It's no secret. Everybody shops. And I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE shopping. A lot of people do. But what a lot of people don't know is exactly what goes on behind the scenes.
When I turned 18, I got my first real paying job for a pretty well-known fashion company at a strip mall. I was super excited and I felt really grown up. I was the youngest girl they had hired there and that was pretty cool.
Everything was going smoothly, but there were a few little things I had noticed that didn't really sit right with me. Some casual backhanded comments about a few customers between my managers, a couple instances of special treatment to certain customers and not-so-great treatment to others. But it was my first job! I wasn't gonna say anything. I was lucky to be working here and I didn't want to jeopardize anything.
But really, the warning signs started during my interview. The first thing my boss said to me was "Wow, you're like, soooo pretty." As if that's a prerequisite. And then when she asked about my goals I had replied that I wanted to finish college and hopefully go into a career involving writing and she looked at me like I was crazy. "I meant fashion goals, silly." As if that's the only thing that matters in this world. And I'm the silly one.
I gave some pretty BS answers if we're being honest. But I needed a job. And I did not want to be stuck working in a fast food restaurant. So I smiled and giggled and flipped my hair and acted like fashion was my absolute FAVORITE thing when in all actuality 75% of the clothes I owned were still from middle school or hand-me-downs from my cousin. Honestly, I could care less.
But working there changed me. I started buying a lot of new clothes and putting on a full face of makeup every single day. I found myself judging other girls based on their looks or the way they dressed. My friends noticed a change in my behavior. I was probably a miserable person to be around. But I was fitting right into my work environment and that's what mattered to me.
But then came the time of the year where Black Friday was rolling around and my boss told everyone to have a friend fill out an application to help work that day with us. I was so excited and I told my best friend right away. It took a little convincing because she felt her "look" didn't correlate well with the fashion business, but she filled out an application and sent it in.
All the managers at work said they were super psyched that my best friend was working and they couldn't wait to meet her. I was excited too. I was definitely looking forward to Black Friday.
But when Black Friday finally came and my best friend and I strutted into that store feeling like bad ass bitches, my boss took one look at my best friend and said "Sorry, she can't work here with us tonight."
...
....what?
She fed me some line about her application not being turned in, which is a complete lie because all my managers had seen it and it had been approved.
I found out later that my boss didn't see her as "fashion material." By merely taking one single glance at her.
And what makes me mad is that my best friend is one of the kindest people I know. She's hardworking, and she would've done an amazing job working in the store that night. But she's not a size 5 and she doesn't put much time into her outward appearance so obviously she's not fit to work at a fashion store.
I quit that night.
It was the best decision I've ever made.
Now I'm a teacher at a daycare and I'm the happiest I've been in a while.
I feel like I'm a making a difference to these little kids. A real difference. One that's going to impact their lives someday. An impact that actually matters, not one that determines the clothes in their closet.
My looks don't matter there. My heart does, and my brain. The really important stuff matters.
It's upsetting that we live in a world where so much stock goes into the type of clothes we wear, or the kind of make up we put on, or the body structure that we were born with.
None of that really matters.
I'm no better than my best friend just because I can fit into a certain pair of jeans and she can't.
I'm no more entitled just because my legs are longer than the girl's sitting next to me.
All of it's ridiculous and none of it really matters.
Now I still enjoy the occasional shopping spree with my friends, but now I'm more aware of the people around me. Now I'm careful about the way I treat people.
Everyone deserves respect. Whether you're a size 0 or a size 13. No one is better than the other.
And so now whenever I sit down for an interview, the first thing I want my interviewer to say to me is "Wow, your resume is so impressive." And when they ask me about my goals and I tell them exactly how I want to make an impact on the world, they tell me "Those are admirable goals. Don't ever give up on them."
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