Posted by Every fall and many winter days I go outside in my Western Stockman Outback Duster for another adventure in the wild city of Manhattan. I got the coat 20 years ago during a visit to Australia, having admired the style in movies about stockmen. Rain quickly slicks off the coat's caped shoulders. I am protected from the wind by a standup collar with a comfortable throat latch. When it's both wet and windy, I can fasten the leg straps to keep dry. When I need to carry a book with me, it fits perfectly into the large cargo pockets.
I love this coat for taking such good care of my body and for expressing my soul. Another favorite piece of clothing is my winter cape coat. I was wearing one like it when I first met Mary Ann, and I had that coat copied by a tailor. It could have been worn by Sherlock Holmes and makes me feel a bit mysterious!
Besides these two favorites, I am very fond of clothes that rest easy on my body. I cherish a t-shirt that I have had for 25 years and finally had to let go because it was faded, threadbare, and torn. I only recently laid to rest some sweat pants that were instrumental in keeping me fit for a decade. These simple items always met my needs and never let me down. Worn close to the skin and soft to the touch, I think of them as comfort clothes.
There was a time in my life as a young man when I looked forward to vacations and dressing up. I had several white suits and wearing them, I felt transported to an era of elegance. Clothes were a way to express my individuality and my sense of play. But as the years have passed, I've found other ways of self-expression. Now I enjoy dressing down in the humble uniform of so many around me: sneakers, jeans, and a t-shirt.
Perhaps my feelings of attachment to simple comfort clothes is the reason that dressing in the early morning hours has become part of my spiritual rituals for the beginning of a new day. Here an ordinary habit becomes a sacred moment as I bless my underpants, socks, shoes, pants, belt, and shirt, and ask the Creator to express my creative spirit not only through these clothes but also in my every word and deed in service of others.