Fashion

A few weeks ago, Sam asked me if we could go to Walmart and buy him some new jeans. He spent the evening at work with his boxer shorts hanging out through a huge split in the butt of his old jeans. He said he'd pay for them himself, so I was all for it.

We got to the store and he headed for the men's section and found the jeans. He went right for the kind that looks like they've been worn by someone else for 2 years before putting them on the shelf.

I said, "You sure you want jeans that look used?"

He looked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Ok, then" I said. "Let's find your size."

He found his waist and length size, grabbed a pair, and said, "Ok, this is what I need," and seemed ready to go.

"Shouldn't you try them on?"

There was that look again.

"Well, at least put them up to you so we can see if they're long enough."

He put them up to his body, about 3 inches below the waist.

This time I'm the one with the look.

You'd think I'd be used to things by now. But I had to chuckle inside and shake my head at my son, 16 years old in a few days, 6 feet tall, cute little tiny mustache starting, paying good money for ugly, worn jeans he's going to wear half way down his butt. Not what I expected when I considered him when he was 5 years old. Just three years ago I wrote: "But he seems to really be conservative thus far in his appearance. He could surprise me, of course." He's surprised me.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not disappointed in him at all. He can keep his long hair, his cute little mustache, and his ugly jeans. He's still making great choices, unless we talk about grades in school. And a few months ago, he told me I was a great mom. Wow. I may just buy him another pair of ugly jeans.