For week twenty in Scribbled Lives we were asked to create a new word. Write it out and explain what it means; I chose SLEGDIRB! When we started traveling to do art shows and festivals we would often sit and people watch. Over time we noticed a lot of the same thing. In order to have fun and NOT be cruel to the people who might hear us, we invented this word – Slegdirb. It means, “A tourist who wears orthopedic socks – usually dark ones – with sandals and shorts.” It was our way of being silly and watching people just be themselves. No matter the place, the state, the economic level or the weather – there was always a slegdirb in every crowd. It was as if it was a fashion trend we didn’t know about. We created this word over twenty-five years ago and have used it ever since.
Sometimes we bond with people over the silliest things. Making fun of ourselves, laughing at others. Watching people, knowing that we will eventually do exactly what they are doing. It is a way to release tension, relax and even observe the good, the bad and the ugly in all of us. No one is immune to bad fashion choices, we’ve all made them. What helps in that situation is having a really good friend who will tell you that you are going to get a ticket from the fashion place, so change your clothes. As my Dad grew older, he eventually became a slegdirb…he laughed about it, and by then didn’t care. “When you reach 90, you can do whatever you want and not care either.”
So here’s to the silly words we create and the adventures we have with people we love, mocking ourselves and others as we travel the road of life. When traveling, be sure to have that faithful friend who will serve as your fashion police. And by all means, if you have to be a slegdirb, do it. The people who truly love you won’t really care…and they will probably laugh with you all along the way.
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