Now I know what I miss

I work from home. Every working day (and often on Sunday and public holidays - as will be the case this weekend), I sit at my computer from around 7 in the morning to the late afternoon or evening. All my meals are eaten while sitting at the keyboard. As I sometimes drop food onto my lap, because I'm too absorbed in what I'm reading online, I wear my oldest jeans and often place an old tea towel on my lap to catch any falling morsels. On top, I wear old long-sleeved T-shirts or, in winter, plain woollen pullovers. Why sweat into one's best clothes if no-one is going to see them?

This is why, whenever I have a chance to go further than the bins, the post office or the supermarket, I change out of my grotty clothes and into an outfit with a bit more thought behind it. Even going into town on a Saturday, just to sit in the library with a cup of coffee and the latest papers and journals, makes me want to put on some smart clothes. After all, I might meet the love of my life while on my way there or while reading Good Housekeeping. One never knows.

At the last count, I had 12 dresses, around 7 skirts and a plethora of blouses, both long; and short-sleeved. Then there are all the T-shirts and tops, some of which are older than my youngest evening class students.

When have I worn all these things most recently? Well, not in the last three months, that's for sure.

Life has become pretty boring always wearing the same two old pairs of jeans and three long-sleeved T-shirts. I'll even wear them tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow (as Shakespeare once put it) when I go walking over the long weekend. Why wear out good clothes when all you're going to do is get them dusty and sweaty?

I mentioned this to my singing teacher on Tuesday and she requested that I wear a dress to her next lesson. I might wear the one I bought for my sister's wedding. I don't think I've had it on in 10 years. If I were to follow the rule of getting rid of clothes I haven't worn in the last 6 months or so, then I'd be left with some pretty shabby clothes. I shall, therefore, hold on to what I've got in the hope that better times will come. Laissez les bons temps rouler - as they say in Louisiana.