So I have this RSS feed set up to search for sofas on craigslist.  Whenever a photo of red one pops up,  I feel a rush of instant attraction.  Smokers? Structural damage?  Don’t care.  Just let me curl up among the red pillows.  I’m on the lookout for a pair of sensible black summertime shoes for work.  Which shoes do I end up trying on instead?  Red ones.  Sneakers, ballet flats, stack heels. Red, red, red.  Now I’m searching for a beat up high MPG sedan to commute in, and a red Honda CRV catches my eye.  OOH! RED!  I don’t buy any of these things.  I did buy one thing: red lipstick, which is entirely new makeup territory for me.  (Note to self:  create occasion to wear red lipstick.)  In general I’m pretty good at talking myself out of the red zone.  It’s just not sensible!  I should not buy a couch that will limit my decorating options for the rest of the decade.  I should not buy a pair of shoes that I can only wear with one outfit.  I should not buy a car which will increase my chances of getting pulled over by the cops.  I’m a sensible girl nowadays.  I get up early, I work hard, I eat well-rounded meals and even occasionally take vitamins.  Maybe all this sensibleness is going to my head.  Maybe that’s the new, unsensible allure of red.

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