Sunday, July 26, 2009

MEDITATION ON A PAIR OF PANTS

Last night I was thinking about a pair of pants I used to have. They were a very deep black, soft, wide-ribbed corduroy. I bought them from the Gap.

I didn't buy much at the Gap when I was growing up, so when I did I would cherish the iconic blue plastic shopping bags with the chord tie enclosure. I would use the same bag for my lunch, or a change of clothes, or whatever other plastic bag type necessity I could fulfill. I would use them until they were worn away, until the blue had been scratched out and faded to a dull grey. One time I noticed that Cory Baskin, one half of the Baskin twins, a kid who was very smart and nice but also really really cool; all the girls liked him, he always had the newest Michael Jordan sneakers, his hair was black and spiky and he had a swath of freckles and a cute little button nose, but anyway I saw him carrying a white, plastic TJ Maxx bag, a variety of bag that even if I used a different one every day, I would barely dent my mother's supply. This may have been my first understanding of the difference between being and trying to be, and that the really cool kids never had to try.

But the pants I refer to came later. I bought them when I was at home from college to wear while in Europe. They fit really well, and had a nice bell at the bottom, and they were so warm and soft. I loved them alot.

That's all. I was just thinking about those pants.

2 comments:

Cory Baskin said...

i can't say that i remember that particular t.j. maxx bag as well as you do, though i do recall purchasing at least 2 sets of winter gloves there whilst in junior high. thanks for the memories and the kind words. hope you're doing well. (btw, my mom googled my name last night looking for my work address, which she had misplaced, so that she could send me a pile of bed bath and beyond coupons for my new apartment, stumbled across your blog, and alerted me to your "mediation on a pair of pants")

Elka DePierre said...

Hi Cory! No idea when you wrote this...but hey there!