The importance of versatility in clothing

Thank goodness for blue jeans.

 

I’m really grateful for how durable and versatile they are, and for how universally acceptable they’ve become.

 

I began my career as a teacher in the early 1990s. It was decades before I wore blue jeans in my classroom, and that was only on casual Fridays. As a product of my generation and my upbringing, I still don’t think it’s acceptable to wear them to church.

 

But as a retiree who spends perhaps more time than she intended on her post-employment job, I feel free to dress rather casually, including a sweatshirt and blue jeans. After all, I’m no longer at the front of the room–I'm just a spectator at the back, taking notes.

 

At special events, I become a bit more visible, though.

 

I frequently walk around when everyone else is seated, so that I can get pictures from beneficial angles, whether that’s a matter of just getting closer to get a decent picture of the speaker or finding an angle that allows the faces of all the band members to be seen.

 

At times like that, I dislike that I may be a distraction, but at least in our close-knit communities, I believe people know who I am, or at least can easily tell what I am doing. Something I know for sure is that they appreciate the pictures I am able to take and publish, so that everyone can enjoy them.

 

This past week I attended “Band Night” at NRHEG. It pleased me greatly to see that pictures I had taken of appearances in parades and special events have now become records of cherished memories for the band members. We are always happy to communicate with local organizations about sharing our photos. In our efforts to be sure and get “the” picture of an event or occurrence, we end up with far more photos than we are able to use in the newspaper–even if it happens that we’re planning a photo page.

 

There are also times I end up in places where dressier clothing might be awkward–stepping to the side of a farmer’s field to get a picture of work going on there, interviewing someone at a factory or other large installation where a dress and fancy shoes would seem out of place. And there have been many times when a single day included everything from being in a courtroom to touring a fish hatchery, so versatility becomes very important.

 

There you have it: That’s how I reassure myself my “non-professional” appearance is not significant. It’s what I’m doing that matters, not how I look.

 

Thus, my choice of wardrobe each day is almost always simple–which pair of blue jeans do I wear?

 

This weekend I spent a couple days at my family’s cabin near Akeley. It was chilly up there, with temperatures just below freezing overnight and daytime highs in the low 50s. It was the first time I’d been there this year after the ice was out, so I was determined to spend at least some time on the lake–which got me thinking about how grateful I was for my blue jeans, which served me well out in the cool temperatures and wind.

 

So I repeat, thank goodness for blue jeans. They make my life simpler, more versatile, and oooh, so much more comfortable.