Well, we spotted her...

In Walmart the other day, where else? The one woman who broke the most fashion decency rules it is possible to break at one time.

Bless the poor woman. She was in her late forties or early fifties and plump, which added insult to injury.

She was wearing:

*tight black leggins (not under a tunic or skirt)

*stiletto heals

*a tight, low-cut, horizontal-stripe black and white top

*large hoop earrings (with another peircing at the top of her ear)

*raccoon eye makeup

Maybe she was trying to feel young, or maybe she's lost track of her age and weight, or her mirror fell off the back of her door... I don't know. But, I must've looked like some kind of bobble head following the equally strong inclinations to stare, cringe, and look away. I know, it's awful, isn't it? I don't mean to be judgemental or unkind, really, but, goodness, a woman her age, especially, should know better. I was embarassed for her. It's bad enough when teeny boppers dress imodestly and inappropriately. It's still not right, but I can at least chalk it up to their being young and, um, unwise. I can assume they don't know better and I can blame our decadent society. Or their mothers. But, honestly. A woman who is old enough to remember Jackie Kennedy... For shame! She should know better.

These kinds of things always pose a dilemma for me. I don't want to teach my children to be unkind. I don't want to behave like a gossip. But I also want it to be very clear what is and is not appropriate attire and behaviour for my children. When we are away from home, we are assaulted on every side by every kind of offense, from other people's poor judgment to their blatant immorality and I don't want any of it to become commonplace for my family. I don't want them to be blind to it. But I also don't want them to grow up to be self righteous snots. So, I try to preface our little cautionary talks with certain caveats about charity, and hope the lessons learned override the fact that, yes, we are talking about people. And these other people are souls, as precious to God as they are.

So we try hard to judge the offense and not the offender. It's a balancing act!

Following, some lesson-inducing sightings:

*Pajamas in public
*Multiple peircings

*Excessive tattoos
*Mohawks or other hairdos calculated to draw negative attention

*The habit of picking up a ringing phone and talking instead of ringing up the order of the customer in front of you

*Skateboarding down public access stairways

*Jaywalking through traffic

*Being a child alone in a public place

What bad examples worry you?