Yesterday, my parents talked to me about the weather. More specifically, they were worried about how cold it is over here, as we’ve been dipping into the negatives. They insisted—quite intensely, might I add—that I get a heater for my room. I said I didn’t need a heater, as I was totally fine with my current situation, but they even they wanted to pay for it. I can afford a heater, they know that too, but they were just really worried about me, and they’re worried my goals are taking control of me and making it so that I sacrifice comfort to an unreasonable extent.

Which is not true, of course.

That got me thinking about social signalling, by which I mean what people understand about us by the way that we look, talk, and so on, rather than the facts of the situation.

I think fashion plays a big role in this. I think my parents perceive my sense of fashion to be rather… Laid back, let’s put it that way. Careless. Bummish. Admittedly, it is so. Now, I’ve decided to revolutionize my wardrobe for unrelated reasons, but I do see a change in perspective as an additional and very much welcome benefit. Wearing well-fitting jeans, clean and fashionable shoes, a nice jacket or cardigan once in a while? I think they see that and get good vibes, and I’m hoping they’ll worry less. If I look put-together, they’ll think I’m put-together, and stop harassing me about the weather. That rhymed. Whoever said prose is paragraphed poetry was correct.

Have I mentioned I bought new jeans? They should arrive soon. Tomorrow, or next Monday. Can’t wait to try them out. The Levi’s 514s I mostly wear now are really nice. Running the risk of being uncouth, allow me to mention, I do enjoy the way my butt does uh-look in them jeans. These ones I bought now are 501s, like the first ones I got and have since ingrown—lost weight, I wanted to use the opposite of outgrown but that is not what ingrown means.

And with that, I bid you

Adieu.