Day 23,767: A Dozen Days Off.
It’s been 12 days since my last post – an unprecedented break in routine. I have been sleeping a lot, and still am not caught up on all the sleep lost in the last decades. During that time, I’ve had to navigate (and still do), working more with my left hand, and finding clothes to wear. With a cast, my right arm has suddenly become beefier and all my long sleeve shirts are too tight. Luckily, the weather has been a bit warmer, if not consistently damp, and short sleeve shirts do work, but then sweaters become a problem.
To get by, I did find some sick clothes. These are long sleeve shirts that are too big, and fleeces and wind breakers with bigger sleeves. The problem is that when I wear them I feel sick and sloppy and just blah. As of yesterday, I put the last of my big long sleeve shirts in the give-away bag. It’s a commitment to feel better and be better as well.
I also have sick pants. Unlike the shirts, these fit, but just have soft zippers that can be pulled with one hand. I also have sick shoes. These are expensive, solid shoes for when I hurt my ankle and need to do a trade show or other business adventure on my feet. I hate them, but I’ll keep them for now. They worked once, and if I ever need them just one time again, they will be worth the ridiculous price I paid in order to stand for one week in Chicago’s McCormick Place a few years ago.
For now, only the sick shirts are going away, and I already feel better wearing normal t-shirts. They say “clothes make the man,” which is really funny since women are so much more fashion conscious. I’m hear to say that “clothes make one healthy,” as well regardless of gender. You’re more willing to go out in the sunshine and take a walk if you don’t feel like a wet dish rag.
The news on TV is depressing enough and as it is I’m lying in bed too much. So, I’ve turned that off. I don’t need to add other depressing accoutrements to my life in other forms.
Studies show a relationship between depression and clothing. If someone is consistently unkempt, it can be a sign of depression or other life aspects being off. But, the relationship works in reverse as well. If you’re forced by health circumstances to wear “sick” clothing that makes you look unkempt, it can make you feel depressed when you’re not otherwise.
Recovering from anything is a mental fight as well as a physical one. You fight boredom, being out of the game, not able to do some simple tasks (read opening a water bottle cap) — all of which can cause depression. Clothes don’t have to be an add on.
So, each morning while recuperating with my elbow, I’m making my bed one handed, since beds are also related to attitude, and have now discarded my sick shirts. If I need bigger shirts again, I’ll get someone to get me new ones that are at least cheerful. Meanwhile, I’ve also learned to put on makeup in a cast. Eyeliner is a challenge, but I’ve mastered most of the other foundations, blushes and shadows and it makes a difference as well. I’m almost ready to face the world.
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Focus on Gun Sanity: Yet another gun shooting — this time in Santa Fe, Texas, home state of the country’s gun culture. It’s a sickness in our culture, and time for us to change our stripes toward healthier practices. According to NYT Opinion writer Charles Blow, the solution may be to create a new generation of one issue voters. He writes: People seeking common sense gun control must become single-issue voters on gun control. Support for more restrictions may not be the only reason to vote for a candidate, but it must be sufficient to vote against one.” Women Against Gun Violence agree and their motto is Ballots Stop Bullets. One unique organization working to register voters is Headcount.org, formed to create registration drives at musical events and concerts. You can register with them to be advised of local news and events in your area.
When I broke my wrist a few years ago I was given a sling. It was a bulky, stiff, velcro-laden affair made with black ballistic nylon. Putting it on was a depressing ceremony — donning the official uniform of the Hampered Person. One day my wife suggested replacing the sling with a large patterned scarf, nattily knotted behind my neck. It became part of my wardrobe — more fashion accessory than article of torture. It was easy to put on, fairly attractive, and actually comfortable! Most important (and to your point) it made me feel better, not worse.
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Depressed people are frequently recognized by sloppy attention to their appearance and in reverse forcing relatively healthy people to wear ugly attire can make them depressed, which will only delay the healing process as you start to let other aspects of your life go as well. Would love to see a picture of the natty sling!
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It’s exhausting, life with one arm out of action. Courage! I’m glad you got rid of your yucky shirts but you explain very clearly what sick clothes are and why we need them sometimes. I’m looking at my wardrobe with new eyes.
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Thanks for the comment. Very interested in your survey and will participate! Glad you found me.
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That’s terrific, thanks. Blogging would have been hard for you with a splint. But not the hardest …*#~***
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Interestingly, it forced me to find and use voice to text software already embedded in Google software on my computer! But, as luck would have it, I got my typing ability back fairly fast.
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