2008 Woodie Awards
Don't be a Dave
Deborah Chessey
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Life
Once upon a wintertime… I saw a young man walking with his hands in his pockets. He hit an icy patch and fell forward, but because his hands were in his pockets he was not able to stop the fall. When he hit the ground, his hands were stuck in his pockets and he had to writhe in the snow for a few seconds before he could free his hands and get up.
It was hysterical!
The young man in question was named Dave, and his story can be used as an object lesson; perhaps it can prevent you from making an equally hysterical display.
It was the middle of winter when the event happened, and Dave was one of the many young men who are too cool to wear a coat. I have seen many of them wandering around campus, those brave souls inT-shirts who rush about as if they are impervious to the blowing wind and snow. These young men usually have their hands buried in their pockets. Little do they know the fate they are tempting.
If Dave had been wearing a coat, he could have put his hands in his coat pockets. He might have still fallen, but I believe he would have been able to catch himself before he left a face print on the sidewalk.
Another error on Dave's part was wearing basketball shoes in wintertime. While it is true that basketball shoes are stylish, they do not have the traction that Idaho winters require. Perhaps Dave had never been introduced to all of the heavy duty winter shoes that are both cool, and traction laden.
Finally, Dave was not wearing gloves. I've noticed a decided lack of gloves on the males who wander about our campus. Perhaps gloves are not accessories that men feel comfortable wearing in public, but I would like to suggest that gloves are cool-much cooler than writhing on the ground while trying to pull your hands out of your pockets.
Every so often I see couples walking across the campus, young men and women holding hands, apparently happy that their hands are warm in the grasp of another. I can see the beauty of the hand holding system during this frigid time of year. Besides the joy of having a partner walk to and from class with you, there is the added benefit of an anchor to keep them upright on the icy sidewalks.
For those of us who are not lucky enough to have a hand holding anchor to walk us across the frozen campus, I would like to suggest proper winter wear. Wear a coat; a proper coat can be worn unbuttoned and it still gives off the impression that the wearer is so hot they don't require zippers or buttons. Boots, or at least traction shoes, are an excellent idea. Don't forget the gloves: the gloves are the most important part of the winter wardrobe of those who chooses not to hit the sidewalk with their face.
An Idaho winter can be long and brutal, but with the proper clothing you can struggle through with very little bruising and a complete lack of mockery.
It was hysterical!
The young man in question was named Dave, and his story can be used as an object lesson; perhaps it can prevent you from making an equally hysterical display.
It was the middle of winter when the event happened, and Dave was one of the many young men who are too cool to wear a coat. I have seen many of them wandering around campus, those brave souls inT-shirts who rush about as if they are impervious to the blowing wind and snow. These young men usually have their hands buried in their pockets. Little do they know the fate they are tempting.
If Dave had been wearing a coat, he could have put his hands in his coat pockets. He might have still fallen, but I believe he would have been able to catch himself before he left a face print on the sidewalk.
Another error on Dave's part was wearing basketball shoes in wintertime. While it is true that basketball shoes are stylish, they do not have the traction that Idaho winters require. Perhaps Dave had never been introduced to all of the heavy duty winter shoes that are both cool, and traction laden.
Finally, Dave was not wearing gloves. I've noticed a decided lack of gloves on the males who wander about our campus. Perhaps gloves are not accessories that men feel comfortable wearing in public, but I would like to suggest that gloves are cool-much cooler than writhing on the ground while trying to pull your hands out of your pockets.
Every so often I see couples walking across the campus, young men and women holding hands, apparently happy that their hands are warm in the grasp of another. I can see the beauty of the hand holding system during this frigid time of year. Besides the joy of having a partner walk to and from class with you, there is the added benefit of an anchor to keep them upright on the icy sidewalks.
For those of us who are not lucky enough to have a hand holding anchor to walk us across the frozen campus, I would like to suggest proper winter wear. Wear a coat; a proper coat can be worn unbuttoned and it still gives off the impression that the wearer is so hot they don't require zippers or buttons. Boots, or at least traction shoes, are an excellent idea. Don't forget the gloves: the gloves are the most important part of the winter wardrobe of those who chooses not to hit the sidewalk with their face.
An Idaho winter can be long and brutal, but with the proper clothing you can struggle through with very little bruising and a complete lack of mockery.
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