Besides sheets, extra large men’s shirts have the biggest expanse of fabric with out seams. (Some long skirts are great too, but most of them are sewn together in long triangle pieces) I got this 100% cotton, Eddie Bauer XL plaid men’s shirt for $1.75 at the thrift store and what a gift. Except every time I unbutton one of these shirts and iron it smooth, I think of the movie “Silence of the Lambs”. I don’t really want to get into the details, it’s too awful, but I imagine there are others out there who have seen the movie and can make the connection.
I used to love horror stories and movies, but I can’t seem read or watch them anymore. Maybe they are like coffee for me, I’ve had my quota for this lifetime. But I tend to think that the darkness I sought out in the safe world of books and movies was a reflection of the unacknowledged darkness within myself. Once I really became aware of and began to deal with my fears, anxieties, neurosis, and obsessions, I started to look for the brighter things in life. It was as if the horror stories no longer served any purpose. I had been there, and I wasn’t going back.
So the next time I’m ironing an XL men’s shirt, I’ll say “No thank you” when “Silence of the Lambs” comes to mind and instead be grateful to the man who donated his shirt to the thrift store. And I’ll begin to change the dark pattern in my mind to one of gratitude.
You and Mary Muncil….showing me the way!