childhood | Designer Sophisticate

Some dreams die hard.

Daily writing prompt

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, little Designer Sophisticate wanted to be a ballerina. Then she stopped growing at 5’2 and put on weight and her dreams were dashed against the rocks of reality. I’m neither tall enough nor slim enough to be a ballet dancer, either professionally or amateurishly, but that’s alright. I can still enjoy watching the ballet and pretend I’m the one on stage doing all the fouettés and pirouettes. Swan Lake is probably my favorite ballet, not just for the dancing, but for the music. Tchaikovsky wrote some impressive scores, but the Overture, for me, is the best of the lot. I know a lot of people will pick something from The Nutcracker, and it wouldn’t be wrong, but I gotta go with Swan Lake on this one.

Don’t look at me, I didn’t do it.

Posted on July 28 by Beth

Today’s Word of the Day is disavow which means “to deny responsibility for.” When I and my sister were younger, we’d take turns disavowing all the nonsense we did around the house that aggravated our parents. LOL. Not that we were bad kids, we weren’t, just that we got into your garden variety trouble as kids, and did what kids are wont to do in those situations. We blamed the other person. Or suggested it didn’t happen at all and maybe our parents were blind/deaf/crazy. That tactic never went over well. For today’s Musical Interlude Friday, I chose probably the first (and only) song people think of when it comes to denying responsibility for something. Here is “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy. Enjoy!

There, there…calm down now.

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Beth

Sunday’s Word of the Day was pacify which means, “to soothe, appease, or subdue.” A great way to pacify me is to put on some classical music. Nothing too bombastic, so skip the Wagner, but something light. Growing up, my parents always called it “sleepy-time music” because when I wasn’t feeling well or had trouble falling asleep, they’d put on the classical music station, and I’d be out like a light. It still works on me to this day, and I’m very much a grown-up now. I just have to be careful about listening to it when I don’t want to fall asleep, otherwise, I’ll start nodding off. LOL

Like bosom buddies.

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Beth

Monday’s Word of the Day was compadre which means, “a close friend.” I’m lucky to have several close friends, ladies I’ve known since we were in kindergarten…which was 35 years ago now. I also consider my sister to be a compadre, though we’d both agree that we didn’t always think of one another quite that warmly. I’m glad we have the relationship now that we do because there will come a time in the not too distant future when we’re going to be all the other one has. A sobering reminder that if you’re fortunate enough to have a sibling or two, try to have the best relationship with them that you can. You never know when you’ll need them.

Oh, a regular little Dennis the Menace, you are.

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Beth

Today’s Word of the Day is rapscallion which means, “a mischievous troublemaker.” I can honestly say this word was never used to describe me as a kid. I was your garden variety goody-two-shoes. I still am, honestly. I didn’t like getting in trouble because the embarrassment and humiliation of being chewed out or punished by my parents the few times I did something wrong was enough to disabuse me of the desire to do it more often. They didn’t believe in corporal punishment, so my sister and I were never spanked; they punished us by taking away privileges or toys or making us copy from the dictionary. Yes, you heard that right. We’d have to copy from the dictionary. Trust me, that was enough to make us behave. LOL

Ah, to be a kid again.

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Beth

Monday’s Word of the Day was frolic which means, “to play and run about happily.” Being a kid was fun. I mean, there were things about it that sucked, to be sure, but being a grown-up isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. You have all these responsibilities and necessities you have to worry about, there are bills to pay and appointments to keep…it sucks sometimes. When I was a kid, the most important thing I had to do was make my bed every morning and keep my room clean. Who wouldn’t want to go back to that?

A little of this, a little of that.

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Beth

Sunday’s Word of the Day was menagerie which means, “a varied collection, especially of animals.” I never had a menagerie of pets growing up, we only had dogs, and then a dog and a parakeet. Now, I have a dog and a cat, but that’s the most I can handle. I know people with a couple of dogs, a couple of cats, a fish tank, a hamster, a parrot cage…that’s just too much. It’s expensive enough keeping the dog and the cat fed decent food. I don’t want to add another animal’s victuals to the list.

A staple of summer.

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Beth

Tuesday’s Word of the Day was ephemeral which means, “lasting a very short time.” Fireflies are ephemeral. I wish they lasted longer because as a child, I loved watching them flit around and glow in our front yard…and I still love watching them to this day, and I’ll be 40 next week. Many, many years ago, when I was just a little Designer Sophisticate, I caught some in a jar (with holes poked in the lid), but they died by morning, which devastated me. I suppose that teaches you that not everything that’s beautiful will last. A good lesson to keep in mind when you get older.

Eat, drink, and be merry.

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Beth

Yesterday’s Word of the Day was gregarious which means, “enjoying the company of others.” I certainly try to be gregarious in social situations, but I don’t always succeed. I’m shy and frankly, incredibly taciturn around people I don’t know, so I’m never the person to break the ice and just start up a conversation. My sister is like that, she always has been. As a kid, I was jealous of her ability to just make friends wherever she went. Our parents would take us to a local carnival every summer, and she’d be running around with a bunch of kids she just met, having a high old time, and meanwhile, I’m by myself or going on rides with our dad. I’ll be 40 in June, so maybe I’m too old to learn, but you never know. Stranger things have happened.

Where are your manners?

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Beth

Saturday’s Word of the Day was uncouth which means, “not polite or socially acceptable.” I am, thankfully, a very couth person. My parents taught me and my sister proper manners when we were little, and we continue to use them as 30-something adults. By “proper manners” I don’t mean something out of Downton Abbey, but rather, we don’t chew with our mouths open or put our elbows on the table or cough/sneeze without covering our mouths…things like that. I didn’t realize until the pandemic hit just how gross and disgusting most people are. Imagine having to tell grown adults to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. I could never.