first rockports, now this.....

I'm not one of these guys who goes around bemoaning my age. I'm 40, and I get older every day, and it's no big deal to me. And getting older just means I'm still alive, and that beats the alternative. But lately, I'm starting to see some older-guy tendancies about myself.

It all started with my first pair of Rockports a couple of years ago. Very comfortable shoes, even the dress shoes. I once heard John Boy say that as you age, comfortable shoes are one of your top priorities. I wouldn't say they're a top priority, but I do seem to put comfort higher up on the list over fashion. Since my first pair of Rockports, I've bought at least 2 other pairs, and even had one pair resoled.

The bride recently bought me a new pair of black dress pants. I needed new ones because the zipper on my old ones broke one day while at work, and she had to bring me a another pair of pants to get me through the day. That was a FUN day! So anyway, she bought me these new black pants, got a good deal on them, so I was pleased. These pants, however, are different than any other pants I've ever owned. They have the "comfort bands" or whatever they're called in the waistband. I didn't need the comfort bands, and the bride wasn't suggesting that I needed comfort bands. 34's fit me just fine. It just so happens that these pants have this feature in them. As I took them off the hanger and grabbed them by the waist, I could feel the waist give. Strange feeling. I started to zip them up and button them, and I felt the waist give again. Uh, yeah. Still got a little bit of that Christmas binge left in the gut. Turns out I DID need the "sconch" more around the old waist.

As for the other characteristics of an old man, I'm trying to guard myself. I've seen older men who could braid their nose and ear hair, so I keep mine at bay. I don't pull my pants up so far that it requires me to unzip them to eat. And I try not to make noises when I'm either getting up from or sitting down in a chair. I make enough noises while I'm just sitting still. And if that's a sign of getting old, I've been an old man for almost 40 years now.....