Primary colours

"And you were so anti-establishment in school!"

So my mom exclaimed when she saw me this morning decked out in all the Jalur Gemilang colours to work. Just because an email yesterday asked us to do so.

I wondered, what has changed? As I walk into the office, very few people are really decked out. There are passing nods, yes, after all it doesn’t take any effort to throw on a white or red shirt over blue jeans. A few pale yellows (which is the wrong yellow anyway) showed up too. It’s funny when supporting an establishment (or an initiative spearheaded by an establishment) means that you’re going against the norm. Intuitively, one would assume the opposite to be true…

Woods in blue red yellow white by Steve Slimm

I was asked yesterday what I was like as a child. What my primary colours were like. ("Anti-establishment" wasn't among my answers.) It was a good assessment to make, and I'm still connecting the dots to what I was before with what I am now. And I think that my blues and reds and yellows have been mixed into less vibrant, distinct shades. For example. Lets say as a kid you were cheery and chirpy. Pure yellow. But you grow up, you get hurt, you find out that people aren't always nice. So you learn not to be so chirpy. Your yellow gets mixed, it's no longer crisp and primary.

Nothing wrong with mixing, because shades of the primary colours are more attractive than plain primary colours in their pure form. Think cornflower blue, cerulean blue and prussian blue. Yet, mix colours too much and you get an indistinguishable mess of grey.

And so. I want to go back to my primary colours and wear them boldly in all their pristine, stark glory.