On Willpower and Winter

Because of my well-established aversion to pants, my Winter wardrobe requires a collection of tights to keep my legs warm.  I stock up in September and eagerly await the first cool weather in November.  When temps in the low 50s arrive, I happily pull out my tights and feel toasty.

As the Winter drags on, the tights and I have a love-hate relationship.  I love that they keep me warm and match my skirts and dresses.  I hate the way that they sometimes feel uncomfortable and binding.  Invariably, there are a few mornings when I get them on twisted and spend an entire unpleasant day with an uncomfortable tight feeling behind my knee.  By January, I no longer welcome a morning wrestle with my tights.  In February, I start counting down the days until I need not wear them again, blaming them for the time they take from my morning.  It’s worth noting that while I take account of the weather in the Fall and don’t pull on tights until the temperatures are cold enough to require them, come March, I don’t give a damn about the weather.  In my tiny mind, March means Spring and Spring means I don’t have to wear tights anymore.  

By mid-February, I have my eye on the calendar in preparation to give up tights for the season.  We have Spring Break for the 2nd and 3rd weeks of March and during that time, I will pack up the tights and switch over my closet to warmer- weather clothing.  No matter how cold late March is, I will not wear tights again.  In the Middle School, sneakers are allowed and so I will bridge the chill gap with sneakers and socks.  Sometimes, they will match my blue legs.  But the tights will be gone, no longer tormenting my mornings.  

Should the days remain a bit chilly, a likely prospect considering the last few months around here, there’s always my pride to keep me warm.