Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Old enough


My wife and I were sitting at a nice restaurant a few nights ago when an older man came in with his family. They were all wearing nice clothes but the old man was wearing a hat. Not a cool, Tom Landry-style fedora or a suave Humphry Bogart-style reporter's hat but he was sporting a light blue fishing hat. I was fascinated! How is it that old men get to wear whatever in the world they want to? Nice slacks, starched shirt and his favorite lucky fishing hat! Then it dawned on me. I am, or at least I feel, old enough that I can start wearing goofy stuff.


So, I asked my wife, "Honey, what do you think I ought to start wearing first? The hat, suspenders and a belt or black socks with short pants?" Because nothing says, "I'm too old to care about impressing anybody" like those! Surprisingly, she didn't answer me. I think something on the ceiling must have distracted her about that time because she rolled her eyes upward although I didn't see anything up there. Anyhow, what do I care about what she thinks? I'm an old man and that's one of the perks of growing old. In fact, even as I sit here writing this I just noticed that I'm wearing sweat pants with brown dress socks, a Tommy Hilfiger dress shirt and slippers. Ah, life's good growing old! Now where's my hat?

5 comments:

an Donalbane said...

First, Todd, being seven years older than you, I feel compelled to say: You are NOT old. Paraphrasing Lloyd Bentsen, I know old people, and you are no old person. Nonetheless, you do have some (I said some) mature sensibilities.

I sometimes think I should do a Foxworthy-esque list: "If you...you might be a Curmudgeon." If it takes one to know one, I feel I'm qualified.

With a few exceptions (your last post a case in point), I will support your right to dress as you wish (Nehru jacket, bell bottoms, skunk-skin helmet). Individuality is good. My only surprise was that you are just now considering doing so.

Just don't wear one of those ridiculous Bluetooth headsets outside of your car, like in Starbucks or Targets (is that proper usage, or is it only for Wal-Marts?).

an Donalbane said...

I hesitate to mention this, but isn't Tommy Hilfiger a favorite designer of Bob and Neal?

todd said...

What do I care? That's my point!

Anonymous said...

OK, you can join the codger club.

Just don't drive around with your left blinker on...

Anonymous said...

I don't know why you would care about how you look. How far has its gotten you? I still don't know how you married so far up?

Dew