Non-Bookish Thoughts...

Okay, so I'm one of those folks that totally believes in signs and gut feelings.  Like, I was at the grocery store the other day and I saw this man clutching a $25 scratchcard and got this overwhelming need to purchase one as well - the exact kind he had.  And guess what?  I won $100!  Pretty nifty, eh?  Or the time I decided to listen to my dream and read a Kurt Vonnegut novel and then he became my absolute favorite writer (he's the author I re-read most) of all time.  And then there was that other time I went with my gut and asked someone out for coffee and he became SOMEONE in my life.  So, you see my track record is not all that bad. 

Well, today I was reading my copy of Elle (a magazine that I have been debating to stop reading - I want to cancel my subscription, but I've already paid up until 2016 so its a moot point right now) and I saw two things that I'm convinced are signs that turning 36 is going to be the BEST thing ever.  The first was an article about clothes.  Yes, I know that sounds shallow, but its true.  The article was called, Goodbye To All That.  Originally I wasn't even going to read it, but then I read the blurb and decided that I could totally relate - "How does a thirtysomething woman dress - and feel - exactly her age: not young, exactly, but not old, either?"  So, I started to read and found out that the author had just turned 36 - talk about coincidence (I am turning 36 next month!).  To celebrate, she decided to gift herself a "closet cleanse" - two women come to your home and go through your wardrobe and get rid of anything/everything that shouldn't be there (like the short skirt you wore in your twenties, to the loud jacket you thought was quirky, to the scuffed boots you never wear anymore).  Then they advise you on what you should buy (to fill the now empty closet), so that you can achieve the "new look" you are going for - polished, pulled together, and playful.  Reading this article made me realize that I could totally relate.  My style is a mishmash of cheap/expensive clothing that does not really say much about who I am now.  When I was younger it was easier to dress for the day - I would go with my mood.  If I wanted to feel girly, I would wear a flowing dress with boots; if I wanted to feel French, I would wear a pretty scarf and ballet flats; and if I wanted to feel academic, I'd wear my corduroy blazer and boyfriend jeans.  But now, my idea of dressing up is making sure to put on a bracelet and a dab of lip gloss. Ugh!  I live in my ratty Beatles tee shirts, ripped jeans, and Converse.  Sometimes I wear a pretty blouse to feel feminine. Or I make sure to carry my Tory Burch or Marc Jacobs handbag to feel stylish.  Reading this article made me realize I need help.  I can't afford a "closet cleanse", but I can definitely use my own common sense and cull my own wardrobe.  Plus, I can drag my sister shopping with me and get some new things.  I want my "new look" to reflect that I'm older and wiser - but still youthful (I am only turning 36 after all). 

Now, for the second thing I read in Elle - it was a review of Murakami's latest book (which comes out in August!!).  According to the magazine, the book is an amazing new masterpiece (no big surprise there).  Anyhow, it wasn't the review that captured my attention, it was this quote:

"Though he lacked a striking personality, or any qualities that made him stand out, and despite always aiming for what was average, the middle of the road, there was (or seemed to be) something about him that wasn't exactly normal, something that set him apart.  And this contradiction continued to perplex and confuse him, from his boyhood all the way to the present, when he was 36 years old."

He's 36!  The protagonist in Murakami's, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, is 36 years old - how perfect!  Not only did learning that fact make me even more excited about reading the book, but it really made think that turning 36 is definitely going to be quite a "pilgrimage" of learning and I am ready for it.  I really feel like this book is coming out at the perfect time (just after my birthday).  How cool!

Of course, all of this thinking about getting older has made me realize that I've neglected my "40 before 40" list.  I don't think I've crossed anything off of it this year - ack!  So, I really need to start looking over it and get to work ASAP.  Especially now that I've learned my friend Kris' list has so many more items crossed off of it than mine.  Yes, I'm feeling a bit competitive.  I think it helps to spur me on (or at least I want it to).  Anyhow, that's what I've been thinking about today.  Now I need to go eat some pizza and read - I still have to finish my copy of Elle.  Have a great weekend!