The Hawaiian Guy

When Neil and I were children our parents used to tell us about a Hawaiian guy university with them. What made this guy (sorry, I don’t know his name) noteworthy is that he wore shorts all year long (obviously a seed was planted). He was always presented as a quirky guy, hell; he wore shorts all winter long.

For years now I have been doing the same, at least to the greatest degree possible. Shorts are my preferred form of lower body covering. Rain or shine, or even snow, I usually choose shorts.

I have worn shorts during snowfalls in St. John’s, New York, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and now Montreal. For six or seven years this has been my habit.

I now wonder if I have, or will, become the Hawaiian guy? Will kids be told of this crazy guy from Newfoundland that used to always wear shorts in the winter? Certainly it was never my goal to achieve a dubious form of recognition through the wearing of shorts, though that is what seems to be occurring. I happen to find shorts more comfortable than pants, a condition that encourages me to wear them as frequently as possible, even it that means during the winter. It seems a day doesn’t go by when I don’t hear someone one commenting on my clothing choices.

On the positive side, this guy from Hawaii, years after the event, was able to demonstrate to me that wearing shorts in the winter is a perfectly achievable goal. All one has to do is decide to wear shorts and then wear them. His actions show that just because a standard is in place it does mean that it is correct or necessary. I am sure that this was not his goal. He, like me, probably just liked wearing shorts.