Epiphany

Last night as I was standing in the food line at the Bass Pro Rewards Members Christmas party it dawned on me that I was completely at home in this setting. About 75% of the men in the room were wearing some sort of ball cap: camo, hunter orange, favorite ball team – I had on the St. Louis Cardinals hat that a buddy got for me for my birthday. Several men (and some women) were wearing their hunting camo. Others were dressed generally casual. These were just the common working class at heart no matter their annual income. In this setting I had not one ounce of self-consciousness. I remember years back when I went to visit a buddy in the Chicago area and it was very cold, of course. I wore the warmest coat I had which was my camo hunting coat. I felt very self-conscious and one person asked if I was in the military. I felt very out of place. But last night was comfortable. There is an old Far Side that has cows in a field eating grass with one standing up saying, “We’re eating grass! We’re eating grass!” I was standing in line thinking, “We’re hicks! We’re a bunch of hicks!”

Now I have to get ready for the Bank’s stock holders party next week. Maybe I'll wear my camo tie.