Plan B Forum

In all of the things we've discussed I can't recall we've ever talked about clothes.

So these are just some assorted observations on the subject.

1.
My ideas about what clothes were appropriate for church were formed long ago when I was very young. Up to about 14. But those standards are fixed in my brain as "what one does" and cannot be shifted. A while back I started attending our in-laws church for their christmas services mostly because my talented and beautiful nephew and niece were in the x-mas pageant. I did what I would, and still will, always do and wore a coat and tie and 'decent' slacks. Year in and out and they passed from minor characters (my nephew was "the dog", I don't recall a dog in the original story, mangers or not. I think camels figured in too.) to speaking roles I observed the sartorial proprieties as I must. But I noticed that most of the congregants were in much more motley attire than I recall.

Now I can't construct an argument about "good and bad" about this. I can see that a standard of behavior which is more inclusive and welcoming no matter one's wardrobe holds is appropriate to a church 'of the people'. But I was taught that one shows respect for the ceremonies one attends even if one does not share their beliefs.

yrs,
rubato

2. we are total slobs. Just horrible.

John Steinbeck wrote one time about an incident where he had hired a local man to help him with some painting. Both of them were splattered with paint and dirty after part of a day's work when they discovered that they needed something from the paint store. Steinbeck suggested that his assistant should just hop in the car and go get it. The assistant said he needed to change clothes first. And then said, looking at Steinbeck, "you have to be awfully rich to dress as bad as you do."



yrs,
rubato

2. we are total slobs. Just horrible.

Speaking of Americans in general and Californians in particular, we are slobs. I was flying from south to north in California and sat watching the rich parade of humanity which, with remarkably little self-consciousness, presented themselves to view.

We are a rich society and dress like migrant laborers.

Old, stretched-out t-shirts, beat up nasty denims, were common.

If you go to anywhere else people dress better than this.

yrs,
rubato

Americans are spoiled. I blame the sixties.