ARIZONA KILTS

I could probably do the Highland Fling. But I can only do the rudimentary steps of line dancing. The salsa or merengue: forget it. Waltz or polka: nope. Too much to learn, too much to follow. The box step: yup, the best dance step ever invented.

But this entry is not about dancing. It's about comfort in dress. It's about shorts.

I have a few nice pairs of dress shorts, that are linen or something fancier than my preferred khaki or jean shorts. I've worn shorts forever and was fortunate to get to wear them when I taught school. All because back spasms and a non-airconditioned room in the southern part of Illinois.

So I pushed the envelope and opted to wear shorts to church a few weeks ago. Our preacher approved and complimented me on them. My wife did not. She told me I was being disrespectful. I have to disagree, only because I hardly ever wear socks to church in Arizona. I have different sandals that I rotate, but it seems to me that socks, or lack of them, would be more disrespectful.

I'm really not all that much about comfort. I don't wear flip flops or frayed shorts. And I mean no disrespect. But I probably won't wear shorts again to church, though several other worshippers do.

What does this have to do with the Highland Fling? I think Caroline would prefer I wear a kilt. Not really, but I think she favors the kilt look over my shorts appeal. At least she told me something like that, that kilts were maybe a smart invention.

Maybe those dress pants with the expandabile waists don't seem so bad after all.