i was daydreaming today, staring into space, with the fleeting roads and buildings like a fast filmstrip that scan past my eyeballs while on a busride to school.
then suddenly, my eyes fell onto a bunch of jj students walking along the road - one in a yellow ogl tshirt, one in a green owens tshirt and two in the usual brown-ashy uniform.
it was then that i was thinking, school uniforms play a very big part in our growing years.
we use to gripe and grumble when we have to wear stiff, uncomfortable uniforms to school everyday. complaining about how the prefects or teachers would make a hellauva fuss when an extra cm of the skirt is above the knee. some would even envy the international/american/australian/etc schools which had a more liberal hold on students' school attire. haha we would make our own alterations to them: hemming up the skirt, pining the pe shirt to the skirt, using shoelace for shirt bottoms, etc.
but we tend to overlook that The Uniform is really the
whole getup: the cloth, shoes, hair, socks, etc. it was an aim and goal to get everyone looking prim, proper, neat and tidy like a good normal student would be. but you see, we are rarely like that :)
after leaving uniform-required institutions, i realise what they can actually mean.
uniforms are a way of subtly telling everyone that they are
equal. silly, but true. they dress up a child who is suppose to focus on the essence of going to school - to be educated and to learn. in a uniform, you subconsciously erase what your classmate is wearing (which can tell so much and mean so much) and actually get to know the person in character and person. you dont really even bring up the differences in uniforms since everyone is suppose to look the same and we are 'trained' to get past that superficial bit and get on with it.
somehow, school spirit is stronger and more prevalent when students end up wearing uniforms. in my case, fships and trips down that memory lane are good ones. you dont really remember how different each other looked in uniforms cos it isnt really the issue. you remember each other for the good or ugly. somehow, that bond with your classmates or schoolmates or the school could be more prominent or significant. but of cos, it really depends on the individual too. some people may call it brainwash but still, im sure you remember someone who was more than a friend to you in school; who might've said happy birthday wishes when you back in that school.
but like every other trying-to-find-your-own-identity adolescent/teen, you try to stand out of the massive crowd of similar looking people. be it the tightness of the belt, the length of skirts, the length of ties, the bagginess of pants, the lowness of socks, etc. even so, we label those who dont look like the new 'norm' as nerds; and then see ourselves as different and unique. but in fact, we are all actually the same. in uniform. only our characters and achievements are more obvious.
the importance of uniform appearances increased with age and life stages. i dont remember making myself look different in kindergarten. or maybe that red hairtie that my mom put on for me.
sure, appearances are not everything - like what everyone says. but you see, even in schools, im sure you remember those who had attires that stood out. the personal hype about appearances become more stark in co-ed schools and particularly in tertiary institution which would eventually lead to the outside world where uniforms are less common in most working lines. people judge and are almost drawn to scrutinise other's dressings. it can be an instinctive thing to do. admittedly, even i do it. but that's due to the absence of uniforms. appearances and clothings become important. they become a unit of analysis, a topic of discussion, a living corpse openly available for dissection.
with no uniforms to hide behind and under, you become more aware of how you look, what you wear, how you carry it off, etc. the priority of superficial masking becomes high. you are a walking advertisement for your character and approachability. and any crooked stitch makes you stick out - either to be admired or abhorred.
call me mad, but i think i miss wearing my uniforms - mari stella kindergarten, scgs and jjc.
sleeveess royal blue dress, white trimmings and two big white crosses in the front. sleeveless sky blue dress with a rectangle neckline and a skinny belt. brown-ashy sleeved shirt and a side pleated skirt.
i remember how my socks were well-trained to be high(er) during morning prefectorial checks but do a slow slide dance downwards while walking towards my classroom. the belts that my brother claims could fit two chickens at my waist: on top of each other, not side by side. i remember the use of orange/red/grey shoelaces at the base of my shirt; BUT tucking it in in the front too, to prevent it from slipping and to look neater. since well, councillors HAD to look neater in some way or another. the use of my coloured hairclips and rubberbands for my hair :)
leaving uniforms in your cupboard after those many years, is almost like chrysalis. you emerge from that protective cocoon to face the billions and millions of eyes. the cocoon becomes irrelevant and useless. simply cos, now you only have your wings to protect yourself. the patterns on your wings become something people look at and determine who you are.
in any case, wearing a uniform, makes mornings easier - you get to sleep more :)
Labels: nostalgia, ponder, school
