THE DOCTOR IS IN!
Day-3 of my 'practice' and a sad but true case of "a-brush-with-stupidity" comes to mind. I have not yet determined if it is contagious but pray that it is an isolated incident.

Setting:
You have received all costumes for your show and are more that happy to pass them on to the rightful owners. It's Friday...finally...a light at the end of the tunnel! No glitches so far. All costumes are given out and most customers seem happy with their glittered purchases. At last... the bottom of the costume box is in view and you joyfully hand out the final costume! After the last customer leaves with their bags of goodies you sit down to to your pile of paperwork and begin to finish out your week.

Situation:
The phone rings...here we go!
A parent from another dance day and country calls speaking in an accent you can barely understand (not that there's anything wrong with that) and seems very upset. Since you cannot understand her you ask her to please come in right away so you can work through this problem face-to-face.
She comes in with her 3-year-old and satin-front, slip-on, basic bodice. "So what seems to be the problem, Mrs. 'Smith'?" you ask. In her broken English (not that there's anything wrong with that)she says her daughter's costume does not fit! There are NO arm holes and her bottom is NOT covered! There is no way she will allow her baby to go onstage half dressed and will not pay for this costume and wants a refund and a new costume or she will leave your studio. Very upset now, yourself, you try to calm her down and ask her to have the 3-year-old try on the costume for you so you can determine for yourself how bad this situation is. The mom takes her child into the dressing room and, crying, she walks her out to show you...
Here's when we know FOR SURE this parent has contracted "a-brush-with-stupidity":
The child's HEAD was in a leg hole...arms trapped inside the bodice and her mother had put the child's legs through the elastic straps!!! So...duh!... her bottom WAS showing! The costume was on UPSIDE-DOWN!!
I mean...who does that!? Am I right?
Trying not to pull your hair out as you, in disbelief, run your clenched fists through your hair while holding back everything you WANT to say, you calmly show the mother how the costume IS to be worn and assure her repeatedly that you would never put her child on stage half naked...not until she's old enough for Vegas anyway :-)...and send her on her way.

TODAY'S PRESCRIPTION:
#1 - Always have someone in the class try on the costume for all parents to see how it is to be worn before they take them home.
#2 - LAUGH! Whenever you are exposed to "a-brush-with-stupidity" the ONE & ONLY way to protect yourself from getting infected yourself is to roll on the floor laughing...then have that margarita you didn't have time for yesterday!
December 11, 2009 3:15 AM