On Fridays we wear purple.

If you've ever watched the cult classic film Mean Girls, your familiar with the Plastics rule of wearing pink on Wednesdays. What would normally be met with aspersion by normal teens becomes ritual for this particular clique, part of the accepted canon of being with the elite. The situation in the film thus becomes humorous as Cady struggles to meet the prestige of the girls, and then later surpasses it.

On Fridays we wear purple. It was said to me matter of fact, with no more nor less enthusiasm than You need to see Marge to get the travel forms. It didn't require explanation, a playful tale, or witty remark: On Fridays we wear purple. As I sat listening to that introductory speech four weeks ago, I seemed to be the only newbie finding humor in what the serious and intimidating principal said. Glances around the room clearly told me no one else was thinking, are you serious?! Hmm....Must be alone.

Feeling particularly devoted to school spirit that first Friday, I rummaged through the closet, produced the only purple (in fact, a pale lavender) shirt I could find, and donned it for the day; preparing to be mortified as the only teacher naive enough to follow the administrations' oration to a T. Wrong again. Purple was THE color to be wearing on Friday. Teachers, admin, hall monitors; if you were an adult- you were in purple. Thank God for naivety. Clearly Cady, it isn't just the Plastics who have fatuous customs, adults do it too.

When my purple jacket, school emblem in the upper left corner, arrived today, I was elated. Yet another status symbol of being in the adult Plastics at my school. I like it.

I can't help but wonder why we not only join in on the observance of purple Friday, but why we, like Cady, enjoy it? Maybe it's a middle school/high school thing. Maybe it's because the alternative is a sense of self-doubt, stares and glares, and knowing you're left out of a grown up clique where your membership already hangs on precariously by a purple thread. Maybe it really is about setting the scene of school pride, or maybe it's because it's just that much easier to get dressed on a Friday.

When our young charges stroll in- in their baggy pants, Goth makeup, and seemingly non-pretentious clothing (a whole topic on its own) preaching about how their "unique individuality" expresses their rage against conformists- we all role our eyes. Please...get over yourself...no intelligent adult purposefully conforms to a group for the sake of conforming. And yet, as I stand there in my neatly pressed jeans and purple shirt this Friday, I know I'll smile at the young little mavericks and laugh at myself and the ridiculously blatant symbol of conformity I wear. And as I turn in my order form for yet another purple staff shirt, I'll have an an inward chuckle and a metaphoric tear to my eye.