HUMILIATION, DEAD CLOTHES & STICKY PRESIDENTS (Pardon Me While I Vent A Bit...)

Welcome to the fun world of unemployment! I'm now registered with 3 temp agencies, have 3 more interviews lined up for this week, but am running quite low on cash. So, I got industrious after this morning's interview (which went fine and I have a follow up for Wednesday, but this is an agency and I don't want to get too excited) and sorted thro my closet and pulled out ALL of my "big" clothes that I was wearing prior to getting back in shape. I tossed them and a few of my lovely shoes into my broken suitcase and took the "M" train to the thrift shops to see if I could sell them.

Now, these were good clothes and shoes. Designer stuff because baby likes to dress well even when he was a bit chunky. And, aside from the shoes, I can no longer wear these clothes anyway. I now swim in them. So, why not sell them when I am in such need of cash?!?!? How was I to know that I was about to walk into THRIFT FASHION HUMILIATION 101?!?!? There was just no way I could have known. Especially since I've been kind of on a tight budget from day one --- when I did lose all the weight and needed new clothes, I went thrift! Made sense, saved me money and the clothes fit.

I entered the store and the two young women behind the counter greeted me. I told them I had some clothing to sell. So I lugged my broken suitcase over to the portion of the counter used for sorting through the for sell clothing. Girl number one commented on the case. I explained it had been damaged at the airport somehow. The 3 people in line ahead of me seemed to be examining my sad suitcase. Who cares? I waited patiently. I watched as they purchased some of the ugliest designer clothes I had seen in quite a while so I figured I had it made!

As the young lady started going thro my clothes she would sort of sneak a peak at me. She kept putting my DKNY, CK, DIESEL and other assorted designer clothing to the side. Was she not going to purchase them??? Then she paused as she held up a way cool Penguin sweater, put the sweater down and asked, "So, are these your Dad's clothes or a friend's?"

I didn't think much of the question, but answered, "No, they're mine."

She looked puzzled. At this point there were about 4 people waiting behind me to sell their clothing. She tilted her head and asked, "Ok, but you can't be more than a size small and all of these clothes are really huge!" "Well, they are large or extra large" I responded starting to feel all eyes on me.

"Why did you buy your clothes so big?"

Ok. At this point I figure she is either a bitch or retarded. "I lost a lot of weight and I no longer need those clothes."

"OH MY GOD!!! YOU FIT IN THESE?!?!?" ...this really skinny riot girrrrrrrl behind me gasped. The lady behind her said, "How did you do it?" Sigh. I turned and said I just started eating less, cut out sugars and walked everywhere I went. Now, the counter girl has called over her co-worker.

"South Beach? You have to tell me! I've been trying to lose 20lbs for a year now!" This was the co-worker who picked up a Camp Beverly Hills hoodie, came around and held it up to me. "This is incredible! How long did it take?"

Trying to diffuse the situation while staying cool and friendly, "Really, not a big deal. Just stop eating sugars, only eat half of whatever you're served and move your body. Will power is all that is needed."

"You mean you didn't do South Beach?"
"No. Diets are just stupid. Just take control and do it"

Counter girl tilts head and says in a sort of elementary school teacher way, "Wow! You're inspirational."

OK. That was it.

"Hello. I wasn't a cow! I was a bit overweight. I know you're all used to gay gym bunnies but welcome to the real world. When you enter your mid to late 30's your body's chemistry changes and --- "
"YOU'RE IN YOUR LATE 30's??!!? OH MY GAWWWWD!!!"
"Dude, you look a lot younger" --- riot girrrrrrrrrl speaks again.
"Thanks, but I need to get going are you going to buy these or what?"
"Well, you see -- the guys who shop here are your size. We don't get many fat people here."

I fully expected my head to pop off at this time!

"Oh, come on! I was never fat! And that is such a shitty thing to say to a customer who is clearly uncomfortable!" I sort of lost it, I guess.

The co-worker girl, stepped in and told me that they would buy half the clothes and she was sorry if they had offended me. Flushed and feeling even more stupid. I thanked her. Riot girrrrrrrl said something like "they were really only complimenting you!" I turned and asked, "but what about everyone else? It's just not cool!"

...our society is so sex-ist, age-ist and size-ist. Oi! Anyway, they took my "fat" and "dead" clothes and I made enough cash to pick up my Feb MUNI pass and some cold medicine. ...as I have one. At any rate, I found it kind of amusing to discover that the bills she gave me were sort of wet and sticky. Fitting.

I gave the rest of the clothes and my broken suit case to these two homeless guys on Market Street. ...maybe they can make a tent.

Anyway, it did feel kind of cool to lose those clothes and as I walked home I decided I over-reacted. ...probably because I had a fever and was not in the best of moods, but that was just sort of obnoxious. Don't ya think? ....or, is it just me? Who knows, maybe if I had felt better I might have even been somewhat flattered as riot girrrrrl pointed out. But, it just made me feel humiliated. And, the activist in me was angry and felt bad for anyone who should not fit into this "mold" of what is expected. This is sort of like the feeling I had when I noticed that sales persons in clothing stores treated me differently after I lost some weight. I hope I don't do that to people.