Most people, when asked, can tell you quickly whether they are city mice or country mice. My sister loves New York, with the lights, the energy, the theater, the shopping, the dining, and everything associated with sophisticated, urban living. I would rather live on an isolated Kansas wheat farm than spend a weekend in NY. I like quiet, open skies, large front porches, and small populations with space between me and the people next door. I also love the more casual lifestyle of rural living, especially when it comes to clothes. City living demands, at minimum, a fundamental understanding of the basic principles of style (and a daily commitment to at least attempt to achieve it), while small-town living offers the blissful option of a quick dash to the supermarket in sweats and no makeup, when you are not, in fact, going to or coming from the gym.
After a few years, however, country mice can start to get comfortable in their casualness and forget that yoga pants are not necessarily the only clothing option available, and that messy ponytails and no makeup are sure to bring you face-to-face with old flames or, worse yet, old school friends who only wear workout gear to, well, work out.
So I’m out running errands, happy and semi-oblivious to the fact that my entire outfit was purchased at 3 different stores whose names ended with the word “Mart,” and run into an old college friend, in town for a marketing retreat with her advertising company. Yep, the one she owns. She bounced over, all fabulously fit from her apparently 3-hr daily workouts, tucked into a very expensive pair of jeans and high-heeled boots, with her perfect hair and airbrushed makeup, and then proceeded to catch me up on the recent publishing of her new photography book (she’s a writer and award-winning photographer), which she’s “just too tickled over,” but she lamented that she’s missing her earlier career as a legal interpreter (she speaks fluent Mandarin). As I stood there, in stupefied silence, waiting for her to take a breath, she finally stopped long enough to ask, “How’s the skiing here?” Not exactly a conversation starter, since I don’t ski, but no matter. Seems she’s an expert downhill skier (big surprise), and thought she might be able to “squeeze in a few runs” before her returned to her winter season home in Palm Springs. As she bounced away (visions of Tigger, from Winnie the Pooh, kept flashing through my mind), with her “SO great to see you and get caught up!!” (interesting comment, since I hadn’t said more than “Uh, huh” for the past 20 minutes), I expected to see her mount up on a unicycle and ride home on one wheel while hand-stitching quilts for orphans (I know…so going to hell for that one), but she let me down here and drove away in her vintage Jaguar with a little wave and a bright smile.
God, I’m such a loser…
Secretly, she probably is lonely, has low self esteem & only half of her accomplishments are true. The Jag is leased & who know what else is? Thanks for the laugh, though. I’ve met tons if people like that who turn out to be inwardly miserable. Feeling better yet? Meow to me!
Vikki, this so would have been me, because I don’t think I have worn anything, but yoga pants in weeks. So, I was reading thinking I hate this woman and I never even met her. Ok a bit harsh, but us yoga pants wearing women have to stick together!! :)
You my friend are not a loser, you have family, friends, and blog followers!
I love your blog. :)
I too live in a rural area, only when I dress in jeans and a clean shirt ,that is high fashion for this place. The norm being either sweat pants of PJ bottoms and a ratty tee-shirt. Clean apparel is optional, I’m beginning to believe.
Aren’t those people annoying – the perfect on the outside ones. I just avoid them, even though if I sat down with them for more than a couple hours I’d probably see how screwed up they are underneath their shiny exterior.
Your title intrigued me because I did try to learn Mandarin as quickly as I could through Rosetta Stone before we went to China last year to adopt our daughter. Haven’t touched it since we got back. Someday I’ll revive it so all y kids can re-learn their native tongue. :-)
I’m terrified of over-achievers like that. There is a difference between being an over-achiever and a Renaissance Woman. I aspire to the latter.
LMAO!!! You run into them in person…they track me down on facebook. The best part about facebook…I can ‘accidently’ unfriend them. Hopefully you little miss overachieving ray of sunshine won’t make any more guest appearances in your life.
And, I agree with the others, she’s probably lonely, and not happy. She’s got all the superficial stuff, but not the stuff that really matters; love, family and friends. And you are WAY more beautiful – it’s whats on the inside that really counts. And you got that in aces. ;)
Hahahaha – I have a feeling that someone is overcompensating for something… and it’s not you.
Yuck! She sounds exhausting… Blech.
I’m with Synnove…exhausting! Give me a pair of yoga pants and a ponytail any day! (All three clothing items purchased at a -Mart…bwahahahaha)
To answer your original question, it took me a few years to learn Chinese in my mid-20s, the toughest thing I ever tried! Cannot recommend it to anyone because I also couldn’t really stand China. If you don’t like crowding, horrible pollution and cities of millions of people, you certainly will not like China!
So my advice is to stay home relax an dlove your life! … See, you solved that problem really quick! LOL! LLC
I bet the car was stolen, as were the clothes, and she works in the mailroom of that company and she just pretends to speak fluent Mandarin (would we know the difference?)…anyone who has to impress that much is either lying or miserable or both…do I sound jealous yet??
Whenever I leave the house in my sweats (not even cute yoga pants, shame on me!) and no makeup I run into EVERYONE. There should be a sensor at my front door or maybe the car engine shouldn’t start when I’m not camera ready. And for the record, she’s probably miserable ;)
This is my most favorite of all!
pshaw, not a medical interpreter? What a looser!
Yeah, okay….. but I don’t think for a minute that her life is as interesting as yours… The truth is…. she really wants to be you.. :-) Ahhhh, who doesn’t??
You pretty much just described ME! PS. I don’t shower every day either.
Oh, I love me some Vikki! You see, I know that laughing is good for my health, so I read your posts because I will live longer.
We live in Houston, but I find that most of the people don’t mind if I go unshowered and in sweats to the grocery store. Well, they don’t tell me they don’t mind, but they don’t run screaming. Definitely not NYC here!
Vikki. Did U know. Untill 18 yrs ago. I never wore shorts in public. I don’t wear makeup. I’m the country mouse. Strange. I always looked up to U. No matter who U think she is Ur there to. Cloths don’t make the person it who U R. Who are U. Answer. UR Vikki. We look to U every day to make our lives compleat
Did she mention how her wonderful husband is doing these days or anything about that wonderful child of hers, you know the one that loves her unconditionaly and the grandbaby that smiles at just the sight of grandmas face, I’m sure that all slipped her mind.
Who’s the winner here Vicki
Vikki, I’m with you re the whole country mouse/city mouse thing…and yoga pants would be dressing up for me. Okay, not really, but I’m low maintenance with a capital “low.”
Much as I’d hate to begrudge your friend her astonishingly accomplished life, I have a strong feeling I’d far rather have a cup of coffee with you than with her. For whatever that’s worth! :)
Karen