Limits and Boundaries, Do Tight-Fitting Jeans Have a Spiritual Message?
By Tiffany Blackwell
I have worn tight-fitting jeans since my high school days in the 1980's when tight-fitting jeans were the norm amongst most of my girlfriends. To this day I wear tight-fitting jeans and refuse to wear "relaxed" or "baggy" jeans. At 30+ years of age I feel as young as my high school days and I can thank my tight-fitting jeans for this cheerful and positive outlook on life.
I didn't wear tight-fitting jeans until the sophmore year (Grade 10) of high school. Growing up in a religious household my sister and I had been indoctrinated with the belief that only "bad girls" wear tight-fitting jeans. My devotely Baptist mother died the summer my sophmore year began. During the autumn I started pushing the limits with what I could get away with both at home, at school and at play. This story was presented as part of a public-speaking exercise at a church youth meeting when, for the first time, I wore a pair of tight-fitting jeans to a youth meeting.
After more than 2 months of indulging myself on all kinds of holiday goodies, the last thing I want to do is squeeze myself into a tight pair of jeans. But that may be just the thing I need to do if I'm serious about losing the weight I gained from eating Halloween candy, Thanksgiving pies, and Christmas cookies.
I wear tight-fitting jeans as a reminder there are limits and boundaries whether real or imaginary in my life. I think wearing my tight-fitting jeans indirectly affect those who see me: they consider the impact external forces potentially have on their life. I am not so naive as to think they look to me for any type of spiritual guidance, knowing most people merely see the physical not the spiritual message the tight-fitting jeans accentuate.
While It's a stretch to say that tight-fitting jeans can solve a spiritual problem, maybe by wearing these tight-fitting jeans I can serve as a good reminder that "tight-fitting" or restrictive rules are actually for our good.
