Friday, March 13, 2009

In the Pink

Have you ever contemplated how colors can mean different things? The same colors--depending on context or culture--can have radically different meanings. Someone in a black mood is clearly not happy, whereas a business in the black is. If a person has a red letter day, that's good, but a business in the red is in trouble.

In the west, brides wear white; in some eastern cultures, they wear red. Eastern cultures reserve white for mourning, where western cultures use black for mourning.

Well, Friday March 13 is PINK FRIDAY. In solidarity with teachers in California, who will receive preliminary pink slips on Friday, my husband's employer--the PA State Education Association (which I belong to as a teacher) is urging people to wear pink.

So when we have our Friday night "date," my husband and I will both be wearing pink.

Think pink--remember all the wonderful teachers in California who will be saddened by a slip of pink paper.

12 comments:

Beth said...

I did not know this, but am heading back up the stairs to change clothes and put on something pink. Thank you for sharing this.

grammy said...

How sad. A lot of families that will be hurt by that lay off. Thanks for stopping by at my place and saying Happy BD. Your header talks about growing up in Africa. I will have to search through some past post to find out more about that.

dmmgmfm said...

That really is sad. I am wearing pink today.

Beverly said...

A sad state of affairs indeed. The front page of our newspaper today talked about the possiblity of four day weeks for schools in the area.

Ginnie said...

So sad...I pray this all changes soon. It is widespread.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

I began your blog entry with an expectation you were going to explain the expression being "in the pink". I was smiling..... waiting... but you never got there. I guess I should let it pass. No, I can't resist.

To be "in the pink" metaphorically means to be in a good place (Happy) Literally, it means to be just inside the female vagina. Having been in a cow's vigina up to my elbow I assure you it is a "good place" warm and moist and soft oh, so soft and silken.

Your use of pink is used "au contrare" a bad place, an alert of the possibility of being laid off. I trust teachers will be saved from any lay off. It is interesting that no politician will ever be laid off. They are definitely in the pink.

KGMom said...

Err--Philip--you actually leave me speechless. That is not a meaning of the expression I have ever encountered. So I will take your word for its origin.

possumlady said...

So much sadness and uncertainty these days. I read this too late, otherwise would have gladly wore pink today.

Pink is definitely my favorite color. I admire your husband for wearing pink also. I work in a pretty progressive office and my boss once wore a tie with pink in it and staff (all women!) gave him such a hard time that he never wore it again!! Geez...

Have fun on your date-night!

KGMom said...

To All--on the subject of men wearing pink. Up until the early 1900s, PINK was considered the correct color for boys, and blue for girls.
Herewith one explanation from the Internet:

"At one point pink was considered more of a boy's color, (as a watered-down red, which is a fierce color) and blue was more for girls. The associate of pink with bold, dramatic red clearly affected its use for boys. An American newspaper in 1914 advised mothers, "If
you like the color note on the little one's garments, use pink for the boy and blue for the girl, if you are a follower of convention." [The
Sunday Sentinal, March 29, 1914.]

Jayne said...

Color can be a very powerful symbol. Kudos to your hubby for being brave enough to show his pink solidarity!

Anonymous said...

That's so sad.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much. It's been such a crazy week that I'm only just getting caught up on my blogs. It was a bittersweet day for me. I am safe but so many other teachers are not. Painful. What was lovely was seeing how many kids wore pink to school to support their teachers. Very sweet.