decor: a day late and several ben harper posters short

at my niece's roller-skating birthday party, i was surprised when all the kids laughed at me as i laced up my skates. "what's so funny?" i asked morgan. "aunt mamie," she said, embarrassed by my naivete, "you're way too old to roller skate."

when, twenty years ago, my sister misbehaved at a dinner party, my father grabbed her by the arm and snapped, "act your age." to which she hissed back, "i'm only eight, dad."

every so often, i'm forced to make a decision that employs the question of age. one friday night a few years ago, my first semester teaching, i put on one of those cut-off denim skirts with flat knee boots and a sweater. initially i'd rationalized that i had found a nice balance between cover and exposure but then envisioned myself running into the dean on front street.

when morgan asked my sister, "why don't aunt mamie's underwear have backs on them," molly answered, "used to be, none of aunt mamie's clothes had backs to them." and i remembered all the shirts held together only with string, the dresses that involved lightening bolt cut-outs, short shorts with wedge heels...i shudder at the thought.

because i've just moved into this new place, my uber-feminine counter parts have been discussing style. "i once thought you much more contemporary," my mother says. "whatever," hannah says, "you're obviously english cottage." these terms mean little to me and thus my house is decorated with antique furniture, one neon green desk chair i stole from an ex boyfriend, some very nice art but also the museum prints and billy holiday posters from college, a chest of drawers with no drawers...little use of methodology as it were.

but i've been trying to grow up. to maintain fresh cut flowers on some used dining room table. to host dinner parties (a custom both foreign and exotic to some of my high school students: who cooks at those things? do you talk about books?).

and so, of course, my karma is that i date a man whose house is represented by the above photographs. i didn't take them. he, late at night (perhaps, as hannah suggested, thinking all things fleeting), flashed these himself. what he missed: a ben harper poster, one tie-dyed TAPESTRY, two turn tables and a microphone, antique bowling bags, one jam box, a shelf entitled "accoutrement corner" that houses costume items to wear for fun, and ROCK BAND the game. and i hesitated to tell you this part--several young life stickers holding stubbornly to guitar cases.

hannah calls this house "undergrad." as in, "having fun at undergrad? who all's hanging out at undergrad?" but she asks with a hint of nostalgia in her voice...

by the way, hannah line of the week. she, in a fit of accusatory rage, asks, "i mean, mamie, don't these people have a shred of laziness?"