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| Why not spend more time like this? |
It will be interesting the next time I dress to see if I feel content or restless as I'll be confined to the house. I'll be hitting the back deck for pictures for sure! I've been thinking about spending more time on the desk as opposed to snapping selfie's and darting back inside. As long as no one is in my neighbors yard working, I'm safe. I think it'd be lovely to start spending time out there for a coffee break from work or even take the work laptop out there and just be! I just realized that the pest control people come around here and there, I had been keep on top of that schedule.
Speaking of the deck, something that I realized that I missed out on was spending some time out there after dark. I could have easily done that as my neighbor goes to bed early. I would have been out there without the lights on. Gosh that would have been nice to light up the little fireplace table thingies and have a glass of wine. Next time!!
I have been thinking about other things that I could have done last week and that I need to focus on for next time. Here's a brief listing:
- use a drive-thru to get a burger or coffee
- a quick shopping trip to a corner drug store
- go to a movie
- have a meal at a restaurant
- shopping - but where? Mall? Burlington?
- get out in the daytime
I truly want your input on this! Where have you gone during your initial public outings? What worked well? What was a fail? What did you learn? Please share with me in the comments below. If you have blogged on this, drop me a link to your blog so I can read all about it.
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| A few minutes after leaving Target. |
for me to stomach. So I have been thinking about where is Tanya's neighborhood? The Walmart and Publix that I have taken night time pics in and the Target I visited are about 20 minutes from the house. I consider this area to be one of "my" neighborhoods. I have also identified another area where there are a few restaurants, Walgreen's and Startbucks which is 22 min from the house. This "corner" is my new area of interest. Now that Starbucks has the online ordering option, I plan to order a beverage, walk in and retrieve it. The first time will probably just be a grab and go, but as I feel more comfortable, I plan to stay. I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before I ditch the online ordering and interact with a human! That's my next frontier. Waaaahhhhh?!?!?!?
Write me! Comment! Ask me a question. Is this thing on?
You have moved forward quite a bit and it seems that you have plans to continue the journey. Will it get harder to not dress??
ReplyDeleteHI Steve! Although I love to dress when I can, it's not difficult for me to make the compromise when I'm around family and friends. I freely make this compromise. I'm always just me, sometimes I look cuter. At this point, my family takes priority.
DeleteAt first I only went out at night, after dark, and for very brief walks. I was told later this was not particularly advisable. More recently I've been out on early morning walk along nature trails and canal paths where you meet a few early morning joggers and dog walkers, and once you've passed and exchanged morning greetings a couple of time it feels natural. You're just another (older) woman out enjoying a morning walk. On one of these I was even brave enough to drop in on an edge of town supermarket (I'd forgotten to bring makeup wipes with me) and spent a while browsing the sales racks. I'd love to do that again, and maybe even stop in the café.
ReplyDeleteWhat works: dress down, dress sensibly. be confident. Smile. Scout out the route first. Enjoy it.
What didn't work. Mistiming coming back from a quiet early walk and into a road full of groups of teenage children on their way into school. Luckily they all seemed to be far more interested in their phones.
Hi Susie! Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice. I think teenagers is the most scary group to navigate in the wild, they are unpredictable and I suspect least compassionate. I have heard that time and time again - be confident and smile! That is excellent advice that I need drilled into my head!! Take Care, Tanya
DeleteTanya- I've walked a number of times in a park (canal and bike path) near home. Usually in the Fall/Winter/Spring, mid-morning, because I can cover my legs up without looking "out of place," and it's less crowded then. Glad I'm 5'6" as I blend in better, really don't get strange looks (that I notice, anyway). I'm shy about saying "hi" to people the other way, and keep my phone out not only so I can take pictures (duh, I'm a girl!), but also to look busy if I want to look down. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been in a few shops this way after the walks, small groceries and drug stores. And an art gallery, to walk around and see things. Seems to go well.
I'm not comfortable leaving home dressed, so I underdress pretty significantly (including getting a jeans skirt under my sweatpants, lol!), and change in a remote parking lot... then of course changing back before I get home.
Hug, Sara