Relax (Take it Easy)

Everyone is concerned about appearances. Especially me.

Today, while I was walking through the crummiest area of downtown CSprings, noticing that I was about to pass dangerously close to a tough and hip looking guy with sweet tattoos (and probably one of those hats where you don't ever curve the bill or even pull it down securely on your head) I ever so subtly, with a flick of my thumb, reduced the volume of my ipod (previously blasting Hanson's "Mmbop" loud enough to get me kicked out of a library despite the limitations of the factory-issue earbuds) just enough to keep his judging ears away from my TRL-fueled jam session: a small gesture to save face with a total stranger. I did this, I realized later, despite the fact that I was walking home from my job as dishwasher, trash-handler and deep-fryer extraordinaire, in 92 degree heat which supplied no breeze to justify my kerchief-matted hair (looking very Leonidas-esque in combination with my beard), and despite being clad in a long sleeve button up shirt that I bought at for $7.50 at Wal-Mart literally five years ago, jeans that haven't been washed in probably at least twenty wears (held up by an official Boy Scouts of America belt), and Vans shoes (at least four years old) that have no idea what they're doing being worn with brown socks. Add to this the fact that I was probably still lip-syncing even as I did it.

Why?

Everyone has insecurities and we each deal with them with varying degrees of maturity. It's just funny (especially when you finally think you're pretty comfortable in your disintegrating, eternally double-knotted, never meant to be treated like slip-on loafers, middle-school appropriate shoes) where and how you draw your lines.

Also, to add to your already vivid images of my wardrobe, Brad and I spent a large part of today in a couple Salvation Army stores.

Brad's and his loot:
That's like twenty shirts.










My much less impressive haul:

Yup, that's one zip-up hoody, a collection of William Faulkner stories and a book of Aristotle. $7.00 all told.





Some investigative reporting tomorrow, I swear. I've got all my ducks in a row, I just need to upload them. You really need USB 2.0 to upload live animals.