So, I did something today that I haven’t done in a really long time. Â I went shopping for clothes…at the mall. Â There aren’t many malls in the city, so it required a trip across the Hudson to Jersey City, New Jersey. Â Not really what you would call suburban, but it’s close enough. To the mall I went.
But let me step back a minute.
Last week I had a phone interview with a local start up. Â They called me less than an hour after I sent in my resume, and after a short conversation, they invited me to come in for an interview on Monday. Â That felt pretty good. Â I’m not sure what to expect or whether they can even afford me, but I should be excited that I have an interview. Â Opportunity, right? Â Instead, I found myself dreading it. Â Why? Â Because I didn’t have anything to wear that I feel good in. Â Nothing seems to fit me anymore.
I mentioned in my last post that I’ve gained some weight while I’ve been unemployed. Â Living in the city and commuting via subway provides a minimum amount of physical activity each day. Â Not a huge amount, but compared to those living in car cultures, the base line is higher. Â It helps at least to maintain my weight. Â So, without a job, and without working out regularly, no exercise to speak of. Â Add to that eating from stress, boredom, or any other fun reason, and it’s the perfect storm for weight gain. Â A lot of weight. Â So, here I find myself.
Rather than spending the weekend stewing, or lamenting the many articles of clothing in my closet that don’t fit, I decided to actually do something about it. Â It doesn’t seem like a big step, but it is. Â I didn’t punish myself for my current predicament, I instead spent the day finding something that makes me feel confident, so I can spend my interview talking about what I can do for this company and why they should hire me, rather than worrying if my pants are too tight.
Not miraculous. Â Not revolutionary. Â Just a tiny little step (and an inexpensive one at that) forward.
Next stop, back to the gym…oh, and also that interview. Â I’ll keep you posted.