Last year my daughters' dance school decided we should buy different colored leotards for each class.
Meaning every year we would buy new ones at $35 a pop, no hand-me-downs to younger siblings, no buying el-cheepo black/traditional ones at some department store or wearing a leatard two-years in a row (yeah yeah, they stretch and can last two years, believe me, I have 4 girls, I know).
So toward the end of last year, while writing checks for my little ballerinas' dance review costumes, I kept on thinking...a leotard, $35, a review dress ~$100, 3 girls in total....yikes. Add the monthly cost for each dance class, no discount by the way even with three of my girls in the same dance school, and I'm thinking this is ridiculous.
Then an idea popped in my head. I asked a few mothers if they'd prefer the tradition black leotard which can be handed down to younger siblings and worn until kingdom come. They responded, heck yeah.
So I drew up a petition...with an explanation and a please, please, please sign-up in caps. During the rehearsals, I boldly and proudly went with my petition and handed it to the woman at the back of the line. Our primadonas had their photoshoot and we mothers were back at it, depleting our bank accounts.
The mothers glanced at the petition, shrugged and passed it on, WITHOUT SIGNING. The one woman I told what I'd planned to do was born and raisied in Utah. She told me that most of the women here NEVER EVER question authority, NEVER EVER try to stand up for something unless it's a directive from their church, NEVER EVER try to be contrary or rock the boat. Any of the above and they'd stop being perfect wives and mothers, daughters or whatever...
By the end of the rehearsals, we had seven signatures. Out of 200 , we'd netted 7. Talk about a major blow. I left the petition at the rehearsals.
THEN...
Last week as we took our kids for the first day of class, they passed out red slips with new dress code for our little ballerinas. BLACK...LEOTARD...WAS...BACK!!!
They, the power that be, must have seen the petition and decided to do something. Seven signatures went a long way. Have you ever signed a petition and seen the fruit of your labor? If so, share.
Bella
