Their parents would be so proud

Is there a correlation between the clothes that one wears and the weather to which they are exposed? From a purely common sensical point of view, it would appear that the answer would be obvious. But an observation of young people in this area may prove that it perhaps the answer is not as obvious.

With the recent cold spell that we have experienced here in Northern Indiana, I have been surprised to find students on campus who have not been informed that wind chills below zero are considered to be cold. On one of my short drives around campus last week I had to avoid a skateboarder who was skating around campus ( on the main roads covered with snow). Although this in itself seemed odd, his wardrobe was even more puzzling; he was wearing only a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.

I relayed this story to my wife who commented that this subject had been the topic of a discussion with a women's group to which she belongs. Specifically, these women were amazed at the number of students in our neighborhood waiting for their bus, dressed as if it were the middle of May, and not the middle of February. (Of course, these were not the children of any of the adults in this conversation.)

Not to be outdone, and almost on cue, on my way home last night I almost ran into (literally) another student on campus significantly under dressed. His attire consisted of gym shorts and running shoes (sans shirt), although he appeared to be carrying a jacket of some sort. The outside temperature at the time was 8 degrees (without the wind chill factor).

A recent news story highlighted a family with a unique tradition for Super Bowl Sunday related to this. Apparently to show their enthusiasm and vigor during the Super Bowl, their tradition was to run around the block of their neighborhood in only a pair of shorts (no shoes, no shirt). The weather during this years game in this family's neighborhood was not conducive to this endeavor, and the father waived the tradition as in his view it wasn't a good idea. His teen age son however, insisted that this was a tradition that had to be carried out. Despite his families directives, this young man began his run around the block. After going only a very short distance he realized that his father was correct and he turned back. By the time he got home (only a few minutes from when he had left), his feet had turned black and he needed medical attention. He had severe frostbite, and almost lost his toes from this experience.

As I see these young men (it appears to be a male phenomenon), I struggle to understand the thought process behind this act. My guess is that this somehow creates a sense of "coolness" for them, or makes them a topic of conversation (or a blog). Perhaps it is a way for them to call attention to themselves. I would propose that if asked, they would be able to justify this behavior and dismiss my question as stupid or irrelevant. I hope that over the next week, another opportunity will arise for me to satisfy my curiosity about this trend (if it is a trend). In the meantime, I will continue to observe and ponder the significance of this behavior and perhaps arrive at at a reasonable conclusion based on my own theories.