April Magazine 2016 | Page 48

THE ATTITUDE CLOSET by Kate Sholonski I n the gap of time between slumber and becoming fully conscious one morning, a picture floated through my mind. It was of a closet that contained attitudes. I pictured myself opening a door, and seeing attitudes in the form of cloaks hanging on hangers. Since my day was about to begin, it was time to choose an attitude I would want to wear for the next sixteen hours or so. The choices for attitudes included optimism, fear, joy, revenge, gratitude, and love. With the zeal of an energetic shopper looking for the best deal, my first choice to try on was optimism. It felt good to be wrapped in optimism. I felt safe and hopeful, believing good things would be happening to me if I chose it. The cloak of fear was intriguing, so I reached out to feel the fabric. It was sticky, much like 48 | Eydis Magazine tar, which gave me concern that I might not be able to get it off if I tried it on for size. Thankfully, I had a choice, so I continued to shop for an attitude that would be comfortable to wear all day. The attitude of joy sparkled, making it very appealing. It seemed to have a life of it’s own since it swayed on the hanger. The longer I wore it, the more joy I felt. Reluctantly, I put it back to try something else. Next, I tried on revenge, mainly because it intrigued me. There was a mystique about it, as if it was promising something sweet. On closer inspection, this was a dark cloak that felt prickly, like steel wool without a lining. It was also extra large so it wrapped around my body twice, keeping my arms trapped underneath. My mobility was limited. I couldn’t wait to take it off. It was obvious that revenge restricted me from freedom and wasn’t comfortable to wear. Since I prefer to be eydismedia.com | 49