Classy Costumes

Makala Coleman

Windows down, I slammed on the brakes at a stoplight on Renfro. The car squealed and rolled to a leisurely stop. I don’t recommend driving with cut brake wires!

“Some people are just not classy,” said my friend Angel, sitting in the passenger seat. Then, the radio turned into an ear-splitting buzz. It tended to do that. Turning down the volume, I replied, “I know! There’s a difference between having class and wearing a classy costume.”

At the green light my sister’s car eased into action. The sun-scorched vehicle was definitely a statement of sorts. Its purple paint job was a butterfly magnet, so a lovely collection had formed in the back window. No AC made us look very dramatic, or very silly, hair blowing in the wind and check engine light constantly reminding of our precarious lifestyle.

Class: some people have it and some people don’t!

I thank God that I survived driving to work and back each day this summer. I also need to thank my sister, Kami, for letting me use her car. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my summer job! While I was frightened at times (I don’t even know how that cockroach got under my seat) I was so glad to have transportation!

Angel and I were driving into the sun. We’d spent a couple hours in Burleson and, sunglasses on, were ready to go home. On this trip we came to the conclusion that class, or sophistication, is about more than the car you drive or the clothes you wear.

Some might say we were just using justification, but even if we were, it’s still true.

It’s what you do that defines who you are. You have to make sure your actions reflect what you want to be known for. This being said, people are still going to judge you by appearances, whether it’s right or wrong.

Maya Angelou says, “You may not control all of the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

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