THE ZINGER

THE ZINGER

 Did you ever have something you thought was really cool: something that just made you the best dressed guy in the room, the coolest dude in town, or the luckiest man alive?  Did that feeling ever get busted like a balloon by just one simple off the cuff comment?

One Christmas years ago, my wife bought me a green big puffy winter coat which was knee length.  I also received a pair of green ski gloves, and a green corduroy cap, the kind with the really short brim.  I loved this outfit.  It was incredibly warm, and color matched.

That Christmas day we went to a friend’s house for a holiday dinner.  It was a cold December night. I thought I was the coolest, hippest, and best dressed for winter man in town.  We arrived at our friend’s house, paid the usual Christmas greetings, and I went to hang my outfit in the closet.

“Nice outfit” I was told.  “You must be really warm in that.”

“Oh it is warm.”  I responded proudly, “This is my new Christmas outfit.”

That is when my fourteen year old son, Mike, spoke up.  “Gee Dad; you look like Gumby in that outfit!”

I laughed, everybody laughed.  Everybody laughed very hard and very long.

I never wore the hat, coat or gloves again.