Wardrobe Difficulties

Getting dressed in the morning is not so simple as you think.  Oh, perhaps for you, Mr. Businessman, or you, Mrs. Yoga Instructor.  Don your three piece suit and stretchy pants, respectively, and face the day.  Not so for Little Miss Sunshine.  I am neither a Mr. nor a Mrs., in business or yoga.  (Though I have been known to indulge in a little Warrior III.) 

When I roll out of bed in the morning, the world is my oyster, except oysters are raw and cold and slimy… so maybe the world is my freshly picked, window-ripened peach?  Anything could happen.  Really.  One morning I woke up and before the end of the day, I'd seen backstage at Barnum & Bailey's Circus and ridden in a clown car around the ring.  Another morning I rolled out of bed and spent the day cleaning bathrooms, wiping down bannisters and unexpectedly swing dancing with one of the best partners I've ever had. 

I know, you think life is predictable, full of routines and rhythms.  It's a trick.  Underneath the thin crust of that daily routine lies a roiling lava bed, scarlet with passion, ready to explode at the nearest crack.  There are races to be run, trees to be climbed, cartwheels to turn, and strangers to strike up conversations with.  That's what makes getting dressed and ready for the day difficult. 

Of course, I always pack my green egg shaker.  It's small, and I never know when I'm going to happen upon a jam session or be needed at Christmas Chapel (December 2010, it happened).  There are other things to be packed too, like a Bible, a pen, a scrap of paper in case the next big hit suddenly woos me with it's melodic genius.  Water bottle?  Yeah, that can be helpful for car trouble, or watering a poor, withering petunia.  Pocket knife?  Do you really need to ask?

That's just stuff!  What about wardrobe?  Can I really say: I'm classy and professional, let's climb that tree, I could beat you in a gummy worm eating contest and I love Shakespeare, all in one outfit?  I want flashy earrings, but they can't be too big or else my ears will be sore if I have to run somewhere, and they might pull a hole through my ear if I find a dance and my earrings get caught on my partner's watch.  As a general rule, I wear shorts under skirts and dresses.  It just makes climbing fences, doing aerials and impromptu ocean swims much simpler. 

Shoes can be quite tricky.  Have I pedicured lately?  Will I be doing a lot of running and skipping, or only a moderate amount?  What is the likelihood of needing to hike over something or be able to keep my shoes on while dancing?  Is the ocean within a ten minute walk?  Will the outfit be enhanced by heels more than it will be a physical pain to wear them?  I do love heels, you understand, but walking all over Australia has given me an appreciation for the cushion of Chacos.   

One of the keys to getting ready and out the door is simply not buying expensive stuff.  Who cares if I get my $7 dress muddy slogging through a field?  Not I!  If I break a heel in an impromptu footrace, it won't cost me three months salary to replace it.  My friends all know I'm cheaper than Scrooge himself, but it sure comes in handy when the options are sit on the sidelines or say yes to adventure.

Dress for success, so long as success is defined correctly,

Little Miss Sunshine