Shorts

[Bruin Fisher]

I grew up in the post-war years, things were different then. Little boys wore shorts, never long trousers, until their mid-teens – I guess when they began to acquire hairy legs – at which point they switched to long trousers and from then on never wore shorts. Adult males wore shorts perhaps on the beach or on the tennis court but never otherwise. My teachers wore shorts on the school playing fields when coaching rugby or hockey. I remember being fascinated by the blond fur that covered the tanned legs of our hockey coach.

As a teenager, when I had switched to long trousers, I visited my father who was working in Germany and I remember being shocked and fascinated to see men at the railway station wearing lederhosen, leather shorts, and displaying their more-or-less hairy knees – and that passers-by appeared not to notice anything untoward about this. There was, at the time, a Member of Parliament with the odd name of Airey Neave, but I do not remember whether I knew of him or the humour to be drawn from his name.

Half a century and more later, the world has changed out of all recognition – and I have changed with it. On a recent trip to the local supermarket half the men I saw were wearing shorts. I enjoyed the sight of these bare legs; I was neither shocked nor particularly fascinated – I was, after all, myself wearing shorts.

In my youth supermarkets did not exist in my town, and the shopping was done by housewives who were, as the name implies, female. To encounter men you had to visit a workplace or the commuter routes – and there would have been no hairy knees on display. I grew up with the impression that men’s legs were in some manner shameful, not to be revealed in public. I remember even my own father’s long lean legs, displayed on the beach, struck me as icky.

I have only relatively recently overcome this childhood prejudice sufficiently to venture out in shorts, and I rather regret that it took me so long. My legs, never exactly long and shapely, are now those of an old man and not appendages that might be found pleasing to the eye by strangers. So why do I now wear shorts? Perhaps it’s in wistful regret, mourning a life not lived. And I think it’s good to get a bit of daylight to my legs, turn them a more healthy colour than their usual pallid grey-white, absorb some vitamin D.

[Merkin]

I especially remember the short shorts worn by French boys in the 1960s.

[Bruin Fisher]

Short shorts, yes... (sinks into reverie...)

[Cole Parker]

So many things have changed since I was a teen in the '50s.  So many gasoline stations we had then no longer exist—nor do many of the brands of cars that filled up at them.   When the franchise stared, McDo0nald's sold $0. 25 hamburgers.  I think fries cost a dime, but I could be wrong about that.

Back then there were ubiquitous pay phones; you have to hunt long and hard to find one today.  I have no idea how many coins you'd have to put in one now; for sure not the dime per call as was needed back then  .

Kids walked to school back then.  Now, social media has made that almost a sin.  It's apparent that nowadays there's a pedophile hiding behind every bush between every nine-year-old's house and school building.  

In 1960, two-thirds of American adults attended church regularly.  Today, it's less that one-third.  Maybe people got tired of hearing how sinful they were.

There have been so many changes that it's difficult to note them all.  It would be interesting to know, however, when culling the list, if more changes were good or bad, or if there were some good and some bad elements in most of them..

Sorry, but I have nothing to say about hairy legs.

C

 

[Bruin Fisher]

7 minutes ago, Cole Parker said:

Sorry, but I have nothing to say about hairy legs.

C

 

Cole? Nothing? Are you not feeling well?

[Cole Parker]

1 hour ago, Bruin Fisher said:

Cole? Nothing? Are you not feeling well?

Well, I wrote six paragraphs.  Evidently the only one meaningful to you was the 6th.  Plenty to say, just had lost my inspiration by the time I came to the 6th and leggy one.

[Rutabaga]

I wear shorts all the time in this weather, especially because the a/c is not working at home right now.  My legs have only a tasteful amount of hair, not much different from when I was a teenager.  Hirsuteness does not run in my family.  

I still remember in high school a bunch of us piling into someone's car after school and going to the local carhop eating place, pulling into a space, placing our orders on the Teletray intercom, and always  ending the order with ". . . and a waitress with nothing on it."  Har-de-har-har was always the reply.  

And as I recall shorts were not allowed at my high school.

R

 

[TalonRider]

The only shorts allowed in school, in my day, were Gym Shorts.  I wear shorts most of the year now, with winter the exception. It's back to long pants for the winter. 

[Jason Rimbaud]

I never wear shorts in public, but I have no problem going out to the Castro (san francisco gay neighborhood) in nothing but my favorite pair of undies. I think shorts are ugly on guys, I'll take a bloke in skimpy undies over anything. 

J

[Cole Parker]

Are we talking boxers, boxer briefs, or briefs?  Trying to get a clear picture of this.

[Bruin Fisher]

Yes, do tell, Jason! By skimpy, are you thinking bikini briefs? Jockstrap?

[Cole Parker]

I know!  See through mesh shorts of some sort. 

[Jason Rimbaud]

Um, yes to all the above. My favorite right now is from Mr. S Leather's, a red jockstrap with mesh pouch. 

[Cole Parker]

Some people have more balls than others.

And then there are those who don't mind putting them on display.

😄

[Camy]

Jason: out and about in the Castro wearing nowt but a posing pouch... the mind boggles. 

Ideally, one requires a photo... pretty please? 

[Cole Parker]

Yes, a shameless selfie!

[Jason Rimbaud]

I'm pretty sure Mike would lose his mind if I posted that particular picture!!!!