The summer after my seventh grade year (that would be 1993 if you want to keep track) my Auntie M made my sister and I each a couple pairs of shorts for church camp. We were supposed to wear shorts that came to our knees, but they were impossible to find in Wal-Mart, so Mom enlisted the help of her sister and her sister's sewing machine. I believe the shorts were made for us to wear out that year and never think of again. That's not what happened, though. We wore those shorts for a long time, until eventually some of them did start to come apart. Except the blue pair. This pair of blue flowered shorts that you see pictured above just did not wear out. They stayed comfortable for, well, years.
In fact, they're still comfortable. Yes, I still wear them, much to Art's chagrin. He makes fun of them every single time he sees them. OK, yes, so maybe they are 16 years old, but still...I cannot let them go. They are so comfortable! They're loose and cool for the summer, but I don't have to be worried about bending down to pick up something. There are no snaps or buttons or zippers to get stuck or break. Just good old cotton and some (apparently) super-strong elastic.
Many's the time I've put them on the give-away pile, and then pulled then right back off again. Poor Art. He gets his hopes up every spring when I start pulling out my shorts and deciding what to keep, but I just can't do it. Once again this year I am trying to decide if they've finally seen the end, but I don't think they have. I don't have a single other pair of shorts that feel so nice and cool without the risk of sunburning my super-white legs.
Someday the elastic will break, right? I might as well get my use out of them. I'll consider it a tribute to Auntie M, who likes to keep things until they have absolutely no conceivable piece of functionality left in them. (I love you, Auntie)
9 comments:
Cari. You have to let go. Give me your measurements. I'll make you a brand new pair in a more...stylish fabric.
Art says I should take you up on that.
okay...I have to admit the first thing I thought was not about how old they are, but the fact that you can still fit in them!! I don't think I could fit one leg in the pants/shorts I had in seventh grade! Go you!!! But I think you should have Tina make you a new pair....or maybe hand these down to Mim. I bet Art would LOVE that. :)
First of all, how many of us can fit into shorts we wore in the 7th grade? Be proud that you can. You svelte girl.
Second of all, I'll bet Auntie M would be delighted to make you some new shorts. Who knows? Maybe you could wear them until you are forty? :)
OH, dear. I know the delimma. I still have my Senior sweatshirt. I don't want to give it up because I gave birth in it, lol. I don't have any idea where it is right now, probably packed away in some box, and that is good. It is 20 years old.
Well, you could use them for walking around town...or pulling weeds in the garden...or painting. I know: make an emergency kit with a t-shirt and these shorts in it and stash it somewhere where you might have to change unexpectedly and nobody else in your family has any clothes that remotely fit you.
LOL :) I inherited the "keep things until they are long past dead" tendencies from her, but sometimes I keep things even past her standards. :P
And it's hard to find decent shorts in stores these days! The only ones I wear are ones I've had for years.
I love it! When can I come by and see them on you? ;)
It is always great to feel comfortable in something. Maybe you could pick out some fabric and she could make you some more that Art would appreciate more?
When the elastic goes, you can cut them up for dust cloths or something like that.
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