for the humor!

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  2. Always happy to be of service, ma'am!

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  3. Now that is funny. Only for old people, at least yours didn't ask if they had tv when you were little. Now we used to just watch the dinosaurs run past our windows for nighttime entertainment.

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  4. That's right -- and there were no microwaves. We had to make the fire by rubbing two sticks together, catch the antelope ...

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  5. Your ducks made me smile because I too can relate to such well meant comments, like the time I asked my three year old son, "Is Amma pretty?" and he looked up with wide eyed innocent eyes and smiled and decided to say something unusually diplomatic. He said, "Amma is good" which sealed my lips.

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  6. I am recommending your blog to all my friends on Twitter. I really think they will love me more for it.

    Best,
    Swapna

    http://twitter.com/Svara

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  7. Swapna, your son obviously has a great future ahead as a diplomat!

    Thank you for your kind words about my blog -- it's lovely to have such a compliment.

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