Window Shopping

There are many sayings out there that I just can't stand, mostly because my parents say them 594 times a day. One of those is, "The grass is always greener on the other side." Hate it. It's one of those things I just ignore. But, I have heard the concept behind this saying presented in a new way and it actually means something to me. During sorority recruitment, the last round is a very emotional thing and it involves speeches. While I can't tell you what was said verbatim, I can tell you that the concept was, "from the outside looking in." This didn't mean a whole lot to me at the time, but I recently had a situation where it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had a very naive GDI (non-greek) basically bash my sorority and all that goes with it. While yes, I complain about somethings I have to do, the good still out weighs the bad and I still love it. While this person was telling me how it sounded like I was a member of a cult, the first thing that came to my mind was, "spoken like a true outsider." That's just it. Have you ever walked past a store window and done a double take? A pair of shoes sitting on display catches your eye and you instantly attach yourself to the window and drop your jaw in awe of their beauty. You are positive that you must go inside and buy them and it will for sure change your life. (Hello, anyone seen Confessions of a Shopaholic? Girl in the green scarf!) So you storm in and demand them in your size and decide to try them on just to solidify the fact that you need them. But then something awful happens, once those glorious shoes are actually on your feet, they aren't as fabulous anymore. Is this the right shoe? Can't be.. but unfortunately, it is. So you walk out of the store defeated and sad. From the outside looking in, it looked amazing, but once inside, the reality was completely different. Looking in on a situation that you don't understand at all, you really have no leg to stand on. It saddened me that this person felt like they had the right to criticize my sisterhood and they know nothing about it. This happens every day, people feel the right to make opinions from the outside looking in. How many times have you actually bought something and been completely satisfied as a result of window shopping? It is a rare occurrence. So just remember that if something looks fabulous in the window, try it on, it may not be so fabulous once it is on you. And if something doesn't look so great on the mannequin, try it on, it could change your life.