Not Appropriate

Today is Wednesday, June 17,2009. It is sunny and beautiful.
"Not appropriate"- I used to tease my mother about using those two words. And now I am saying them more and more often and thinking them more than I am saying them out loud. I just heard of a new trend in wedding receptions. Couples are having a reception the night before they get married. That makes their wedding day less hectic, trying to fit in pictures and all the other stuff connected with a wedding. Well, I think it's "not appropriate."
Now our youngest daughter and her soon-to-be husband had a party the night before their wedding - BUT- they did not wear their wedding clothes and it was not billed as a reception. And they held it in our back yard.
The first pre-reception I attended was the daughter of a friend. The cultural hall at the Church was decorated very elaborately and the soon-to-be bride wore her wedding dress, the groom his tuxedo, and there was the reception line and everything. I felt just a little uncomfortable. I guess I still have some of that old tradition of the bride wearing her dress for the first time at her wedding. (Oh, I know, sometimes they wear it to have pictures before the wedding, etc. ) And now just this week the father of a new groom told me that is becoming quite common to hold the reception - wedding dress and all the trimmings - the night before the wedding. Well, I'm telling you, I think it is not appropriate.
And while we are at it. I think it is not appropriate for women and girls to come to Church with thigh high dresses and tights to their ankles. "Not appropriate."
I saw one yesterday in the eye doctor's office. He has two office girls who looked like they should have been bar maids. Their blouses were cut low in the first place and then every stitch of clothes they had on was so tight and clingy you could see nearly every part of their body move as they walked. I nearly had to cover my eyes. I did look away after the first glance screamed out "not appropriate."
I had an imaginary conversation with a mother of a young girl who attended a wedding open house in short shorts. (The mother was with her by the way.) In the imaginery conversation she said, "I can't control everything she wears out of the house." And in my mind, I replied, "I can tell you that more than once I said to one of my children, You are not leaving the house dressed like that." And more then once they gave me a dirty look, went and changed their clothes before they left. Thank goodness, I didn't have to do it often but I certainly would have done it any time I felt it was necessary.
There is a lot of talking nowadays that I think is "not appropriate, " too. Many people just use such uncouth language. Where has finesse and mannerly speech gone? I fear much of refinement has gone out the window. And I regret that. Manners, are they still in vogue? Sometimes, I wonder.
Well, Mother, you were right. There are many things that are just not appropriate. I certainly agree with you. I sure hope my own children and grandchildren never do anything that would cause anyone to classify their actions or dress as "not appropriate."
That's all for today.