Strapless in Atlanta

     Different events have intersected in my life recently which have caused a particular song from the past to resurface. And I think I will talk about it today, although it might make some readers uncomfortable.

     For the past few months I have been losing weight. It was consciously done, and frankly I'm more surprised than anyone that I have succeeded. And of course, I am practical enough to realize the weight might all come back again – because that has been a pattern in my life.

     The Saturday back in March that I was telling a story at Fernbank for the Stories Under the Stars program, I put on a black skirt and a low cut black blouse. The clothes were looser than they had once been, and the shirt was exposing more than it used to. I mentioned to Mike that I would have to wear my black bra so if the straps showed, they would match the blouse – but I did not like my black bra because when I move my arms, what little bit I have in the breast would pop out, and the bra would then kind of float in front of my breasts until I had a chance to reposition, very uncomfortable. I left my hair down and made sure there was plenty in front to hide the fact that it looks like there are two sets of breasts under my blouse once I move my arms around when telling the story.

     Mike absorbed all this information which he had apparently never heard me whine about before, and he went online to study up on bras!

     The next day Mike snuck up behind me with a tape measure, and then with my cooperation he took several measurements in accordance with the instructions he had read on the internet for the perfect bra fit.

     And in the next few weeks, bras of all colors and styles began arriving in the mail for me from Amazon! Mostly they fit beautifully, and the few that did not fit quite right – we just returned in the envelope provided. Mike had taken the time to do something that I could never be bothered to do – shop for pretty, well-fitting bras.

     He said that he was so excited about my weight loss that he was inspired to get new clothes for me! This included other undergarments and sleepwear, and even a beautiful dress that I'm supposed to take on vacation. Now I am motivated more than ever to keep the weight off!

     Among the bras that were purchased were two strapless models – one beige and one black. They fit all right, but have tons of padding in them - on me they are more like prostheses than bras – but if there are no straps, the padding is needed.

     With the warmer weather upon us – warmer weather? actually it is hot as heck this June in Atlanta, I wear the beige strapless bra often with my outfits that have thin straps on the shoulders – dresses, blouses. And I go out – and it is hot. And when I get home, the bra is sticking to me from sweat and I can't wait to get it off. So I take it off and throw it on the hamper.

     That is when the song from so long ago starts playing in my head.

     It is a song by Jud Strunk. Not exactly a household name, is it? I only remember his name because he was from Buffalo. In the late sixties Jud Strunk was on Laugh In as a hillbilly-type character playing a banjo and singing. A couple of times his songs made it to the radio.

     And one of those songs was called The Biggest Parakeets in Town. It is about a woman with birds, all kinds of birds, and the biggest parakeets in town; the song continues with the play on words and in the final verse talks of a wedding night when the groom sees lying on the dresser, not in the bed, the woman's biggest parakeets in town!

     After a hot, sweaty day, when I catch sight of the strapless bra lying on the top of the hamper with the two cups of padding staring at me accusingly, the song comes right back – they are the biggest parakeets in town!

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