I don’t care

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So I’m walking down the streets of DC and I make uncomfortably long eye contact with a stranger. The anxious and self conscious part of my brain immediately assumes it’s because I look ridiculous. Gearing up for a long day of walking around the city and museums, I donned my black running shoes and comfortable hiking joggers; wanting to be warm I had my socks up high, pulled my Eddie Bauer winter coat hood on and zipped it up tight. Add my sunglasses and I looked unusual to say the least, but I also decided that morning that I didn’t care.  

After last week, when I highlighted how much I care about certain things, I feel that I should call out the things that I don’t care about. 

As I ended the eye contact with the stranger, I started to think about how when I see others that look, let’s just say, not put together - my mind makes an assumption that they aren’t capable of putting themselves together.

I see someone who looks sloppy, and I assume they are a sloppy person. But maybe they have just decided that today, they don’t care. Or better yet, maybe my definition of “put together” is different than theirs.

I am not saying we should never care about how people view us, but I am saying that we care far more than we should. Should I put thought into what I wear to an interview? Yeah, probably. Should I put thought into how strangers on the streets of DC view me? No, probably not.

Life has far too many things worth caring about that we shouldn’t waste an ounce of energy on things that truly don’t matter. The next time you get the chance… choose comfort, choose  warmth, and choose not to judge someone that chooses those things too.