Sixteen year old Tabitha Ruiz attends Seagoville High chool in the Dallas Independant School District of Texas. Proud of her Catholic faith, Tabitha decided to wear a new rosary as a necklace to school. According to Tabitha, she was stopped at the metal detectors and told by school officials she could not wear the rosary.

Guess who agrees with the school district? The Catholic Diocese of Dallas. You see, wearing a rosary has long been a controversial thing in American Roman Catholic faith. Back in the 1970’s when I was a student in the Catholic schools, we were taught to never ever wear a rosary because it is sinful to use it as decoration. Just when we received this really beautiful cool item to go with our faith in Jesus and Mary, we were rebuffed into somehow being ashamed of our admiration of this beautiful item that certainly looks like jewelry.

Although the Dallas school district hasn’t formed it’s opinion based on the teachings or colloquialisms of the Catholic church. No, it’s ruling was based on advice from the Dallas Police Department that wearing rosaries is a gang symbol. But after the news of the crackdown on Tabitha’s choice, the Dallas Police Department spoke up and said that actually, wearing a rosary alone isn’t a sign of gang membership or support. Only when wearing a rosary combines with wearing other gang colors does it become a gang symbol. The school district has since changed their minds on the rule, and began allowing students to wear rosaries this month.

So Tabitha has had to come to her own decision- uncomfortably and unfortunately a private decision in the public eye. She is no longer a Catholic, but is still a Christian and says that she wanted to wear the rosary to show her devotion to her faith. She has had to have input from the school district, the police department, the national media and the clucking tongues of judmental parishoners.

I’m proud of 16 year old Tabitha that she can bravely wear her rosary, shaking off any shame that people would try to press upon her. This may seem like a small thing- but actually it goes to show the hard choices we must make when we decide to not fall in line with authority blindly, to not follow other’s opinions like a lemming, but to grow up- evaluate the situation- and make our very own decisions.

Congratulations Tabitha, on your intellectual, emotional and spiritual coming of age in a very public American culture!

Okay… going, going, gone… I’m sure the Crocs fad is dead. And this is how I know it:
I have purchased these fake purple crocs at Claire’s Boutique for $2.50 on the clearance rack.
Now I have to admit, the first time I noticed Crocs was on the feet of college girls with those ridiculous cotton knit culottes. The lemmings who are all the same height, the same weight, have the same bleached and straightened blonde hair, the same fake tan and the same culottes and crocs. So instantly I disliked them.
Then I realized a 50 year old coworker of mine had like 15 different colors. She said “yah, they’re dorky but they feel so good!” She wore them all Spring and Summer. I secretly was developing this love/hate relationship.
On one hand, they were so quirky and wierd I liked them. But on the other hand, they were worn by too many people so I disliked them. I went on for about two years ignoring them.
My little five year old neice got them and then several plug-ins that would decorate them. Oh.. I thought, this has gone too far.
Then I needed a pair of rubber sandals or something I could wear into the shower and pool area of the gym. I purchased a pair of knock-offs at Target for $5. Of course, they were red. Because have you noticed the bizarre collections of red things at Target sometimes?
Anyway, they were my dirty little secret. But I became emotionally attached to them because somehow they comforted me. I guess it was because I bought them with my daughter, who I see very little of because she’s away at college. I guess it was because they are big and clunky and make me feel like a little girl trying on grown up shoes.
At any rate, a few weeks later, I spotted these purple ones on the Claire’s clearance rack, and had to think a few times before deciding to part with my three dollars. But eventually I brought them home and then Iris started suspecting maybe I was collecting them. So I must stop with these two pair.
But, I’m putting in my opinion. What’s wrong with them? How are they any different from gardening clogs? I wouldn’t wear them anywhere I wouldn’t wear gardening clogs. Which isn’t saying much for me. But que sera sera. There. My dirty little secret exposed. I secretly enjoy my two pairs of knock-off crocs that together cost me less then ten bucks. They are smiley.