My philosophy today: "Why beat 'em if you can join 'em?"

When I got ready to bike to school, it was raining. My umbrella disappeared sometime over the summer, and I don't have any rain gear, and I didn't have time to walk. My solution was to throw on my swimsuit and a shirt and start biking.

It was great. It wasn't raining too hard--I probably got wetter from the water the bike tires threw up than the rain itself. When I got to school I was damp, but the swimsuit was made of polyester, which doesn't hold water very well, and it dried in minutes. I got a few odd looks from other students, who were all bundled up in coats and sweaters, or carrying umbrellas, but hey, I didn't have to worry about the rain.

On a related note, yesterday I wore a trenchcoat to school. I had gotten it years earlier and never really worn it, especially since the Columbine school shootings made people leery of anyone wearing a trenchcoat, but it was a cold day and I was feeling ambitious. Again, I got a few looks, but 99% of the time I'm just one more sheep, and I felt like being individualistic that day.

It's amazing how much the clothes you wear affect your perception of yourself, and your attitude while you carry them. Wearing the swimsuit to school, I felt casual and friendly, and smiled at everyone who walked past. Wearing the trenchcoat, I found myself adopting a look of polite indifference, nodding courteously to passing adults and ignoring other students. It was an interesting phenomenon.