“When We Were Little” Wednesday

When I was little, my parents wouldn’t let my sisters or me wear shorts to school. They had their reasons which, I’m sure, were good ones. To us, though, this was the epitome of horror. All the kids wore shorts (or at least the ones we were concerned about), so it was of critical importance that we wore them, too. It was not to be, though.

It was around this time of year that it became an issue. The weather was getting warmer and everyone was beginning to pull out their summer wardrobes. I think we were allowed to wear shorts for field day, but that was it.

Confession time: I remember lying to my parents and telling them it was Spirit Week and that certain days were “shorts days.” I can’t imagine what kind of spirit would require that someone wear shorts, but in my elementary school mind, it was perfectly logical. Mom and Dad never fell for it, though, that I can remember, and we continued to sweat in our long pants, convinced that we were doomed to unpopularity for the rest of our natural lives because of it.

But you know what? I’m free to wear shorts whenever I want to now, and I don’t. I don’t like them. Choose any random day of summer, and odds are pretty good that you’ll find me in a skirt or – gasp – jeans. Funny how things work out.