Gearing up

I bought a pair of wellies yesterday. I was on my way to the Writers Room in a pair of Keen boots, a pair of boots that have served me well for over 3 snowy and rainy winter seasons in various climes. But no more. They were no longer waterproof, the leather cracked and faded. My socks felt damp in the shoe. Being mid-calf height, they didn’t protect me from backsplash, either (I have this way of walking that apparently splashes water up onto the backs of my calves).

I walk to and from the Writers Room each day; normally, the slush and “slush lakes” are navigable. But not yesterday–the slush lakes were enormous, the streets unplowed after a substantial snowstorm. I leapt over several lakes. And did not make the leap most times. I imagined future snowstorms. And then after that, spring rains. And summer rains. More puddles to come.

Around me, I observed the ways in which people managed the slush and ice puddles. Gingerly. With leaps. With trepidation. Taking the long way around them.

And then I noticed those in rubber boots: they trudged straight on through.

That was it.

I gave in. I made a detour. I went to a store. I asked for wellies. I wasn’t the only one; they only had 2 colors left in very few sizes, freeing me up from the agony of deciding between black vs green vs red vs navy vs yellow. (Apparently, I’m not the only one in dire need of wellington boots. Tretorn was sold out as well). Hunter green wellies, it was!

I’d heard that Hunters are narrow in the calves–but they slid on with ease. I bought a pair that were slightly large, just in case I needed a little extra wriggle room for jeans, later. I walked out in wellies. I came up to the first puddle and…I just walked on through.

So I’m geared up. To walk. To write.

I’ll be writing while everyone is at AWP. I’ll miss being at AWP, but I’ve made revising my novel a priority. It’s what I got to do. It’s what I’m geared up to do.