When I worked in Midtown Manhattan, I used to remove my wristwatch from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The days were long, and the sun shone until 9pm or so, I and liked to leave work thinking that I still had a good chunk of time to do whatever I wanted, instead of feeling that I had wasted another precious day of my life trapped (literally) inside of Corporate America.
The walk home was just over two miles, mere steps for a trained athlete like myself and I tried to make the most of the daylight I had left. Without a watch on it wasn’t time to eat, or time to head home, time to check my phone or time for bed. I was able to view the rest of each day like a serendipitous adventure– eat when I was hungry, sleep when I was tired, catch a movie, or sit leisurely in the park. Every day was different, and I looked forward to seeing where the journey of heading home took me– but usually minor shopping and snacks of some sort were involved. (We’ve met already, right?)
So on one such after work adventure I meandered up Madison and popped into a jewelry store just to admire the baubles, then strolled through Saks in need of absolutely nothing but made sure that I brushed up against the beautifully fluffy chiffon scarves. I made my way to the second floor of the big Gap on Fifth and walked out with a staple white t and an extra pair of navy flip flops. I cruised through Mangia on 57th Street and helped myself to a little salad bar feast of General Tso’s chicken, four kinds of actual salad, and a huge individually wrapped chocolate chunk cookie. And I swung that red and tan takeout bag as I skipped up Broadway and finally hoofed it home.
Just like the fun Where’s Waldo game, can you find all the bad habits in the above story? Let’s start with my orthopedist screaming at me for walking the two miles in sandals that had zero arch and ankle support! Offense numero uno. For this, there was no reasonable fix.
I’ve never been one of those “Let The River Run” Carly Simon Belting Out The Lyrics-Kind Of Girls who switched out of work shoes into commuter shoes (a la Tess McGill in Working Girl when she rocked black pantyhose and white Reeboks with sweat socks on the Staten Island Ferry). Hell no. I actually once clocked nine miles in absolutely adorable sandals that had feathers in the front, and a tie around the ankle party in the back– and I ended up with plantar fasciitis which translates directly from Latin into “you hurt your foot by wearing bad shoes.” Can I break this bad habit? Survey says… no.
Next let’s discuss the senseless purchase of another white t-shirt and more beach shoes to add to my collection of It’s Only Warm For About Two Months In NYC And I’m Oversubscribed With Summer Clothes Already, thankyouverymuch. (Oh, you have pieces from that collection? I knew we were friends for a reason. Wink.) So that’s two if we’re counting, and obviously we are. For this I have a semi-reasonable explanation. Ummm, I always need white shirts? They discolor in the wash eventually and sometimes shrink, and I like them looking pristinely white and impeccably fresh. Should I break this bad habit of impulse buying more of what I already have at home? Probably. Moving right along…
Thirdly, (or “C” as my old boss would have said, even if he had been using Roman numerals for one and two of whatever list he was verbally shouting) buying the salad bar Chinese fare and a big ass cookie wasn’t such a great idea, especially in the warmer months when water retention could have easily given me cankles at any moment. (No, I don’t have them yet, but it is a going concern.) Survey says… step away from the salad bar.
So as Memorial Day approaches this year, I’m realizing that I have not even worn a watch since March of last year! And I no longer work in Midtown– it’s the lap of living room luxury for me. So the pandemic has actually extinguished several of my bad habits by virtue of me not having to commute. So how now do I distinguish between summer in the City and every other time of year? My apartment is always a balmy 72 degrees so unless I crack a window and let the soot and sunshine in, I would have no idea if it were windy and 55 or humid and 84. Leaving the house every day “after” work seems like a great plan. And as long as I don’t walk by the Gap, Sephora, Madewell, Vince or Intermix, and I exhibit a little impulse control over the fried favorites and the sugary snacks, I think I might actually be ok. I guess I’ll have to find some new bad habits to pick up instead. Anybody up for happy hour? Happy Memorial Day Weekend!! Cheers.
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