These pictures above are not good ones, and in fact might technically be bad for a variety of reasons, but I like them anyway.
I am wearing my favorite summer dress in these shots, the one that Wendy bought for me a few years ago, in a thrift store in Chicago. I think I was there on paperback tour for Instant Love, and it was hot, and I was mad at my boyfriend at the time about something or other. Like I feel like all I did that whole day and night was talk about how angry I was, and now I can’t even remember why.
I’ll have to remember that the next time I get angry about something. That years later it will be so irrelevant it will barely even exist as a truth.
I think Wendy must have bought me the dress to cheer me up.
I like it when people give you presents that can be displayed, on your person, on your wall, so that you can think about the gift-giver whenever you see it. Even when the feelings are complicated it is good to remember a kind and generous gesture.
If it gets too complicated, you can just put the gift in a cardboard box and seal the top with tape, or throw it in the garbage, or give it to someone else who will probably then attach a new sentiment to it. I have done all of those things before, but not a lot. Probably just enough. I think sometimes people forget that they are allowed to do those kinds of things.
I don’t know why I haven’t been wearing that dress more. It’s really sweet and I bought a funny pink belt to go with it that I never wear except with the dress, and I feel sad for the belt, just hanging there in my closet, funny but unused, like a young stand-up comedian standing in the wings, waiting for his late-night five-minute set, only to get bumped by someone more famous.
Anyway, that situation will be fixed immediately.
I miss Wendy.
If you have not been eating raspberries and cherries from the farmer’s market all day, along with a super pungent, almost noisy cheese, one with a little bit of a delayed kick to it, then I feel kind of sorry for you. Not in any sort of condescending way though. Just that I wish that you could taste exactly the same things that I have been tasting on this overheated, lush, portentous Sunday.
