But for a body, this could be a crime scene. Thankfully, no body and hopefully no crime in writing about the same book (titled above) twice. This time I have a different slant.
The theme of this simple little book is the perils of indulging our inclination to buy what we don’t need. It’s simple but stealthy. Without preaching or pontificating it turns Maslow’s need hierarchy literally upside down. My favorite line, “Even if they are fair trade, organic leg warmers, if your legs are cold, it’s still a frivolous purchase.” That puts me in my place every time.
Consider the ensemble pictured here. Ensemble might be too highfalutin, so call it my corona uniform. Pretty is questionable. But I Did Not Buy is true, mostly. Let’s get the untrue out of the way. I did buy the jeans (a long time ago and without much angst over the array of choices). But the rest was bought by someone else and came to me via gift, hand-me-down or theft. The mask was made by a friend and fellow yogi who has recommissioned her sewing machine during quarantine. The neckerchief was a gift (re-gift is more accurate) from my daughter. It’s supposed to be origami-style wrapper for a bento box. The instructions on how to use it were inscrutable but I do know how to tie a neckerchief. The linen camp shirt is a hand-me-down from another friend and fellow yogi who said it looked more like me than like her so she wanted me to have it. The saddle leather belt with an tiny brass keeper came from Italy with a long layover in my son’s closet. What appeals to an eighteen year old usually doesn’t to someone twice that age. But I’d always admired it. And given that it was was just gathering dust, I thought I’d take it. Decency prevailed and I asked if I could borrow it. His earnest response: “No, but I’d love for you to have it.” So I guess it wasn’t a theft after all. Jeans- accounted for. The brown leather sandals came from a tiny Greek isle, compliments of my sister. She took a tracing of my foot on her trip so she could get the right size. ( I really wanted a pair of these sandals and I knew I wasn’t going to Greece to get them. I love isles but hate the boats that take you there. )
So there you have it.. A corona uniform in six easy pieces. From top to bottom, a bunch of pretty (to me) things I mostly didn’t buy.