After Thanksgiving, but before Christmas, 2021, on a very cold Saturday morning in Michigan, Beth was nervously standing online at Weight Watchers. She’d been on this line countless times over the last 18 months, having her weight checked, and then sitting through the weekly WW meetings. Little by little, pound by pound she’d taken off her excess weight. Well at least she hoped, all of it.
The reason she was so anxious this winter morning was because the scale should land on what she’d been diligently working on. This morning, the scale should register her goal weight.
The line of mostly mature women moved quickly. It was her turn. Wearing her traditional WW outfit of leggings, and her thinnest top so as not to add weight to the scale, she hesitantly stepped on.
When she heard the number from the WW instructor, it was like joy bubbled up inside her like a fizzy drink. She had reached the magic number! She was now on her way to Lifetime status with Weight Watchers! So proud of herself, she floated into the meeting through cheers, compliments, and congratulations from her fellow weight watchers. A proud moment indeed.
The Red Suit That Would Show Off The New Body
Fast forward to early spring, 2022. I was relaxing, legs crossed sitting on the couch leafing through my newest O magazine. My eye caught a really cute red swimsuit. Kind of retro in its styling, with boy shorts and a bralette that was made almost like a corset. A real stunner of a suit. As I flipped to the next page, I noticed the suit was from the Lane Bryant shop.
A few days later, Beth called. She’d seen a swimsuit in the latest Lane Bryant catalog that she thought was so cute. She thought it would be perfect for her annual beach vacation, scheduled for later in the summer. Perfect suit she thought to show off her new physique. But with this call she was really trying to talk herself out of it. Did she really need a suit? She had suits. . .
“Was the suit red, by chance?” I asked. Was it a two-piece with an almost corseted top? At Lane Bryant?
“Yes, yes, yes!!! she responded, getting rather excited.
I told her I’d seen it in Oprah magazine and it’s adorable and she’d look fabulous in it.
She called Lane Bryant that afternoon.
The Obsession with the Red Suit That Would Showcase the New Body
The cute, red suit with the retro styling was almost completely sold out storewide. Which of course meant she HAD to have it!! Cost was no longer a barrier. Nothing could keep her from having that suit.
Of course, she went to the website, over and over again. She crisscrossed the country calling different Lane Bryant stores to check on their inventory. Did they have the top in her size?
The bottom? Anything!
I knew she was out of control when the plan that day was to call our cousin Toya, who lives outside Los Angeles, asking her to canvas the stores in her area for the suit. Oh, did I mention Toya had just had back surgery and could barely lift her head? Beth was out of control!
Beth was obsessed! During a phone call, I told her all the red suit activity resembled a television crime show. The type where there’s a board in the Police Lieutenant’s office with push pins and string following the route of the criminal suspect’s every move. In other words, she hunted down that suit like it was a criminal on the 10 most wanted list.!
The Conclusion
After weeks of detective work Beth was finally able to have assorted tops and bottoms of the suit sent to the local Lane Bryant store. She went to try them on. The boy shorts fit. Alas, the top was too small.
After all the work, it was a no go.
But all was not lost. Like any other fashion collection, there’s more than one style that makes the collection. In this case, there was also a more traditional two-piece and a one-piece.
She was able to snag the one-piece red suit. Thus, ending her obsession and giving her a very cute look for the beach.
Obsession
I think we all know a little bit about obsession. If you’re a passionate person (and my bet is, you are!) then from time to time you’ve become a little driven, a little carried away. If the obsession is mild and harmless, such as intense interest in a hobby or a red swimsuit then it’s probably not a long-term problem. It’s just kind of... fun!
Do you have obsession stories? We’d love to hear them.
Share your comments below.
1 By posting this blog, I am not making light of illness where obsession causes painful, quality of life issues that are severe enough to warrant control through mind management, medication, meditation, if not all three and can interfere with relationships and responsibilities. If you think you have this condition, here is additional information that might prove helpful. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/severe-ocd
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