Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-22
SUB ROSA
BY MIMI.
BY MIMI.
What Cramps Your Style -?

You often hear persons complain
relatives. friends, neighbors. I sup
pose that many a husband who likes
to continue the gay life feels that
friend wife is the champion style
cramper. Perhaps the wife feels the
same way about him. Well, what
about it?
When a person talks about his or
her STYLE" I assume that such a per-
son is in possession of a certain way
of thinking and living. This style
person desires to express himself. l
presume, and feels the cramping
when somebody else gets in his way.
Folks who live in the country.
where there is plenty of earth beneath
their feet and much more sky over
their heads, are apt to feel that rural
life is so narrowing that they must
bust ont and make for the big city.
If these people only knew how
| cramping the big city can be, they
wouldn't be so anxious to leave the
great open spaces where the style of
nainter or poet would he free to eX-
nress itself to the full. There's moth
! ing very cramping about Nature, is
there?
But it's more likely to he the kind
| of people with whom we live, enVlouS.
gossipy folks, who are likely to baik
rs when we are trying to expand, or
when we think we have some hunch
which we'd like to tell the world. If
vo,Ir relatives. friends and neighbors
do get in your way when YOU re try
ing to express yourself, it's too bad.
| If they do.
| But I've an idea that when a person
complains Of this style -cramping bust
ness. that person is probably doing
most of the crampinG himself. lie or
she may be standing in his own llGht,
and the shadow he sees is mistaken
for somebody else. For after all, no.
body but yourself can really hold you
back. Other people may delay your
development or cause you to make a
detour, but if you are stepping on the
gas you're sure to push ahead.
You cramp your own style when
you entertain false impression OF
yourself And how easy it is to de
ceive ones own self as to ones value
and capability. The wise people keep
telling us that we must not think too
highly of ourselves or take ourselves
too seriously.
But it is almost as wise to suggest
to people that they are in danger OF
thinking too little of themselves or
taking themselves as joke. 1t isn't
easy to get the right estimate, but
it's worth trying.
Your style may he cramped by your
will as much as by your brain. II
you are not using all of your powers
but are running on low gear, you are
crampinG your style worse than q
whole community Of narrow minded
people could do for you.
It's up to you. First. you must de
eide what kind of a style you have
Then. you must find out how tina
style of living is to be expanded, OF
how you are to attain to self-expres
sion.
There's no doubt that every person
is unique, for no two souls are alike
any more than any two faces lool
alike. You have your distinctive
stamp of features. You can have jus
as much distinction about your per
sonality.
Don't think so much how other PEG
pie may do the cramping, but worry
a little over how that hemming in ant
holding back may be done by you
When one really has style. it won
be easy for any one else to cramp it.
| (Conyripht 1noI