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The Skirt MAG

March 8, 2008
By EmilytheAuthor DIAMOND, St. Francisville, Louisiana
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EmilytheAuthor DIAMOND, St. Francisville, Louisiana
55 articles 20 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be who you are and say what you feel because those that mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind. -dr. seuss

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I will be the first to say that I am not materialistic. My friends label me as a goody-goody; my parents say I am conservative and modest when it comes to clothes. I don’t wear bikinis, and none of my skirts or shorts end above my knees. That is my choice.

So why, why did I feel so tempted? My family and I were in Target, and there it was, waiting. A skirt, specifically designed not to cover anything. It was tan and looked like something one of those anime schoolgirls would wear.

I checked my purse. The skirt cost $10. I had the money. I could buy it. I imagined walking into school and my pals’ jaws dropping. Guys would ask me out, and I would be happy. I could buy it – no, I should buy it.

I showed my mother. She was surprised but said it was my decision. My sister looked on enviously.

I went into the dressing room to try it on. So sure was I that this skirt would change me, somehow make me not what I am but what I wished to be. I slid my jeans off and put it on. Now for the decisive moment. I looked in the mirror. There I was – a geeky girl in a Superman T-shirt and sneakers. My glasses fogged up as I started to cry.

The skirt did not change me. Though it fit well and might make me look good in the eyes of ­today’s world, it was not me. I am not a girl who flirts or wears cool clothes to fit in.

I took the thing off and slid back into the ­comfort of modesty. My mom knocked on the door. “Emily, are you okay?”

I wiped away my tears. “I’m fine.” I looked in the ­mirror again and saw a blond skinny girl with dorky ­glasses and a ponytail. I saw myself.

© Marisa S., Alexandria, VA

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This article has 341 comments.

Isibeal19 PLATINUM said...
on Jul. 16 2013 at 1:17 pm
Isibeal19 PLATINUM, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
26 articles 12 photos 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
*Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.*

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I love this piece! It's amazing, and fits so well into every girl's life. I think everyone has a moment like this, and writing about it shows everyone that it's okay to be and see who you are.  It's sad, though. Don't be ashamed of who you are, because everyone's different and has their own style.
MissPeach GOLD said...
on Jul. 10 2013 at 11:46 pm
MissPeach GOLD, Cincinnati, Ohio
10 articles 21 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
God put the moon in the sky to remind us that our darkest moments will lead to our brightest

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Thank you, I have tried the exact same thing before. I wasnt able to try it on first and so now I am stuck with it.
ninjaballerina1234 said...
on Jul. 10 2013 at 8:02 pm
ninjaballerina1234, Eureka, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
everything is always ok in the end if everything is not ok its not the end

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I loved this story! thank you for writing it. :)
Silhouettes GOLD said...
on May. 26 2013 at 9:35 am
Silhouettes GOLD, Waltham, Massachusetts
12 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Poetry surrounds us everywhere, but putting it on paper is, alas, not so easy as looking at it." -Vincent Van Gogh

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I've had expiriences like this a lot. I go to some place I think will change my look so I'll look . .  . . . pretty, but it turns out everything  I try to try on just doesn't make me look like someone I want to be.  It's really discouraging and I'm glad someone wrote about it so I could have something to relate to. Maybe something we can relate to is something we can treasure; that's why this has gotten so many views. Great Job. :) 
RoyalCorona SILVER said...
on May. 23 2013 at 7:01 pm
RoyalCorona SILVER, Grand Rapids, Michigan
7 articles 0 photos 290 comments

Favorite Quote:
All of us fave failed to match our dream of perfection. I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible. -William Faulkner

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That is so true!! I would rather by modest than just another one of those girls trying to get attention with short skirts and low cut shirts!
RoyalCorona SILVER said...
on May. 23 2013 at 7:00 pm
RoyalCorona SILVER, Grand Rapids, Michigan
7 articles 0 photos 290 comments

Favorite Quote:
All of us fave failed to match our dream of perfection. I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible. -William Faulkner

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This is a great example of an anti-giving into today's society to become someone cooler that actually is well-written and interesting! I applaud you for your choice, us nerds have to stick together in a nerdless world!!
ItsMyLife SILVER said...
on May. 18 2013 at 7:54 pm
ItsMyLife SILVER, Athens, Wisconsin
5 articles 2 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy.&rdquo;<br /> -Anonymous

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Sooooo.... yeah, I've already posted a comment on this story but it is soooo good I've got to post another! I'm perfectly geeky, shy, blond, skinny, and wear ponytails! Way to go blonds against stereotypes that don't need to fit in to be their own pure awesomeness! Seriously, one of the best stories ever.
gahgazzuino said...
on May. 6 2013 at 12:23 pm
gahgazzuino, Ilagan City, Other
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Jeremiah 29:11

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it's cool how you still made it whole from beginning til the end flawlessly. you successfully moved me in this short story. good job! 
MaddieMP1996 said...
on Feb. 28 2013 at 11:28 am
MaddieMP1996, Des Moines, Iowa
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
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I like it, i'm sure every girl can relate to this story. God job.
ItsMyLife SILVER said...
on Dec. 19 2012 at 5:42 pm
ItsMyLife SILVER, Athens, Wisconsin
5 articles 2 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy.&rdquo;<br /> -Anonymous

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That girl is so me. Right down to the ponytail. Such a great story.  
KatnissDaywalker said...
on Dec. 5 2012 at 2:29 pm
Hey, Modest is Hottest! Good for you!
boo620 BRONZE said...
on Nov. 28 2012 at 4:30 pm
boo620 BRONZE, Horsham, Pennsylvania
1 article 1 photo 4 comments
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you are fantasic im that girl at school too. i ware different chothes, ha i make my own chothes. you are an insiration.
#1animeperson said...
on Oct. 2 2012 at 6:35 pm
i think tht is sad but i am like tht the "goody goody" as ppl say to me i have straight A's i guess thts why
AugustusH20s said...
on Jun. 12 2012 at 8:30 pm
AugustusH20s, Thousand Oaks, California
0 articles 0 photos 25 comments
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All girls hope that there is some magic answer that will transform our lives and make it easier, but usually the magic answers don't work/only last a little while.

I loved your piece. Love who you are! xBri

Caitlin Bracken BRONZE said...
on Jun. 12 2012 at 2:00 pm
Caitlin Bracken BRONZE, Warrington, Other
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
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Thia was really good. I have felt the same many times and I think it's something a lot of girls can relate to. Well done, and keep writing! I can wait to read more of your writing!
doinitwrite BRONZE said...
on Jun. 10 2012 at 2:40 pm
doinitwrite BRONZE, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania
4 articles 3 photos 4 comments
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Every teenage girl can identify with this in today's society. Clothes don't make someone who they are. This is a great way of showing that. Great writing with a wonderful message!
DifferentTeen PLATINUM said...
on May. 21 2012 at 9:02 pm
DifferentTeen PLATINUM, Seaford, Delaware
32 articles 2 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;There&rsquo;s no such thing as true love, just spurts of insanity&mdash;falling over and over again, thinking that won&rsquo;t happen to me&quot;

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I love this, mostly because I can relate. I used to feel like I couldn't wear or wouldn't look right in a skirt. But I got past that bump in the road in my life. I was at a point where I was really uncomfortable with myself. Now I can wear whatever I think is cute without a doubt. I really think you would like my piece "Me And My Questions" if you ever any spare time. Great writing!
DifferentTeen PLATINUM said...
on May. 21 2012 at 8:37 pm
DifferentTeen PLATINUM, Seaford, Delaware
32 articles 2 photos 329 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;There&rsquo;s no such thing as true love, just spurts of insanity&mdash;falling over and over again, thinking that won&rsquo;t happen to me&quot;

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Oh my gosh I know what you mean. But in my school its really cool because a lot of girls don't wear make-up. I'm not going to lie, I wear make-up, have my ears pierced, and I love perfume. But I do all those things because I want to and I independently choose to. And I do things my way, I don't follow trends, I set them! Rock on individuality!
Kite said...
on May. 21 2012 at 8:29 pm
Thats your opinion.
_ella_herondale BRONZE said...
on Apr. 30 2012 at 10:26 am
_ella_herondale BRONZE, San Diego, California
4 articles 2 photos 222 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;...If the Thames that ran beside them...recalled a night where the moon shone as brightly as a shilling on the same boy and girl... and thought to themselves, &#039;at last, the wheel comes full circle,&#039; they kept their silence.&quot;

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This is a very beautiful piece full of ideals I wish everyone had. You wrote this so perfectly, it is so deserving of the magazine publication you received. I especially loved the part where you "saw yourself." good job!