Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Follow up

I am afraid I have a follow up story to ‘Husband buys GIGANTIC trainers for Son.’ The need to buy trainers was precipitated by the loss of Son’s PE kit at school. I waited a whole week for PE kit to re-emerge. It didn’t.

This is an excerpt of an email from Husband to his sister. It is stolen and reproduced without any permission whatsoever. (I was copied in on it – I didn’t steal shamelessly from his inbox!)

"The last time I bought him trainers they were kiddie sizes, now he needs 10s+. So as a good dad doing my switched-on in-touch-with-the-youth-of-today type thing, I took him off to the store for a new pair...Now, a bit of history here - that I'm sure you don't need reminding. Our dad was a little on the practical side, and fashion or branding was not as high a priority as hardwearing and cost. And trainers was one area where I suffered a little, Adidas was not cool in 1980, but Adidas was all I could have. I promised myself, many moons ago, that I would remember that brand of trainer does matter, and that sometimes you just need to put social acceptance over sensibility.

And so there was I, standing in the middle of this big sports department, surrounded by Nike, Reebok, Sketchers, Adidas, etc and I said to Son, I said "Son (arh)" I said "Son - you can have any trainer you want in this shop, what is the coolest, hippest, in-trainer today? What is the ‘must have’ sports look at school? I don't care how much it costs, coz sometimes it is important to buy the right brand, and I understand that - Son - I am on your wavelength man, I am in touch with the youth of today" and I did that fist thing, where you punch each other's fist in midair. (Son didn't punch my fist, and looked a little embarrassed to be seen out in public with me).

Ok, so maybe the fist thing, and the wavelength reference might be a bit sad, but I assumed he got the point. This was his opportunity to shine, to be ‘in’, to not be tittered at for wearing GOLA, etc, etc.

And do you know what he said. He said "I don't really care about brands, I don't mind, I just want a pair that are comfortable, and not too expensive". Oh my god, OH MY GOD, what have I done, where is my son, who has swapped him for this reasonable, sensible impostor? Anyway I made him try on all the Nikes and eventually ended up forcing him to have a reasonably expensive pair".

And guess what? Not only am I irritated at the ruination of my careful training of Son to see through things like brands and what’s ‘in’ but after a week the original PE kit, complete with perfectly good, old (and cheap) trainers has turned up at school.

Aaagggghhhhh.

22 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

Ha - I love these role reversals. It's like Absolutely Fabulous:-)

Husband has a way with words - very funny and Son truly does have gigantic flipper feet doesn't he!

ps am very interested in the minutae of lives:-)
xx

CL Taylor said...

Your husband's email made me laugh out loud. Loved it! Partly because I too swore, if I ever had children, that I'd do the same thing as your husband. As a teenager I "suffered" because my mum refused to buy branded clothing because it was "a waste of money" and was the only girl in my class with a pair of cheapo market jeans instead of cool and trendy Levi 501s!

I think it's great that your son isn't fashion conscious. Good on him for not buying into the hype.

p.s. Love the photo too.

Jenny Beattie said...

Lane, Thank you. Husband is indeed very funny (and sometimes he's quite amusing too). I think he may be the bestseller among us, if only he would damn well do it!

And I have to confess to having stretched Son's feet here with Photoshop! I am so naughty,

Cally, glad it made you laugh. He is a funny one, and I'm very jealous because he can turn on the funny like a switch, which I cannot do.

The kids clothes thing is funny, isn't it? I try and understand it and if it's really important I may go with it. My problem is that Son couldn't care less!

JJx

Carol said...

Count your blessings that he cared enough to get rid of the helmet hair!!

C x

Pacha said...

Hilarious! And the photo is brilliant!

Cathy said...

My son 1 is just the same, really doesn't care much about clothes and brands. Though to br fair he did recently con his Dad into buying quite an expensive pair of trainers to replace his cheapm ASDA ones...

Jen said...

Ooh, how did you get a funny hubby? They only come in 'miserable' in my experience!

My son has just started insisting on clothes from Burtons instead of H&M. I suspect Father Crimbly will be buying designer stuff on eBay this year!

Fab photo :0)

Caroline said...

OMG what have you done to your son's feet????? :)
This made me laugh out loud. So is your husband going to start blogging?
x

Jon M said...

Very funny post! Tres good! My son is much the same with brands and quite right too. Raises fist in air for punch thing...

Angie said...

Phew - I thought those feet must be stretched with Photoshop, I'm sure the originals are big, but the poor kid could ski with those feet. ;)
Husband sounds funny and son sounds very sensible.

Oh, and a bit late, but congrats on all those words in that lovely office!

Jenny Beattie said...

Carol, yes, I was too embarrassed to post a picture of the 'helmet hair.' But I am thankful; thank the lord he got it cut!

Pacha, Thanks, it still makes me giggle when I look at those huge feet.

Cathy, Hi. Mmm, I've been wondering for a while whether there was an inevitability about teenager desiring the 'right' clothes.

Jen, I don't know how I managed to find a funny one - just lucky I guess! One of the good things about the 'right' labels is that here in BK you just assume everything is a copy! In the end you get blase about real or not.

Caroline, I'm glad you laughed. I've been chuckling it about it too. He's a very funny man who can turn on the funny whenever he writes (I am so envious) I keep encouraging him to write/blog but he says he hasn't the time! In between learning Thai, the piano and origami making, I think he may be right!

Jon, Yes, it's good they see through it. Daughter however is talking about going to Singapore to buy a swimming costume!!!!

Angie, Thank you for the congrats on the words! Husband is funny and son is (sometimes) sensible! I've told Husband it's his job to buy trainers from now on since I am only prepared to buy the ones that are cheapish! What a great idea - skiing on those feet!

JJx

Anonymous said...

Currently at the start of all this (small boy just started school), and just managed to again avoid buying trainers this autumn. My last win, I suspect.

Laughed all the way through Husband's email.
Loved it.

Jenny Beattie said...

Welcome Leigh, Nice to see you. Oh it's an interesting journey you're in for. Of course it was only about 5 minutes ago that I was where you are. I don't know where the time goes.

I'm glad you enjoyed the husband's email - he's a funny man!

I'll pop over to yours soon.

JJx

Unknown said...

Loved this JJ.....especially loved the attempt at cool :-) Great feet.

Jenny Beattie said...

Hi Liz, He's a funny man, though not so cool, maybe?

Jjx

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