Read Aloud Surprise

(Alexander Rossi, Afternoon Tea)

Have you ever read aloud? Oftentimes I find myself whispering the words under my breath. When I'm alone (*very alone*), I will speak loudly, toying with various accents. I also love to listen to others read aloud. Whether it be the familiar drawl of Mama or a the tones of a stranger, I find it fascinating to listen to their interpretation of the dance of letters.

One day, I was in a little class I'm taking when my instructor asked us to take turns reading aloud a story. Paragraph by paragraph, person by person, we slowly made our way through the narrative. My turn came and then passed. The girl next to me began. Her voice was soft and soothing. She read without a cough (those of you who have seen Importance of Being Earnest might catch that one!) or interruption. But then, she came to a word. "Cri--, uh, crino--. Um, what is this word?" I looked down to my copy of the book to see what it was she was struggling over. Shocked I read it: crinoline.

What has happened to our world? Do people, much less girls, really not know the word crinoline anymore? During this one class time, girls stumbled over words like crinoline and petticoat! I was astonished!

If you've been reading this journal for very long, you might remember this post on feminine dress. I cannot help copying down the quote again here; it is so applicable!

"Why do women want to dress like men when they're fortunate enough to be women? Why loose femininity, which is one of our greatest charms? We get more accomplished bing charming than we would be flaunting in pants and smoking. I'm very fond of men. I think they are wonderful creatures. I love them dearly. But I don't want to look like one." -Tasha Tudor