Tomorrow I head off to the Iowa SCBWI Spring conference for some thrill-packed writing adventure. I can't possibly attend any portion of the conference without agonizing. Not over my manuscripts, mind you, I leave them home. My wardrobe. Because this just isn't an outing with other writers, the dreaded editors will be there, too.
What to wear, what to wear so as not too look too old, too short, too fat, too serious, too frivolous, too unprofessional, too self-involved, too uninvolved, too...something that you shouldn't look like you are. (But might be. I chew my lower lip. I'm not any of these things, am I? I hope not. I mean, what's the worst thing on the list? Too fat, maybe? I've met a lot of skinny editors...) So I'll go and try on everything in my closet. And decide I look fat in all of it.
So I will go to the mall and try things on. And look fat in all of it. I'll try on something conservative and feel old. Then I'll put on something trendy and feel...like an old person trying too hard to look young.
So, I'll give up and try on shoes. All of which hurt my feet or are too expensive or the wrong shade (exactly what I'm trying to match I don't know, but never mind that, they're the wrong shade).
The calender is ticking away and I still have nothing to wear.
I go back to my closet and see if there is something that could work if I only had the right accessories...and get disgusted at myself and pull something out, hang it on the closet door, deciding !THIS! is what I'll wear. Sheesh. Enough already.
Until the next day, when I think...so-and-so will be wearing jeans and if I wear something dressier it will look like I spend too much time on what I wear...and I'll go back to the mall, because all of my jeans are worn and not the right shade to wear with a really cute top, which I don't have...
At which point I'm glad that only signed up for one day of this three day event, because I'm already exhausted. Imagine what it would be like if I had to find things to wear for all three days!
I need another coffee.
Susan, who is going to go color her hair now...
