Simple Things

I do not enjoy shopping. When it comes to replacing clothes, it is my preference to walk into a store I know well, immediately know where my clothing item will be and pick up the brand, color and size that I know and love. And then quickly resume living life-as-I-know-it.

Whether it's groceries, household items, clothes or getting the car serviced. I like to know what I want, get it and be finished with the task before I have to waste many brain cells on making a new decision.

When I find a clothing item that fits, I make a note of all of the particulars so that when the item needs to be replaced I can do so in record time. Jeans, dress pants, socks, under-things, purses ... anything that gets used over and over and over again, I find what I like and continue to replace it with its identical twin as necessary.

Thus, it drives me crazy when the clothing industry has 'new and improved' versions of what has already proven to be 'tried and true' for me. When I saw that improved label on my favorite brand of jeans, I walked out of the store empty handed and wore my jeans until they had holes in the knees. New and improved, my foot! The new version fits gross and disgusting. They are minus one customer.

** Note to my male readership: You may wish to stop reading here. From this point onward, it is quite likely a case of TMI. You have been warned!! **

My biggest dilemma of the past year or so has been in replacing my 'lingerie' items. These are items of clothing that need only to be serviceable, clean, non-binding and preferably not frayed or worn out. The only people that may ever get a glimpse of these items of clothing are me and the ER staff as they cut through my outer wear to save my life some day. The likelihood of that is pretty much nil. So I don't need pretty, frilly, fancy or adornment of any sort. I need something that simply fits (and sorry ... I'm just not mentally prepared for the 'granny panty' quite yet)!

I found a brand that fit the bill. But ... you guessed it. They tweaked their 'already perfect' item of apparel and it stopped fitting me. I have been trying to find another brand off and on for the past year. I hate wasting money on things that cannot be returned. So I try only sporadically. In the meantime, my 'tried and true' garments are becoming more frail with each washing. The elastic is showing. They are literally holding together by a thread. So my quest to replace these items has become more intense.

Last weekend, after a year of searching I found 'the one'!! I wanted to dance for joy and tell the world. But really ... who really cares but me? No one. Even the staff in the ER would not care about my latest discovery. It is my little secret.

So each morning, as I get dressed I am over-the-moon as I don my new under-things that don't pull, tug, ride up or bind. Then!!! The piece de resistance ... new socks (again, I couldn't find my regular brand but as luck would have it, I stumbled upon a brand even better than the first ... my first try)!! I feel like a million bucks as I walk out of my room, ready for the day.

No one in the world knows my little secret. I am happy from the inside out. From the centre of my being, I am happy and content. But (almost) as importantly ... my body is jumping for joy as it faces each day comfortable with what it is wearing - from the inside, out.