Tuesday, December 1, 2015

the tie the day before




EVERY NIGHT I put out what I’ll be wearing the following day, including underwear, socks and shoes — and a belt if I’m wearing a belt. I started this daily ritual the night before I took my seventh grade school picture and I’ve kept it up ever since.
      I remember my mom had gone shopping in Lafayette that day, and I’d asked her to keep an eye out for a yellow tie. Who knows why? And she’d returned with a yellow knit tie. I practiced tying it around my neck a few times, then I rolled it up into a yellow ball and put it in one of my penny loafers, next to my other penny loafer with a pair of socks inside. That way, when I woke up, I wouldnt have to go looking around for my socks or my tie. I could shower, put my clothes on, tie the tie around my neck and not be late for school.