Friday, May 04, 2007

Brown

In the autumn of 2005 I discovered brown big time. My wardrobe morphed into brown so much that I would go shopping with Claire (whom I had met mere weeks before) and she would say: “Oh V! It’s brown, you’ll like this then.” I remember listening to a Radio 4 programme that explored all the various meanings of brown; it was by a journalist called Brown. Basically while other colours represented new life and light and generally nice things, brown equals brown noser, browned off. In fact I even remember my brother asking me if I was browned off one day. One of the things that I remember the programme saying is that brown symbolised stability and a wish to keep the status quo.

In what seems like a sudden unconnected jump, I will now tell you about my bank appointment on Wednesday. In France you pay bank charges! Yeah, do a double take at that; I did. Every six months or so you get called in to the bank for a wee chat; given that I’m paying for this, I go, reluctantly, but I go.

The appointment went something like this.

Banker: So Miss V, I’ve been looking after your account for almost two years now.

V: Mmm.

Banker: And well now that you have moved and things have settled down it’s time for you to start thinking about your money.

V: Mmm.

Banker: What are you going to do with it?

V: Uh?

Banker: Well I gave you some options last time?

V: Mmm.

Banker: So what are you going to do?

V: Uh?

Banker: (Blinks)

V: Uhmmmm... Uh... Ehm... I’m going to talk to my Dad.

Banker: You said that last time.

V: (Shit!) Uhm... He’s coming to visit soon. (Grins manically.)

Banker: When?

V: (Blinks) 10th.

Banker: So I’ll see you after the 10th then?

V: Can I have a new cheque book? (Smiles most charming disarming smile.)

I talked to my colleagues the next day. Julie - the annoying one that you never really want to say anything to, but you end up somehow disclosing your most intimate details to – got all excited. “Buy a flat. Oh I love flat hunting.”

“Do you?” I replied weakly.

Apparently so. I found a magazine in my pigeon hole today with a number of flats circled. As I crossed them off one by one Kieran peered over my shoulder. “Oh you’re looking for a flat.”

“No!” I snapped back.

Later he caught me at the photocopier. “So you’re going to buy a flat?”

“Well, there are a lot of things I have to think about. It’s a big commitment. What if I want to change jobs?”

I’d said the same thing to Claire earlier and she had asked me how many jobs I had applied for.

“You ask for relocation allowance.”

Suddenly in a blinding flash (or maybe that was the photocopier), I foresaw how the conversation with my Dad was going to go.

Orange – that’s what I’m wearing today. Apparently orange is a good colour for change. Maybe I overestimated my readiness for orange. I think I’ll go back to brown now.

6 comments:

Sam said...

That's funny (about the banker).
I can't remember going in for a chat unless I was the one who called the bank and made an appointment (to pay off our darn credit card debt - argh!!!). I don't much like talking to bankers. I haven't a clue what to do with money. Spend it, right?

Unknown said...

Ehm bankers hey? I believe money is for spending; I vaguely remember someone telling me you can't take it with you.

Marie said...

I seem to be going through a brown phase right now. I have this brown cardigan that I am always wearing at home. I feel safe in it. With the way my life is going at the moment, I need to feel safe and secure.

I also went through a black phase about 12 years ago. I was a bit of goth and really into heavy metal then. The thing with black is it does tend to make you feel depressed.

Unknown said...

Oh I was well into black from about the age of 13 when I first started paying for my own clothes. It can take over your wardrobe sometimes. Still brown is also earthiness and warmth. You'll ditch the cardi when you're good and ready or it will always be there for you to bring you comfort when you need it.

Unknown said...

Brown is also an earth colour. Some would call it safe but it often means that you are more grounded than you think.
Nothing wrong with a little black anyway!

Unknown said...

Most definitely nothing wrong with black or brown, it's orange I'm peeved with at the moment!

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