Tuesday, April 19, 2016

That Is So You

    How many times have we either said this, or had it said to us?  I'm sure none of us could track the amount.  But the reality of Attire as a language we utilize daily, is profound.  So much has it become an intrinsic part of our lives, that we have merged it's concepts with our spoken language. We give literal voice to it when we say things of this nature.
    How odd and wonderful it is that, merely looking at a garment on a hanger, or gazing at some accessory, will make us think of a particular person.  We come to associate certain types of Attire words with certain people, because we have seen them in something similar.  We know it's a word that they could employ.  We understand that such and such a pair of shoes is one they would like, so the object becomes connected in our heads, to the being, the personality.
    The ways we make this connection are as varied as the humans we connect to.  It could simply be a favored color.  It might be a particular brand of item.  It could be a type of pattern, a kind of detail, or a certain texture. It could even be a specific manner of fitting.  Most often of course, it is some combination of these things that sets us to thinking that some friend or family member would wear what we are seeing.  We can visualize them clearly, the connection is so strong.
    It's obvious, that it's a part of our extraordinary pattern recognition, and associative skills.  In order for humans to survive in a dangerous world back in the earliest days we had to develop multiple methods of recognizing what we were seeing that enabled us to react to danger more rapidly, since we did not evolve other protections.  This "that is so you" thing, is a manifestation of the same survival technique, applied in a different manner.
    By using our unique talents for associating seemingly disparate things, we are able to categorize, and recognize things that allow us to support the people we consider to be essential tribe members.  In seeing things around us that we realize connect with those we care about, we are building a stronger connection to them, almost literally weaving the structure of our society.
   So, when we say, "that is so you" to someone, we are really saying that we understand the visual messages that they communicate to us through the Attire language.  We are saying that whatever it is that they are relaying to the world around them, we comprehend not only the surface of it, but the deeper contexts.  We grok them. We truly get who, and what they are.  And that sort of level of understanding is only going to result in greater closeness. It may not result in deep friendship, or love, but fear and apprehension fade away to nothing.  When we understand this about someone, we have a key to understanding something primal about them.  We have a primer, if you will, about their real nature.
    When it comes to getting on in the world, coming to a place where we can understand even some part of the people we face is essential.  And in this confusing, divided, and contentious world, we need that more than ever before.  So, knowing that, when you see something in a shop, or even on someone you pass on the street, and it makes you think of someone you know, because you know they'd appreciate it, remember this; we are drawn closer together by such seemingly insignificant things as these.  They make us more a family each time they happen. And we all need family of one kind or another, we need it.

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