Life Along the Way----Cross-dressing Bathrobes

Another Christmas Story/Observation , 2015

As many of you know, Annie and I have one son. Everything in his 'raisin' revolved around male dominated sports, or activities like hunting and fishing (I know a lot of ladies like these activities too, but just giving some perspective here. We weren't going to American Girl parties or cheerleader tryouts.) I wonder how I would have done with a girl. Especially a teen aged girl. I'm thinking we were given a boy for a reason and the reason might have might been me!

I usually take a few hours before Christmas to do a little shopping, just me, to purchase a few things of my own choosing for family members. I think it is important for my family to have a few surprises, even if they are small.

I walked in Belks today, bombarded by the sites and sounds of Christmas: the upbeat 'Sleigh Ride Together With You' music, Christmas trees, garlands, all the glitter. I am not going to decry these things; in fact, they usually take me back in time and I remember the glorious days of holidays past at Ft. Rucker AL, driving around in a faded blue '62 Ford station wagon in awe of all the Christmas lights on all the normally mundane Post Quarters.

Observing life around me is a hobby, as many know.
This happened several steps into the large department store. The music, the garlands, the trees disappeared and I zeroed in on a dad around 40, and his tweener daughter in the women's section. The dad was wearing a woman's white terrycloth bathrobe, right there in front of Plastic Santa and everybody else. He was doing his best, helping his daughter decide in reasons known only to them, if it would be a good fit for Mama.

The whole thing was comical and sweet; he slumped over trying to mimic his wife's size, tied it at the waist, obedient to his daughter's wishes. He was grinning, she was laughing, and of course I broke out in a smile. It created a Christmas memory for them and just another fun observation of human behavior for me.
I wonder if I would have done it. Not having experienced a daughter, I just can't say. But I can say I wished that particular dad a Merry Christmas in my mind and I melted back to the December Christmas lights, Ft Rucker, 1967.