Yes, I call them ‘suits’. Whenever I see a good-looking guy wearing a suit, it's like Superman to my girlish imagination. There’s something about those sophisticated desk drivers that seem so dreamy. I guess you could call me a bit of a suit groupy.
Possibly they’re just stressed-out fragile men living with their own insecurities, but they still seem so cool-headed and unattainable to me.
Currently I live in the most exclusive suburb in Sydney, though there's nothing particularly exclusive about my life. I'm not the ambitious kind. I travel by foot, dress mostly for comfort and work as a domestic cleaner. To be honest, most of the time I feel more awkward than elegant. So, when I stand there ironing their kids’ pyjamas at the rate of thirty dollars an hour, it's like being on the inside of a dream, looking out.
Well, strangely enough, I wouldn't have it any other way. I've gone from cleaning caravan parks to mansions and that is a good enough stretch for me. As much as I enjoy being surrounded by the giltz and glamour of this place, I shun the responsibility of ever maintaining such a lavish lifestyle, or the pressure of such elevated social economic status. Maybe there’s just too much gypsy blood in me. I figure I've got the best of both worlds in some respects. After all, if being inducted into that life means that their pyjamas must be ironed, that's just a tad too fancy for me.
Incidentally, I was in the supermarket the other day when I noticed a suit walking directly towards me. He was flashing his pearly whites and making eye contact. So, I smiled back and racked my brain for a good opening line. Suddenly the earth moved from under me. Consequently, I lost my centre of gravity and fell backwards ever so ungracefully, taking out a whole banana stand with me. Lucky for me the embarrassment wore off as soon as I opened my eyes. Yes, it was just a dream.
However … I think that was a strong message my subconscious was giving me to just give up on the suits.
Copyright Jasmine Monk
Photo credit Wix
SSOA writers' blogs are made possible through the support of City of Sydney grant assistance.