My whole life I have been an ultra-modest goody two shoes. Not necessarily out of a sense of pride, but more because that’s what I was used to. I remember during my freshman year of high school, some girl called me “a nun who lives in a cave.” This trait has continued so far that it took great convincing for me to wear a tank top to Disneyland on senior trip. Anyway you look at it, I’m a prude. But that’s not a bad thing.
One of the trademarks of being a prude is average average modest attire. My high school’s dress code requirement was that all bottoms had to be at within 4 inches above the knee. All my skirts hit my knee. Outside of school, my wardrobe is mostly sleeved shirts and long shorts. There is a benefit to this. I never get hit on or catcalled.
Some girl friends of mine have told me stories where some random guy has stared at them or made rather inappropriate comments. I’ve even witnessed this happening to them sometimes. As someone who dresses modestly, I’ve not had that problem. Note: I do not dress modestly because some guys can’t keep their mouths shut and eyes to themselves. I dress modestly because I want to. It’s more comfortable, provides better sun protection, and it’s what I’m used to.
Another defining factor of being a prude is a reluctance to date. That defines me to a T. In my entire life, I have had exactly one boyfriend. I’m curious why I ever called him that, because we didn’t even hold hands. Regardless, you can see that I don’t exactly leap into romantic relationships. This is a good thing! If you’re always dating and breaking up, it’s almost as if you’re training for divorce. My view is to become friends first, and if you think might want to stick together for life, then pursue a romantic relationship. Be careful though. Backing out of a romantic relationship into friend status is notorious for being a sticky situation.
Another aspect of a prude is manners and general politeness. I have been given so much grief by my dad and brother over how I’m too nice of a driver. Unlike them, however, I have never been in a crash nor am I driving around in a truck with a big dent in the side. Aside from driving, it is beneficial to be polite to people. Obviously there’s people you need to be respectful to, like your boss. But it’s very difficult to be switching all the time between polite and impolite. It’s better to just be polite to everyone, so that you are already in the habit of being polite when you are in a situation where such behaviour is a necessity.
So there are all the benefits, but why am I proud of being called a prude? Well the other option is to be terribly upset by it, and why would I do that? I’m living a lifestyle that, while different, seems to work out better than others. And I’m reminded of that happy fact whenever referred to as a prude.
