Alternativity

I couldn't have delved further into alternativity today. I know that isn't a word—well, now it is. It sounds much better than alternativeness, which I didn't know was a word, but I suppose it is, because it doesn't yield a horrible squiggly underline when I type it in here. I hate those red lines. What if I want to make up a new word? Who are you, computer, to tell me what my linguistic limitations are, huh? Anyway, today I found my self just about as "alternative" in my dress, demeanor and action as it gets.

I should probably start at the very beginning, at midnight last night when I rinsed the henna dye out of my hair, and watched it run like a soup of red clay between my feet down the white tub until it vanished down the drain. That stuff smells so bizarre. I can never really pinpoint the scent. It has familiar notes of matcha, kava and some other soily (red squiggle word), herbal potions. Now my hair has a slight red shimmer, but I applied henna for its strengthening and softening qualities more than for the color. I awoke feeling a bit more hippie than I had the day before and decided that on my day off I should take the opportunity to go post my "Looking for Work" flyer at the nearby Waldorf School, advertising myself as a potential tutor, English teacher, babysitter and whatever else might come to mind. My colored-pencils were spread all over the dining room table; reminiscent of how they used to reside strewn over my desk, back in the day when I didn't sleep in oder to make my main lesson books beautiful.

Once the flyer was finished, I donned turquoise tights, a semi-tie-dyed, ethnic-inspired, indigo-colored dress from Indiska, wore the copper ring I made in 11th grade, turquoise and copper earrings from a Native American reservation in Thaos, New Mexico, my ancient, red corduroy backpack, which I got for my 10th birthday and my black boots...

I bounded jollily through the woods, humming Michaelmas songs, to Kristofferskolan and got that high that only a Waldorf school can give. Aesthetic, funny-looking buildings, wooden signs, rainbow curtains, gnomish things, eco-friendly people everywhere with frizzy hair and pants made out of olive-colored linen. Typical. But oh, so beautiful. I struggled to find the main office and had to (got to!) walk through the auditorium, which was simply stunning. The sound of violins rang through the halls, and off in the distance the kindergarteners were singing...I wish I could live in a waldorf school. I'd be perfectly content curling up on a sheep-skin rug in the kindergarten and sleeping forever.

I was directed by the lovely office people to hang my flyer on their bulletin board, did so and then made my way out of la la land and into town. Merp. Town isn't exactly alternative but my purpose was to get some nice gloves for the winter and headed straight to Gudrun Sjödén, a very, very alternative, eco-friendly, hippie-styled clothing store. I bought myself beautiful, organic striped gloves and some thick striped tights for the winter. They package and send their merchandise off in organic cotton bags. Reusable and with a beautiful pattern. I rarely go shopping, but when I do this is the kind of store I'd like to find myself in. I almost never indulge in expensive clothing, but this was a treat that was absolutely worth it. Gudrun Sjödén isn't just about sustainable design, but also honors women in all shapes, sizes and from all backgrounds. If I couldn't live in a Waldorf kindergarten, the next place I'd curl up is in a Gudrun Sjödén catalogue. I even had the audacity to ask if they needed catalogue models (Never in my life would I dream up to ask such a thing. I definitely have no talent in that area, but the clothes are so beautiful that I just had to ask, and considering the whole not-skinny-bitch concept that they have, I figured it would be worth a shot.)

Well, eco-friendly winter-gear in hand, I made my way through Södermalm to visit my friend at work and bring her some homeopathic cough tea, but I spied her evil boss (just kidding, her boss is really friendly but I'm scared of her even though I've never met her) in the window so I kind of chickened out and didn't want to create an awkward situation by going in to announce that she was sick... yeah, so I passed the store and ran into a friend who I met in Järna (anthroposophical mecca of Sweden) on this fermenting and preserving foods course that I partook in. We've since met up a few times on the farm, but I never expected to run into her on a random side street in Södermalm. Cool beans! She had to run off to something, but I continued on down the road to the Saltå Kvarn store (Organic/ Biodynamic food store that originated in Järna.) There I quenched my hunger with a yummy fruity-nutty cinnamon bread bun thing.

On the metro-ride home I salved my dry hands with some of Weleda's "Skin Food," and thanked the anthroposophical community for their natural cosmetics and health products.

But wait, there's more! Then I roasted myself a pumpkin and hummed some more Michaelmas songs. I feel like I am going to breathing in rainbow colors and soon I'll turn into a wood elf and make leather sandals for a living... Hahaha, I'm just noticing that my computer's spell-check really doesn't like the words, "Waldorf," or "Järna." Well F you, you mainstream non-alternative computer which some boring capitalist human programmed. Don't think you can tell me which words I can and can't use. Mary Poppins made up all sorts of crazy, beautiful words....and somehow supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is registering as a real word. That's it! I've had it!