Overalls and Feeling Small

In high school, I was experimenting with my style. A nearby Kohls announced a going-out-of-business clearance sale. My mom asked if I wanted anything, which was unusual since most of my clothes were hand-me-downs. On a whim I asked for overalls. They felt unique without being a big deal. I became one of the few kids at school wearing them, and that made me happy. I like going against the flow and showing my individuality where I can.

I did not think much about it at first. I just noticed I felt more playful when I wore those overalls. I told my mom about the shift, and we connected a simple dot: I wore overalls as a very small child, maybe age two or three. We have a few home videos from a short slice of our family life when we owned a handicam. I have watched that small snippet of my childhood, and the overalls show up there too!

That is when the pattern clicked. The overalls were a trigger for a specific headspace. People call it age regression or Agere. It is not literal regression, but a mentality. Headspace just means a state of mind. The feeling is lighter and more playful, and adult stress fades for a bit. Sometimes I can get into it with simple comforts: a cartoon, a plushie, or a coloring book. It is about ease of mind and safety.