Sore points
Tomorrow night I'm MC'ing a dinner and auction for the West Roxbury Friends of Rosie's Place to benefit, obviously, Rosie's Place. I'm looking forward to this a lot--Rosie's is a great institution, and the event itself sounds like fun, with a jazz choir and probably Mayor Menino in attendance. I'm still debating what to wear. Should I play it safe with an LBD, or try something a little more exciting?
One thing I know I'll be wearing is ointment, because unfortunately, I have a couple of bad cold sores right now. I only get them once every other year or so, usually with spectacularly bad timing, like right before a friend's wedding or the first day of a class I'm teaching. Sometimes they come on when the weather changes, sometimes when I have a cold. (Mr. Improbable brought me back a plush monkey and a head cold from the UK. I like the monkey better.)
I was upset about this for a while, and then I thought: wait. I'm Miss Conduct. And if there's one thing Miss Conduct is all about, it's handling the malfunctions and imperfections of our bodies, and the bodies of others, with grace. So, okay, I get to embody that lesson tomorrow night. I'd rather not have to, of course. But maybe I can comport myself in such a way that someone who is there, the next time they have a cold sore, or a pimple, or a sty, will think, "Hey, I saw Robin Abrahams when she had one of these and she was cool and comfortable and didn't let it stop her, I can be that way, too," and not let self-consciousness get in their way.
That would make it totally worthwhile. (But really, sweetie, just bring the monkey next time.)
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Who is Miss Conduct?
Robin Abrahams writes the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine. Robin, who has a PhD in psychology from Boston University, has worked as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband, Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, which are given annually for achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think.
