Planning my wardrobe for a big speech tomorrow and tempted to purchase something new. Then I remembered Thoreau’s advice: never trust any enterprise that requires new clothes. Reminds me of the time I purchased a fabulous St. John black knit dress for a speech in Cincinnati. It came with a matching Nehru-style long jacket, and I must say, I looked fabulous. But the room was set at about 90 degrees and so halfway through, I shed the jacket. The speech went well and I received enthusiastic applause. Afterwards, a woman came running up to me. “I wish I had your courage,” she said. Of course, I was assuming she was referencing the élan with which I went through the death of my parents or something along those lines. But no, here’s what she said next. “To wear a dress that clings so tightly to your rear-end: you are the bravest woman I’ve ever met.”
Carol Orsborn
