Frankly Speaking

Musings on life and living

I am the Queen of What if?

As a kid, I was definitely the Princess of said question – always worrying what if this, or that, or that, or this?

As a bride-to-be, it got worse. For 11 months my What if-ing? reached epic heights. With every new wedding variable came a new thing to worry about. From “What if the church is destroyed by fire/gale force winds/aliens?” to “What if a freak ice storm kills the power, and stops everyone from driving to the reception?” I can’t tell you how much fun I was that year.

Now, as a mostly-grown-up girl, I’ve definitely kicked things up a notch on the What if? front. I’ve managed to find a career where I’m actually paid to think about the What if’s and create appropriate would-be solutions in advance. A perfect world!

This morning, though, as I was lying in bed doing my usual Saturday-morning-What if-ing? something new occured to me. Despite my life-long ability to worry about all the bad things that could possibly crop up (from What if it rains? to What if the world implodes?), I never seem to wonder What if something good happens?

Pollyanna I’m not – but I am inclined to think that every once in awhile, it might be worth tossing a positive What if? into the mix. If not to see what happens, then at least, for the sake of variety.

Because, really, you just never know what’s coming around the next corner – but it might not always be bad. In fact, quite often, it’s not. I just never really think about it like that. And now might be just as good a time as any to start.

Which means my passionate What if-ing? may just get a little more fun from here on in. After all, what if I try it this way for awhile, and something good actually happens?

Case in point.

Word to the wise. Man, woman, it doesn’t matter: bathing suit shopping is a cruel and unusual form of punishment to be avoided at all costs – especially if you (like me) are:

a) over the age of 14 (The age for which most bathing suits are designed as far as I’m concerned.)

b) in a store where the clerk is younger than you are/seems more excited about the experience than you are/actually modelling a bathing suit/any combination of the above

c) shopping somewhere with bright lighting (The place I finally bought my bikini had lights so dim, I’m still not sure what colour my suit is. No matter. The point is, I now own one. Mission accomplished.)

d) you have avoided bathing suit shopping for three years or more and could suffer from shock upon the big reveal (Fortify yourself with chocolate beforehand – even if it seems counterintuitive. You’ll need the reinforcements. I did.)

e) hoping to build self-confidence through the liberating experience of embracing bathing suits (Ha!)

f) shopping in a group (Double ha!) or with anyone you know

g) unwilling to spend twice as much on oversized – and conveniently distracting – accessories such as large hats, large beach bags, sandals with large flowers glued over the toes, etc.

And that’s all I have to say about that. Oh yeah – and the beach? It better be nice!