The Dress
One day, during my lunch hour, I went shopping to find the perfect dress to wear to a graduation I would attend in a few days. The department store was just across the street from my work, so I thought this shouldn’t take too long.
Not long after I arrived at the store, I found the perfect purple dress, which looked like a wrap dress but was intricately sewn together as one piece. The dress was the right size, beautifully designed, and coordinated perfectly with the colors that my husband would be wearing. I took the dress off the rack and headed into the dressing room to try it on. As I tried on the dress, something kept telling me that I was putting it on the way; this happened several times as I attempted to get my head and arms through the dress. Before long, I had managed to entangle myself in this dress completely. My mistake was fully realized with the dress on, but now I was stuck in the dress and could not get out of it. Embarrassed and humiliated, I stepped out of my dressing room and knocked on the door where another customer was, and I asked her to assist me with getting this dress off. While I was embarrassed, it was also hilarious for me and the customer, who said she was happy to know she was not the only person who made a mistake like this. After the shared laughter, the incident firmly held my attention; it was about more than becoming entangled in a dress. The entanglement represented something else.
When I returned to my car, I sat there for a moment, drinking my icy slush and thinking about how often that inner voice is ignored throughout life’s journey; it’s always there trying to get us to stop and go another direction or rethink the direction we’re going in. In the case of the dress, it was the right choice, but I was going about it all wrong, and because I was rushing, I ignored the inner voice. There are always consequences to disregarding the inner voice. Becoming entangled in the dress that day showed me that I should never ignore the inner voice.
For me, this was a light-hearted warning that you can and will become entangled in life, but even when you make a mistake, you must recognize it and be humble. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. If we replace the dress with a life decision, sometimes the right decision can be made, but you can get off course and become entangled in a way not intended. Ultimately, you can come out of the entanglement you are in and get back on your path, but this time, listen and stop doubting, or in this case, dismissing your inner voice.
