The Scotch Tape Dilemma

When I was in the 1st grade, I adopted a strange habit. My mom refers to it as an attack of conscience.

Now, when I hear 'conscience' I imagine Jiminy Cricket...a sweet little bug with a morning coat and a top hat, spouting pithy one-liners...

As my mother said...my conscience attacked me. It wasn't a cricket.

I began confessing all of my transgressions.

Mom, I'd say, remember when you told me I could only have 1 cookie? Well, I ate 4 cookies in the kitchen and then just walked out holding only 1 cookie...you just didn't notice.

My mom would give me a look which I now know meant, damn, you were cute holding that 1 cookie with crumbs all over your face and chocolate between the teeth of that innocent smile.

Well, my guilty conscience has evolved over the years and I no longer feel guilty about the things that I once felt guilty about...but, I've been caught enough times doing this certain embarrassing thing that I feel the need to confess it to you, dear readers.

My name is Brooks...and I sleep with scotch tape on my forehead.

I have an unusual complex about my brow furrow. Now, I am not a supporter of blaming your complexes on other people, and that is not what I'm doing now...but this all started a couple of years ago when my best friend, Susan, asked if I had always had that scar on my forehead.

What scar, I asked.

It was the furrow. The damn furrow. From that day on I have not been able to look at a picture of myself without noticing that dreaded furrow.

Here, I'll show you what I mean...




Now this furrow, I'd imagine, has developed over the years from a number of facial expressions.










These looks convey a wide variety of expressions and can happen in many different situations...

-When Atticus looks at me and cocks her head to the side...so damn cute.

-When I don't understand something somebody is saying.

-When I have to watch Dora the Explorer.

-When I forget my sunglasses.

-When I smell something weird.

-When I'm hungry.

-When I'm tired.

-When I cry during every episode of Glee that I watch.

-When I'm angry...doesn't happen very often, but when it does, the furrow comes out.


You can decide for yourselves which goes with which, but the point is, even when I am expressionless, or smiling...




...the furrow is there. And it bothers me.

SO I actually turned to Google. And it's been so long now that I can't remember where I found this tip, but I actually read that you can buy adhesive strips to sleep in so that you don't furrow your brow in your sleep, (which I do,) and it is supposed to train the muscles to relax, etc.

Now, when I read adhesive strip, I thought...scotch tape must be cheaper.

So, I tried it, and it worked. I actually purposely slept without it for one night so that I could take these pictures.

So that's all well and good until the day comes when you forget to take it off in the morning and somebody sees it.

Or, in my case, I was on a trip with the family that I nanny for and we were letting the baby nap in a porta-crib in one of the large closets. The only problem was, the light would only go off if you closed the door, a switch sort of like the ones that are in the refrigerator. SO the bellhop said he would go down to the service desk and get some tape.

Oh, I have tape, I chimed in.

Cue everyone in the room pausing and looking at me with a puzzled look on their faces, (and furrowed brows.)

I tried so hard to come up with some other reason why I might have scotch tape packed for a trip to The Keys...but I drew a blank and came clean.

So, I've decided that it is time to own it. It's weird, I agree, but it makes me feel better.

If any of you have a similar problem, I would love to say that you are beautiful no matter what and that you shouldn't worry about such things. But that's pretty much gone out the window now, so instead, go buy some scotch tape.

Until then.