I'm getting ready to head to Boston for some events, one of which is at my alma mater. The thing is, the event there has me slightly wigging out. Is it weird that the thought of addressing a group of 18-22 year old women should frighten me? All of a sudden I don't know what to wear or what these young women are expecting. Will my choice of literary (or non-literary) pursuit be put into question by students reading Homer and Aristotle? Will they look at me and think I'm so old? Will they look so young? So I e-mailed my friend Vicki and asked her what she thought.

"Wear a cute tan corduroy skirt," she instructs me. "Or J Crew has some cute things, too. But don't wear khaki pants - too suburban mom-ish." Cute pleated corduroy skirt with a J Crew argyle vest? It's a book thing, not a Britney Spears video shoot. The psuedo-school girl look will just not do. Besides I don't own said cute tan corduroy skirt, otherwise I may be singing a different tune. So, I'm stuck with what's in my closet, and all of a sudden nothing looks appropriately cool enough. How to look cool without looking like I'm trying too hard? Because my "normal" wardrobe is probably the equivalent of a college student - t-shirts and shorts or jeans - they might just think I'm trying too hard to look hip. And, even my t-shirts aren't of the cropped, tight cool variety. They're more like the faded baggy ones I bought to remember a trip to Martha's Vineyard five years ago.

The sad fact is, these young women don't give a shit what I'm wearing, and probably won't even notice. So why am I overthinking this? Because the idea of having a young girl raise her hand and say, "Excuse me, ma'am?" is just horrifying. Kinda like the idea of being in a Britney Spears video.