Toward the end of last year I looked on my dresser at the numerous pairs of earrings, many never worn. Were they actually beckoning? It seemed as much. And so, my second challenge for 2012 is to wear a pair of earrings every day. "Just what does this have to do with writing?" you might ask. Well, let's just say that my attire is not always presentable. I have been known to drive through McDonald's in my pajamas and I sometimes appear quite rumpled when I sit down to write at a coffeehouse. And sometimes, people recognize me.
Back in the day when writers were more anonymous, when they didn't need Twitter accounts or blogs for their books to sell, it didn't matter what a writer looked like on a day to day basis. On the occasion of a reading, the writer who had spent every day writing in his pajamas, could head to Lazarus (it was a now defunct department store) to pick a few new threads off the sale rack, stop by the barber shop for a trim, and no one was the wiser.
But today, it's not uncommon to be waved at in the drive-through line. Despite being the 15th largest metropolitan area in the United States, Columbus is still a small town. And so, I decided to spruce myself up a bit - at least my earlobes. If you see me in public without earrings, please do not hesitate to remind me of the challenge. And if you see me in my pajamas in the drive-through, please just move along. There's nothing to see here.Labels: 2012, drive-through, earrings, New Year's resolutions, resolutions, Twitter