Do Your Own Thing

I had a friend for years that enjoyed life more than most people can even imagine. He was always very presentable, kept himself in good physical condition, was interested in every subject you could bring up, and could generally comment intelligently on them. The last few years we lived in Vegas, about once a week he'd drop-in for a few hours in the evening, and we'd just talk. He had his quirks though. When leisure suits came out he'd bought several. He loved them, thought they were comfortable, and when we went any place dressy he would wear one of them. Of course there would be that occasional stupid comment by someone much younger. It didn't bother him. He'd spent the entire day at Normandy on D-Day driving a landing craft between ship and shore, and anyone who has some knowledge of that day understands the carnage along that beach. Some jerk making a snide remark about his leisure suit was not about to bother him. He'd earned the right to damn well dress as he pleased.

Another friend was a hippy. In fact he never got over being a hippy in many ways. He is very intelligent, a responsible citizen, earns his own way, has his own home and the like, but he still smokes some grass now and then, and even though he's bald on top, still wears his hair in a pony tail, wears an earring, and dresses pretty funky when he's lounging around home, or even out in public.

Older people dressing young or funky or wearing a pony tail, seem to be a source of mirth to many youngsters. Often criticized by the younger crowd. Makes me wonder where the younger crowd gets off griping about criticism by older people when they insert metal in all parts of their body, wear brightly colored hair spiked like the Statue of Liberty or someone that just stuck their finger in a wall socket, and sixteen earrings in each ear. They act like they invented the idea of "doing your own thing", rather than just being the inheritors of the concept. A lot of a double standard there I would say.

Personally, I never was into fads. I've never pierced anything intentionally, have no tattoos, never had a pony tail, hell I didn't even wear bell bottoms when they were popular. Blue jeans are a great piece of attire, and a button up shirt without any messages printed on them works just fine for me. I guess I missed most of that while playing "up-the-corporate-ladder" during the sixties and seventies with three piece suits and ties. But if you want spiked hair, body studs, tattoos as a kid, or want to wear a gray pony tail behind a bald head, or speedos under a beer belly, have at it. Just stop belly-aching about how someone else chooses to "do their own thing".