Unfashionably So

I like flipping through magazines to see what is trendy, what's a do or don't. The thing is, I'm quite unstylish and can't be bothered to keep my actual wardrobe updated with what the magazines dictate. I buy the same monochromatic, tried-and-true pieces because they are comfortable and durable. I shop like a guy. Occasionally, I'll try an outfit with a splash of color and a pattern. Always a mistake. They languish in my closet accusingly, silently asking why I wasted the money.

MF and I lead a simple life. We don't own a lot of things most people can't live without: no car, no television set, no gadgetry, not even a real bed (we sleep on a Japanese-style mat called a tatami; very good for the back). All this probably makes us sound like ultra-alternative anti-establishment environmental activists on an Amish kick. You'd bet that we're vegan. The truth is, we like to eat meat. I hold down a corporate job and rather enjoy it. He's on hiatus right now finishing up a book, but is itching to get back to a "real" job. We're not very good about recycling. Basically, we're just weird.

What the simplicity affords us is pretty invaluable, though. We spend a lot of time talking rather than zoning out in front of a TV. We walk everywhere and have found that renting a car for special trips out of town is more than enough and cheaper too. Plus, I hate to drive. However, we do indulge in fine dining and weekly movie night dates - well worth the trade, I'd say. We also read a lot and our tatami-side piles keep growing.

The magazines remind me how woefully inadequate we are by conventional societal measures, but I tell ya, I love our unfashionable, strange life.