Hike up those britches

There are many types of old men, just as there are many types of old women, guys, gals, boys, girls, teens, tweens, young adults and adolescents. People come in a myriad of varieties, I'm not trying to deny that. However, there are some prominent types that stand out. Riding the bus this morning, I was lucky enough to see two of my favorite old man types. One I greatly enjoy, probably because it's the opposite of how I expect to be, and the other probably because it's exactly how I'll end up.

I'll ask you to forgive me once more, because I primarily categorize these gentlemen by their clothes. The aged fellow I'm not likely to emulate when my social security isn't rolling in is the fashionable type. Swank jacket, fancy pants, sleek hat, shiny kicks. He's the charismatic, still flirting stylishly with pretty young gals and NOT coming off as creepy but rather as winning and adorable. He walks with a slight swagger, diminished by age but still just noticeable enough to catch your eye. He laughs loudly, wears his hat jauntily, waggles his eyebrows garishly, smiles broadly and lights up a room with his full personality. A good man, delightful at parties, engaging to chat with, and just enough of a rascal to still make you laugh and sigh in good natured exasperation from time to time.

The other gent is precisely NOT a fashionable fellow. He dresses piece meal and much of the substance of his style is sentiment. Starting from the ground up: he wears the same style of shoe as his father, keeping touch with his roots through the articles that ground him. The trousers are an untattered version of his work britches, too much a part of him, that labor he poured his life into will always be the pants he wears. The shirt and jacket were gifts from his wife and sister, respectively, holding in his heat with reminders of those who warm his heart. The watch on his wrist was his grandfather's and hasn't worked for years, but his arm doesn't feel right without that small weight to balance him. He wears a hat--one that changes its facade regularly--big and dopey and colorful, broadcasting his son's or grandson's most recent school, sports team or job. His style, much like his life, is less a show of forceful, unique personality than it is a display of those near and dear to him. He's the soft-spoken yet talkative senior. He loves all his grandkids but has a special place in his heart for the girls. When he laughs it's hearty but understated, carrying gently around a room to nudge up the corners of lips at family holidays. He smiles slowly, with great warmth, grasps your hand firmly though a bit shakily, looks into your eyes deeply, talks equal parts seriously and jovially, and pats you on the back fatherly. A good man, delightful at parties, engaging to chat with, and just enough of a rascal to still make you laugh and sigh in good natured exasperation from time to time.