The Old Soft Shoe

 

Godspeed, My Friend

 

My wife has a blog which she bases on a book she bought of 365 questions, one for each day (http://loveandfreetobe.blogspot.com).  As a challenge my entry for today is based on the question of the day from her journal.

 

"What's the oldest thing you're wearing today?"

 

I'm pretty sure that would be my underwear.  And it's not that I wear my underwear until they are nothing more than a few loose threads holding my dignity together.  Although I must admit the elastic band is no longer 100% attached.

 

It's just most of my other clothes today were newer.

 

Which is not to say I don't own other clothes that are older.  When I find an article of clothing that fits well and flatters my youthful figure I hang on to it.

 

A good comfortable pair of shorts are always valued highly.  They need to have the cargo pockets, a very useful fashion statement to carry the odd candy bar or bag of trail mix.  Not so tight as to leave a red mark around my waist, yet not so loose that a good stiff breeze will remove them. 

 

I used to have some that had a camouflage pattern.  Then one day there was an epiphany, "who the heck are you kidding?"  Those shorts are now in the bottom of the closet.

 

Nice, comfortable shirts are a must, but the best ones are hard to find.  A good pullover, collared shirt is a must.  The collar is important for going on a photo shoot, because it helps to keep the camera strap from chaffing my neck.  T-shirts, however fashionable or clever the art work, just don't measure up.

 

The real challenge is to find a good pullover shirt with a pocket.  For some reason these are no longer sold in the stores here.  When I was a smoker that was the preferred place to hold my pack.  Now that I no longer smoke I don't really know why I need the pocket. A place for my pocket protector?

 

With all the walking around, going on photo shoots, you know a comfortable pair of shoes is a real must for me.  Dr. Scholl's or nothing!  But even those wear out quickly, so a good pair just doesn't stay around long enough to get old.

 

In the end, more than anything, the right hat can be the most important part of the ensemble.

 

It should rest comfortably on the head without needing to be forced down like a bottle cap.  The brim should be wide enough to protect the face from the blazing sun, yet not so big to impede one's vision while looking for avian life.  It should keep the head warm, while not promoting a sweaty scalp.

 

It does not have to be in style, but it must be stylish.  It should make it's own statement about what kind of man the wearer is.  In my case, crumpled but classy.

 

My old hat was just such a hat, perfect.  At least perfect for me.  That hat protected me from sun and rain on many a photo shoot.  Oh, the adventures we had!

 

Then, cruel irony dealt it's blow.  The hat was blown from my head and tossed into the Raccoon River, on it's way to it's own adventures.  It has probably found it's way to the head of a great bluesman in New Orleans by now.

 

I was able to take one last photo of my perfect hat, looking at me accusingly.  And still perfect.

 

Crumpled but classy.