It’s not really a hairshirt, it’s actually this flannel jacket/shirt thing I wear around my house. Whenever I put it on I get very depressed. I put it on because I’m feeling cold and it’s the best choice in a utilitarian sense. It does the job so to speak. It just so damn ugly. I think this is it, at least. I’m not sure how it happens, psychologically or spiritually or what….but whenever I put it on I may as well have put on a suit of lead that accentuates every body flaw I own and a few I didn’t know existed.I only wear it at home, when I’m in parenting mode.
It gets all the snotty noses wiped on it (not my choice, it’s literally out of my hands or out of their noses perhaps is more like it.) By now you are asking yourself why I don’t throw out that shirt. That is a good question. In the spirit of giving things up for Lent, maybe this is a good time to give up the comfy crappy shirt and choose the good. Ack, it’s just so comfortable.
And because I am Mrs Metaphor and I just can’t leave it alone I gotta say that I think there’s a connection here for us to draw our metaphorical moment. Looking at my crappy flannel I wonder, psychologically and spiritually, what else I’m clinging to in the name of comfort. What have we grown accustomed to that warms us up and makes us feel like hell at the same time?
Points to ponder…
fightingwindmills
March 3, 2008
What Not to Wear is called No te lo pongas here in Peru. Sounds like you are ready to get rid of that shirt. No te lo pongas, Mrs Metaphor, no te lo pongas!
highhopes1
March 3, 2008
Mrs could it be a security blanket of sorts for you? Or maybe you don’t want to wear one of your good comfies when the kids have runny noses?
The one thing that strikes me about your post is that you say “Whenever I put it on I get very depressed.” It could be you are feeling a little overwhelmed and you think it is comforting to wear, but I think it just symbolises that you are feeling blah and are out of sorts. I had a blue uniform that I used to wear when working in a clinic and everytime I wore the dang thing it made me feel blue, so I chucked it.
Hope your spirits lift soon!
mrsmetaphor
March 3, 2008
Well I actually worked up some courage and I tossed it right after I wrote this and the trash has been picked up so…there it is.
Now, metaphorically…there are a few comfy but ugly things I feel I oughta do away with…spiritual trash pick up…next sunday.
writerchick
March 3, 2008
Yikes, MM-
Your question makes me think of my last three relationships. Now that ain’t good. I have a rule where ugly clothing is concerned – I only get to have one ratty sweater and never wear it in public – every other ug-clothing article goes to the rag bag or are relegated to painting clothes.
WC
That’s mah job, WC…glad it found a place in you….
High Hopes
March 4, 2008
Good for you Mrs M for trashing the jacket. You may miss it for awhile, but eventually you will forget it.
gr8brainfarts
March 5, 2008
This has got me thinking about a lot of things. I think there are too many things I hold onto, psychologically and spiritually, for comfort that I need to let go of. That’s why I have a therapist with job security…
Thanks for the post!
BeeBuzz
ann
March 10, 2008
food, food, and food.
babychaos
March 13, 2008
I used to look smart, then I lost my job and stopped wearing my nice clothes because I was only knocking around the house all day. Then I started to think… If I don’t wear my nice clothes round the house I’ll never wear them and I’ll look like a slob for the rest of my life. None of my nice clothes are quite as nice as they used to be but I hey, at least I get to wear them.
Bin the shirt! Buy a new piece of comfort clothing! One you look hot in as well as feeling comfy in!
Cheers
BC
PS Sorry I haven’t been around, none of your recent posts have come up on my blog reader thingy!