We wear shorts to the Grand Canyon

August 29, 2009

In the news last week: Health care reform, continued crisis in the Middle East, and… Michelle Obama’s shorts. 

I get it that the role of First Lady is one to be taken seriously.  I get it that Michelle Obama represents the nation to the world, and some political leaders in the Middle East might swoon if presented with a photograph of our President’s wife in a pair of shorts. 

Or worse, they may not take President Obama as seriously when he comes to visit.  But, this is America.  Not just any America, but 2009 America.  And here in America, we wear shorts to the Grand Canyon. 

With the exception of some minority ethnic groups, we like our jeans and our shorts and our t-shirts.  And, if you want to dress to accommodate your culture, you can do that, too!  This is, after all, a free country.

We wear what we like.  If you want to dress like an escaped mental patient, you are free to do so.  If you want to wear a prom dress to the Grand Canyon, you can do that, too.  The only punishment you receive for inappropriate attire is people might look at you like you’re insane.   

What message did Michelle Obama hope to send to the world?  My guess is, she did something revolutionary – something never done by any First Lady in the history of this great nation.  She simply got dressed. 

She didn’t consult any public image specialist.  She didn’t drag three personal assistants in to assess her wardrobe.  She simply put on a pair of shorts, and went on vacation. 

But, she is the First Lady.  She sends a message every time she walks out of the house.  She is a role model for American women, and the world’s reference point for what it is to be a woman in America.  Public scrutiny is a burden she agreed to bear when she signed on to support her husband’s political career. 

Whether she intended it or not, Ms. Obama did send a message by having the audacity to wear shorts to the Grand Canyon.  To American women, she said, “Just be yourself.  Be honest.  Be practical.  Don’t worry about what other people think.  And by all means, be comfortable doing it!” 

To the world, she said, “American women don’t always wear suits and pumps and pearls.  American women are practical, honest, and we don’t worry about what other people think.”

More importantly, what message didn’t Ms. Obama send?  What if she’d worn that suit and those pumps?  Most American women, if they noticed at all, would have felt a disconnect between themselves and the First Lady.  They’d think, “Who wears a suit and pumps to the Grand Canyon?”

And the rest of the world?  They wouldn’t even have noticed.  And there’s something to be said for keeping the status quo.  But is that really representative of American women in 2009?  Do we sneak around in the shadows, going unnoticed? 

It might be safer, but it isn’t honest.  The average American woman is too busy getting things done – making a difference in the world – to worry about her image. 

American women are actively engaged in all aspects of public and private life, of family and community building, and we dress accordingly.  Maybe in some cultures, that isn’t appropriate.  But, this is America.  And in America, we wear shorts to the Grand Canyon.

This article first appeared in the Lewistown News-Argus and the Sidney (Mont.) Herald on August 29, 2009.