279: Naked
Scrivener October 7th, 2007
Naked, originally uploaded by Scrivenings.
It seems like there should be a ritual for taking the ring off and some sort of etiquette for when is the proper time. Maybe there are, but I don’t know of them. I’ve lost about 20 pounds in the last few months and my ring had gotten really loose on my hand, so I took it off when I took a shower on Saturday. The first few years I wore it, I used to take my ring off to take a shower fairly often, but I had done so only rarely of late. My ring was the first piece of jewelry I ever wore, and it took a long time for me to become fully used to it. To be honest, I liked not being used to it for a long time, because it meant that my attention was often called to the ring, and I found pleasure in that fact.
When I took the ring off before the shower, it did not at all enter my conscious mind that I was taking it off for good. I just took it off and got into the shower. When I got out, I reached for it to put it on, but realized that I really did not want to. So I decided to leave it off for a little while.
On the one hand, it feels too early to actually take it off. I feel like I should be waiting for some larger milestone, maybe when she moves out of the house, I don’t know. On the other, it feels like a lie to wear that ring now. I’ve worn it every day for almost ten years and it has always represented a very deep commitment and love for me. I don’t want to tarnish it now by continuing to wear it when I don’t feel the same way anymore.