'Did you know that your zipper is open in the back,' my husband asked?

I did not.

Hurrying to a full-length mirror, I hoped it wasn't unzipped too much.
It was still closed at the top, and the bottom. It was, however, open for about 9' in the middle, exposing part of both undergarments.

My mind raced through the three hours I had been out in the purple dress with an unintended rearview! There was the Chesapeake Care Free Clinic Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at Grand Affairs, followed by a visit to Ruby Farrow, recuperating at Sentara Village.

I am in debt to Jack Lewis, Cape Henry's Head of School, who sat next to me and graciously took my camera all around the luncheon, taking pictures for me. Otherwise, I'd have to be even more humble than I feel right now, if that is possible. I sat on the far side of the room, I tell myself, so maybe there were a few people there whom I did not 'flash.'

When something like this happens, we have two choices: move far, far away - or learn its lesson. It is by far the easiest choice to accept the gift of humility - and be grateful for having the subject of November's column handed to me.

There is a good lesson here. We can dress up and put our best face and foot forward, but there is always the three-dimensional view that others see, We need to make sure that what is inside is our best self, one that we can live with, whether it is covered or uncovered from public view.

May I also say that my mother was right,
as all our mothers were when saying,
'Make sure you have on nice clean
underwear when you go out because
you never know when someone might see it.'

The day in and day out lesson isn't lost on me either. Always, always check out the rearview. I've noticed that others often overlook this view to their detriment. Today, hopefully, was my last time to ignore the rearview.

May I also say that my mother was right, as all our mothers were when saying, 'Make sure you have on nice clean underwear when you go out because you never know when someone might see it.' She was thinking accident, of course, but a good rule is a good rule.
Amen.

Jean Loxley-Barnard has been a writer all her life and studied both sociology and psychology at George Washington University where she earned a B.A. Her company, The Shopper, Inc., encompasses all the Loxley-Barnard family publications - The Shopper Magazines and Doctor to Doctor Magazine. She has been in the advertising, consulting and publishing business for 39 years.