I threw on a cute dress, put my hair up and switched purses to look more presentable than my usual work-from-home attire to attend an out of town event at a house museum in San Antonio with one of my cousins and a friend. We’d underestimated the traffic and arrived much later than we’d anticipated. Somehow, we didn’t miss too much of the documentary about the Ethiopian civil war.
Afterwards, we did the touristy thing and went to the Riverwalk for dinner. As hungry as I was, I tasted the fast food quality of my entree, accompanied by the watered down cocktail. Apparently, we were lucky to get that on a Thursday evening since the restaurant closed at 9 PM.
I chalk that up to the pandemic where everything seems in short supply, especially staff to keep places open.
I finally turned the corner in this picture.
When I looked at these pictures my friend had taken, I was surprised at the older woman in the cute dress and with stylish purse. I knew this day would come, but I didn’t figure it would happen on an occasion where I felt particularly attractive. I walked off the feeling and thought, “Well good for me!” I’m glad that I can feel vivacious even if I don’t look like it. (Notable exception: check out the definition of that arm casually draped on fencing. Daily planks, anyone?)
Check out the comfortable footwear.
I was told in my early 30s that I had the sensibilities of a woman in her mid 40s. I took it as a compliment. I’d kicked the come-fuck-me pumps to the curb when I joined Peace Corps. I didn’t even pack a pair of heels for that 2 1/2 year experience. I let go of many materialistic hangups while volunteering in Tanzania. So easy not to believe the hype of consumerism and fashion during that time.
Even now, among my immediate family, I have the fewest clothes, shoes and psychological attachments to material things. That’s served both me and my bank account well. The only thing I wish I’d done differently with my money was invested it better. It’s one thing to pay off one’s credit card at the end of the month and have a 401k (or some retirement equivalent), but it’s quite another to chase after economic investments that generate income whether I’m chasing after it or not.