You Were Born to Live in this World

by Hannah

‘Peanuts’ by the late Charles Schulz was a seminal work in art. Concise, clear, relatable, all without being overly preachy. It’s a comic strip that can be as silly as Snoopy doing, um, Snoopy things but there are also moments that speak to different people at different points in their life.

But this has always been my favorite strip:

Lucy isn’t known for being easy to disagree with mostly because of her personality, but she’s absolutely right here.

“See how big this world is? See how much room there is for everybody?”

And then she follows up with the question “You were born to live in this world… right?”

Again, it’s hard to disagree with her.

Once Charlie Brown does agree with her, she makes her final point:
“LIVE IT IN, THEN!”

And my god, she’s completely right.

There’s room for everyone. We were born to live in this world, even with it’s flaws and challenges and all the work that needs to be done. We have no choice, we have no alternatives. We need to live in it.

This was on my mind all day on Saturday. This past Saturday it was freeeeeeezing but I strutted out the door in a miniskirt and black stilettos. I got my makeup done, and got a coffee, went to a bookstore, met my friend Sophie for ANOTHER coffee, went to two thrift stores, an early dinner, a record shop, and then a drink (cherry limeade for me, I’m still sober lol), and finished the evening by seeing a play with two more friends.

I had no fear, no hesitation, no… anything. I just did what I wanted to do and acted like I belong wherever I went. Everyone was so nice. A girl complimented my necklace, a woman complimented my legs, and my friends discussed my stubborn (and arguably stupid) commitment to miniskirts and stilettos despite the icy sidewalks and below zero temperatures.

The key to going out en femme is remembering that we do belong. We belong here. In this world.

And that we need to live in it.

Love, Hannah

10 thoughts on “You Were Born to Live in this World”

  1. Okay, yes, you looked fabulous. You always look fabulous. But you can still slay in warm clothes, girl. Next time, thermal tights at least? Please? Cozy sweaters can also be cute AF.

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  4. I love how unapologetically you just live. You decide you belong and then move through the day accordingly. That confidence is honestly inspiring to me. Belonging is something I still struggle with more than I like to admit.

    And yes, I fully agree the miniskirt and stilettos choice. Anyone who doesn’t commit to miniskirts is objectively wrong. Maybe not the freezing weather, though.

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  7. I love your confidence. Having no fears or hesitation to go out dressed up is fantastic. Hearing about all the positive reactions is something I’ll try to remember if I ever pluck up the courage to do it myself. I dress up at home and think I can look pretty good. I don’t think I could ‘pass’ but I’m happy with how I look. Having never tried, it feels like a massive step to actually ‘strut out the door’ and into the world in the clothes I truly love to wear. One day maybe! Hopefully soon!

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    1. Go for it and feel free to take small steps. My suggestion is to just go for a drive in your car. Do that until you feel comfortable being out driving. Then maybe stop and get gas, or stop and take a quick walk at a park or somewhere quiet. You don’t have to jump right into going on a shopping trip. Build up slowly, that’s what I’ve done over the past few years. After a few months, I felt confident to even go out in some of my crazy fetish outfits.

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  8. I love this column. Having lived a number of years in Michigan.’I would have definite trouble feeling ready to no out side in zero weather in stilettos and a miniskirt. But having read Hannah for a number of years—even some of the pink fog years, I can appreciated her inner warmth which makes such an adventure possible. Pippin( Tom)

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  9. This so much! I’ve tried to preach this for years, especially for those that hold back because they’ll never be “passable”. Passable isn’t how cute or pretty you are, its feeling like you belong, reveling in your femininity and fitting in because you belong. That confidence may not come with just one outing. you might have to do several. Don’t be afraid to take small steps and find your own pace and zen. Remember, there are women who aren’t beautiful who pass every day. Why? Because they know they belong.

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