In the course of a lifetiem, we have all had fashion accessories that defined who we were, or last least who we wanted to be, I think of my granddaughter, who while in elementary school, defined herself by the bows that she sported in her long hair. I always looked for interesting and different bows whenever I was out and about and had the pleasure of seeing her receive them with enthusiasm and wear them as a stamp of her originality. Then she left elementary school and entered middle school and the bows, which hung on a special rack on her closet door, were history. The favorite item at her first middle school birthday was a special curling iron given to her by a with-it and in-tune aunt. We had moved on, as is only to be expected.
But I find at my age, the fashion accessories I have on my mind are the ones that I am trying to avoid. The first of these is a chain around my neck for my glasses. Every time I think about getting this addition to my life I avoid it, even though I know my family would raise a big cheer. For they are always on the hunt for my glasses, which I am sure ‘were just-over-there’ or ‘in-the-living-room-I-am-certain’ or perhaps ‘on-my-nightstand.’ But the minute I think about that might-be-useful chain, what comes to mind is a librarian from my youth. In my memory she is always behind her desk frowning at me, her sweater twin set a muddy gray, adorned with her cat’s eyeglasses on a decorated chain around her neck. I do NOT want to be that librarian.
The second fashion accessory I am avoiding is compression socks. I can see wearing these socks, which literally fight back as one tries to put them on, in weather than permits the wearing of long trousers. But long, rabidly gripping socks with summer capri pants is just not happening. Once again there is the image, or perhaps it might be called a nightmarish vision, of me in shorts in the grocery store, knobby knees jutting forth between aggressive socks and shorts, picking out apples. It is not happening.
I do realize that these are prejudices I should be able to overcome, but that has not happened yet. And I can honestly say I do not yet feel the slightest need to make the effort. By the way has anyone seen my glasses? I know I left them …………