The end of summer is fast approaching. The last two weeks of August always seem to go by so fast. All month I have not been wearing socks. I go barefoot in light low shoes or sandals trying to get my feet tanned. My legs are well-tanned from years of wearing short pants during the summer months. But the feet stand out pale in comparison. I want to change that. There is a slow transformation.
I like wearing short pants during the summer months. You may even see me cleaning and greasing machinery wearing a nylon apron over the shorts and tanned legs. That’s just so I don’t get grime on my legs. The apron is long so I can kneel and the apron protects the knees.
There are many benefits to wearing short pants. They don’t wear out. There is more give and you don’t tear the seat of your pants out when you are bending over. Short pants are cool to wear in the literal sense. A nice breeze going up your thighs cools you off and your pants won’t stick to your butt. You feel much better wearing short pants. You feel younger, too. I don’t know why that is except you feel much fresher than wearing jeans.
Years ago when I made only little square bales of hay I wouldn’t think of wearing short pants. But with all this modern technology on the farm now I can wear short pants from the time I get up in the morning to when I go to bed at night.
Years ago I had to put up with some kidding and good-natured ribbing. Some people think all farmers should wear long pants. I was asked if I’m on vacation or if I’m a tourist. I don’t mind the kidding. I remember being at an agricultural event on a hot August day and an out-spoken elderly farm woman told me “Men who wear short pants are nothing but overgrown boys.”
I hope that the comment was only directed at my short pants and not my nature.
The comment had me wondering — what is it that people have against men wearing short pants?
A majority of the older men will not wear short pants. They don’t want anyone to see their white bony legs. Men also have this great fear of big bugs biting their legs. They may have worn short pants when they were kids, but as teenagers and adults they felt it was kid’s wear. My dad never wore short pants. Never!
Now I must point out that many of the younger generation do wear shorts and even very sporty short pants. Short pants and short sleeve shirts are cool summer wear.
