Was out in drab mode this week, and happened upon a shoe store. Discount. Extra cash in my pocket.
So of course I wasted a half hour...boys and girls shoes.
That is beside the point.
A father was shopping with his son and his son wanted Dora sneakers, which of course were purple and pink. Cute. Ol' Dad didn't handle it too well. He wasn't angry, just uptight. You know, so much you could tell that it really, really bothered him.
He reinforced several male gender rules:
Boys don't wear girl's shoes
Boys don't wear articles of clothing with girls on them
Girls are inferior
Girls opinions do not matter
The latter he did as he dismissed his wife's suggestion to allow the child to hold the shoes to at least calm the child down.
It made my stomach ache.
Believe me it was only horrible for me and the child. Everyone else in the store were oblivious to the rigid social structuring occuring in the back aisle. Possibly the roots of prejudice?
Anyhoo. No new shoes, only a brush with the blues.
I guess most of us remember when we learned that lesson. I probably would've had to walk away from that scene. Too painful by half.
ReplyDeleteThe picture made me hope that you had picked up a pair like that for a song. Would've been a better outing...
Yea, that's ridiculous, I'm glad that I didn't have to endure the same when I wanted a She-Ra action figure as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI just don't get it, what's the big deal if his son wanted Dora shoes? It doesn't mean he's gay, trans, or anything just that he likes Dora. Now, this kid is going to carry this stigma with him and it could possibly affect him in negative ways.
A big boooooo to that father!
Years ago, my little boy would try on the sparkly shoes while he and I waited as Mrs Jones tried on a few pairs himself. Now? He's not interested.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the kid likes Dora, maybe he doesn't, but as you say: 'stop being so uptight!' :)
This guy was so defiant in relinquishing his maleness. Sad
ReplyDeleteI didn't have much luck out shopping this weekend either.
ReplyDeleteI picked a fight with a 7ft dude. Jeanie nearly wet herself.
It's okay.
That kid will get his purple shoes one day and that 7ft dude will think twice before he tells a strange woman what to do again.
You rocketh...I wish I could bake you some bread
ReplyDelete