You're not seriously wearing those patent -leather, white shoes in April, are you?

There were a few steadfast rules I swore by in middle school: If you wear a shirt, you cannot wear it again for at least two weeks. You never ever mix black with brown or black with navy. And, most importantly, white can be worn only from Memorial Day to Labor day and not even for a minute outside of this time frame.

Even in eighth grade, when I got my first pair of white pants from Express for my birthday, on September 5, just one day after Labor Day, I held out until the spring. I looked at those pants hanging in my closet, the perfectly cuffed bottoms (cute, I know), the large belt loops, in case you wanted to wear an extra-thick belt (cute, again. Really, I know). I thought about how I would wear a black belt and black shirt and black shoes, or maybe a navy shirt and tan belt and (I hate to say it) but Birkenstocks with those pants. This was one year when Memorial Day would be a highly celebrated holiday.

Who knew, just a few years later, I would sometimes wear winter white? And, better yet, I own two purses with black and brown on them.

140 years ago, Memorial Day began, known as Decoration Day. It was started in Waterloo, NY, in order to honor those that fought in the Civil War.

It's amazing that, as someone who has quite a past with celebrating Memorial Day, I didn't even know where the roots of it began.

I always knew that Memorial Day wasn't observed around the nation solely for those afraid to wear white in the winter...

However, a small part of me really thought, for quite some time, that Memorial Day was observed in order to rest after a long long day at the Indianapolis 500. I may be living in Atlanta this summer, but I really am a Hoosier. It seems logical, really. You spend all day in the sun, enjoying the standard IndyCar festivities...you would be tired from such an event.

This year, I'll try to do it all on Memorial Day. I will wear white. I will think of those who have fought (and are fighting) in wars.

And on the Sunday before, I will even cheer for Marco Andretti. I will wave my black and white checkered flag and maybe even eat a bratwurst. Then, of course, on Memorial Day, I will rest.