A Few of the Things I've Given Up

...Not for lent, forever.

High heeled shoes.  I used to wear awesome shoes.  There was a warehouse sort of place in Vancouver where it was possible to get beautiful shoes very cheaply.  However, they never had a full range of sizes, so I would buy whatever my foot would squeeze into.  Of course, I worked in an office at the time, and had to wear such things every day.  I had gorgeous shoes for every outfit.  Most of my clothes were mix-&-match separates in navy blue, mauve and burgundy.  Nowadays, I have one pair of dress shoes, with maybe a 1" heel, and that's about as high as I'll go.  For stage, I'll wear something higher if I have to, especially if I don't have to wear them for long.  For everyday, I wear ugly flat shoes with squishy insoles and wide toes.  I have decided that one cannot look fabulous if one's feet hurt.  Well, I can't, anyway.

Shiny clothes.  They only worked when I was young and skinny.  No more shiny jersey, satin, taffeta, lamé, and did I mention jersey? 

Skirts, unless I can wear shorts under them.  At least until I lose more weight.  My thighs have more than a nodding acquaintance these days, and the climate doesn't help.  Skirts are no longer comfortable.  I actually miss them more than I miss the heels, because I've always liked nice full skirts.  I have a couple of things I can wear underneath and should probably get more, because skirts are very difficult to give up.  I don't care if they make me look dumpy.  I look dumpy no matter what I wear, so I might as well dress the way I like and just avoid the mirrors.

Sometimes I long for the days when I just threw on a dress and a pair of drawers and I was good to go.  Or a halter top and a pair of wraparound pants.  Nowadays, such things require a lot of underpinning so that I don't resemble a Person of Walmart.  Especially if I'm going to Walmart.  I mean, you never know who is snapping your picture with a phone and posting it god knows where.  Think about it.

Getting back to shoes for a minute, I have to add flip-flops to the list.  How in the world did I ever wear those?  I can't stand to have that thing (thong) (that's what they were called, back in the day) between my toes!  Two steps and I realize, "OK, that's enough of that."  I used to live in the bloody things!  And those Indian sandals with the toe ring?  Those are not happening, either.

I don't wear much jewelry any more.  Every so often, I'll run across a pair of earrings I like and wear them for a while, but then I take them off and lose them again.  If the purpose of jewelry is to enhance one's beauty, then I'm done.

I swear I'm turning into Addy.  By the end of her life, she wore house dresses and slippers all the time, and her drawers had to be several sizes too big because she couldn't stand anything tight.  The last time I remember her dressing up was for our wedding, and she bought a beautiful outfit from a catalogue for that.  It was crepe-y and flowy and very Bea Arthur.  She wore dress shoes, too, albeit sort of Dr Scholl's sandals.  She also drank with us and walked the Riverwalk until 2:00 AM.  It was her last major party, as far as I can remember. 

If you ever see me out and about in a house dress and slippers, please shoot me.  Please.