On Hand-Me-Downs

At the end of nearly every summer, we’d receive a box from our Aunt and Uncle filled with hand-me-down clothes. It wasn’t until high school that I came to think of this as uncool, as I didn’t want to be seen wearing used clothes.

It wasn’t that we were poor, because we were far from it. The practice came from the fact that they had been raised by parents who had lived through the Great Depression years.

Those years were followed by the World War II years, in which people were called upon to save scrap metal, rubber and papers. All this went to the war effort and defeating the Axis powers.

Now days though, most of the clothing — save for my skivvies, socks and tee-shirts — in my closet and dresser drawers is second-hand. I purchased most of it new years ago and simply refuse to get rid of it until it’s completely worn out.

I have a sweat shirt that is at least 20-years-old and though frayed around the edges a little, fits me and keeps me as warm as the day I bought it.

My bride thinks I’m being cheap . But the way I figure it — if they’re clean and hole-free they’re jus’ as good as new.

Besides have you checked the price of a new pair of name-brand jeans these days?