Free to be...for now.

While I was in Saugatuck last Saturday, I noticed that I was picking up one after another flowy, artfully-designed garment and waving it approvingly in front of my mirrored visage. I paused for a moment of reflection and admitted that I was going to have to force strict austerity on my shopping behavior. It seems no matter how many What Not to Wears I’ve seen, I have lately been gravitating toward the bohemian, neo-hippie styles that the shops in this earthy, laid-back lakeshore community are known for.

Part of it is a mind that still thinks my body needs to hide under layers of fabric so that my extra layers of bulge won’t be betrayed. Except that those days are gone, and with them the three dress sizes I’ve lost.

I also think I am yearning for the feel-good days of my twenties, especially more recently as my professional life and what I see as its evolution become more complicated. As my heart rebels at the ideas of conformity and maturity, my hands grab for those flowery remnants of my youth.

I finally settled on nothing for the area above the ankles, but picked up two rewards for my feet, which have always behaved themselves well enough that they continue to enjoy un-reined liberty.

When I showed this pair to Ben, he said, “Yes, they are cool. Very much in keeping with your current aesthetic.”

And I said, “What do you mean?”