Ladies and germs, I assure you that you will chortle mightily when you read what one of our powder pigeons out there got caught wearing this summer. Oh, it is a tale we can so easily relate to, can we not? So we share this in the spirit of camaraderie and to the reader who sent it in, we ain’t laughin’ at you, we’re laughing WITH you.
Here goes.
This isn’t a request for help but a funny story I wanted to send offline. I live in a smallish town on the __________ Coast and everybody knows everybody here. My partner and I are from a big city where anonimity (sp?) is something we took for granted. Well on one of my days off we were sitting around the house in our casual clothes, partner with no bra and well endowed, me in a t-shirt that had Mosquitoes in the front with the saying “Bite Me.” Well, at the last minute we decided to go out for ice cream on a whim not giving any consideration to the what we were wearing. Who should I run into at the ice cream parlor but a person who has come to our church for financial assistance (I am the holder of the pastor’s discretionary fund), her mother, grandmother and children. She says,” Hi Pastor ________, mom mom…this is the nice pastor I told you about.” I covered the inappropriate saying and shook hand with the whole family while my partner stood behind me with her arms crossed over her chest. Thought you’d appreciate the story. However, please don’t publish it on the website. Just wanted to affirm your ministry of beauty tips for ministers.
Well, kids, of course you know I HAD to beg the sender-inner to let me publish this, which she graciously allowed. The moral of the story is, ya never know when you might run into someone and have to wind up shaking their hand while contorting your arms in a very uncomfortable manner across over your chest. May the Lord, and your un-naughty taste in tee-shirts, preserve you from such a fate.
Off topic, Peace, but I had to point this blog post out to you–http://mochassid.blogspot.com/. (Can’t find a permalink to the particular post, but just scroll down and you’ll see it.) Apparently Crocs *are* acceptable in some religious services–such as Yom Kippur, when observant Jews are forbidden to wear leather shoes. Immediately thought of you and the anti-Croc campaign (which I fully support 364 days of the year!).
MissConduct, what a riot! Because I was in temple last Saturday all baffled for a moment about the preponderance of canvass sneakers (even on the rabbi) when it dawned on me, “AHA! They’re not supposed to be wearing leather!! I GET IT!” Great minds think alike.
I have a tee-shirt that has “S*** Happens in World Religions” and features differing religion’s takes on the matter–including Unitarian Universalism. I love it but, needless to write, I do not wear it out of the house. Another tee-shirt displays my support for Star Trek’s Romulan Empire. Again, I will change these shirts even if I only have to walk to the mailbox! Yet, Geek that I am, I love wearing them at home.
I have been reading this page for quite a while.
Being a “clergy-chick” myself (Lutheran from the South-west of Germany) which is quite young (not tooo bad looking I dare say)and newly ordained I got lots of tips and advice for professional dressing from your website.
After reading this recent post I will DEFENITELY not wear any t-shirts with any more or less stupid words on it any more unless under a sweater for VERY casual occasions. Which would be off-duty anyway.
Thank you, Peace-Bang, for this wonderful site.
I´ve always been wondering about the fact that clergy (particularly women) MUST dress badly.
Sometimes I think clericals would save our congregations from some bad fashion-outcomings a bit but they are not usual in my church.
True Sabbath for me means getting to wear my “Whoop Ass” t-shirt. (Although I have been known to wear it to the gym and run into parishioners there.)
Slightly off topic into the realm of what should never be worn – period: I caught sight of a woman wearing shorts and gray leg warmers with flip flops when going to the bank. Yikes!
When I worked in bank operations we had a casual dress code which really meant nakedness will not be tolerated otherwise wear what ever you want. Well there was a woman in the office who literally dressed like an elf so I wonder if that was the woman you saw at the bank. I remember that she was really special.