The other day I was driving when I noticed an old man walking down the street, his gait was wide and slow. I assumed his wide gait helped him maintain his balance as he walked. He appeared smartly dressed in a blue jean jacket and pants. His pants were baggy, the type that elderly men wear with a wide waistband not fitting too tight across the stomach. There seem to be plenty of space in the crotch for him to maneuver for walking, sitting and bending. You know how some men as they age they make the transition from briefs to boxers for comfort.
I empathized with the older man because as I have gotten older, I no longer care to wear short dresses or skirts. Nor, do I wear high heel shoes because I don’t want my feet to hurt. Instead, I choose clothing and shoes for comfort.
As I observed the older gentleman, I realized other than his cap that he wore straight on his head, his clothing was rather stylish. His blue jean jacket had an embroidered design on the back. In passing him, I chuckled because he wasn’t an old man after all. He was a teenager who adopted to wear the larger style of clothes. He wore the waistline of his pants across his hips. He had to walk wide legged and slow so his pants could stay up.
As soon as I drove on the next block I saw another “old man” walking. He wore a long white tee-shirt that covered his waist. I roared with laughter as I drove passed him, because he was another young man walking wide legged trying to keep up his pants. When these young men become seniors, they will have had plenty of practice on walking with a wide gait. Perhaps this early training will aid them and they won’t have to use a cane.
