When I first heard of this exercise, I was a bit wary
because I would normally never wear anything that has been picked out for me by
others. So as I waited at home for my ‘mystery’ shirt to arrive, I began to
visualize what it would be like. It turned out to be a worthless venture as the
bright blue shirt that I held in my hand a few hours later was nothing that I
could have visualized in my wildest dreams. My earlier wariness was justified
as I would have never picked out this shirt myself and the fact that I had to
wear it to work made it even worse. My office is filled with people who wear
well choreographed formal clothes (read uniforms). I could imagine standing out
like a red rose in a patch of lilies. It was not an uplifting feeling.
Nonetheless, I put on a brave face and wore the shirt.
Thankfully the fit was just right and the quality of the material seemed really
good, far more ‘substantial’ than the regular fare. I reached office and even
as I pulled up at the front gate, I realized that I was very conscious of
myself. I know it was just my imagination but I swear I could see people
looking in my direction and laughing silently. Some even pointed. I shook
myself to awareness and walked on looking as straight as I could possibly look.
The guard at the main door raised his eyebrows as he gave me a customary
salute. His smirk betrayed that aura of formality that he was trying to put on.
I slunk quickly into my office and just prayed that no one had seen me.
As I looked at my calendar, I realized that today was my
lucky day. I had a meeting scheduled outside of work. I high fived myself
internally as I realized that I wouldn’t have to bear the humiliation in
office. Four colleagues were better than the entire workforce.
I finished my desk job and slunk away as quickly as I had
come and went to the rendezvous point, Costa Coffee. My colleagues were already
there. They all looked past me for a moment as I stood at the table and then
looked back again. To their utter and complete surprise, it was me. I cursed
the shirt silently. Thankfully all of them were good friends of mine and once
the initial shock of the blue was over them, they silently turned to mocking me
turn by turn and sometimes even at once. The mocking was so well thought out
that I could only wonder if someone had already prepared them for this ‘color
shock’. Only one guy thought the shirt suit me but I couldn’t take his word for
it.
Thankfully the meeting was short lived and at the end of it,
I did not have to go back to work. I drove back home as quickly as the traffic
would allow. I had to get out of this shirt as soon as I could. I reached home,
took off the shirt and quickly changed into something casual and less hurtful
to the eye.
As I looked at the shirt, I realized that the color itself
was something I would normally like but unfortunately not on a shirt and
especially not on a shirt that I would have to wear. And thus ended my
extremely adventurous day with the shirt. Looking back, I could say that it was
fun but I think I would require a few weeks to achieve that level of hindsight.
-Titus Lobo
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