the gift of warmth

While having a quick saunter around the yard with Rocko, I decided that I can comfortably get away with wearing only one coat. At least as long as the temps stay above the teens. And as long as that coat is the down-filled North Face beauty that is the latest in my collection.

I only have two pairs of shoes - both sneakers - but I have jackets and coats out the wazoo. Some are large enough that I can layer them over other coats. Layers are the key to survival in the cold.

This North Face coat is real big. I can wear two coats under it if I need to, but it is so warm all by itself that I don't need another layer. It reaches almost to my knees, and I'm wearing three layers of shirts plus a hoodie.

I thought about my co-workers, coming into work looking so cold. They don't wear great big coats. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why, until I realized that I have been blessed with this preponderance of outerwear through the kindness of others. My father, my brother, Lisa's family, friends and acquaintances along the way have all provided me with their used or unwanted coats. You bet I'll take 'em.

I have no real fashion sense, so I'll take just about anything and sometimes have. I had seriously conflicting feelings about wearing an FSU Seminoles jacket when I first got that one when I was on the streets of Tallahassee (the jacket is long gone now, lost along the journey before I even got out of Tally) but quickly realized that it was comfortable, so what it said on the back meant less than comfort.

Maybe the cold folks just can't afford a big heavy coat and don't have people giving them coats as often as I do. Maybe it's a fashion thing. Maybe they're just stubborn and don't want to have to deal with a big coat. I'd just as soon bundle up and be comfortable in my down cocoon. Picking off a stray feather here and there is a small price to pay for warmth.

Somehow I've managed to get away without actually buying very many coats in my life. It helps that I wear them until they fall off. I am truly blessed, though, to be able to dress as warmly as I like so that I can go wander around in the cold for a long time.