SHOULD GIRLS WEAR SHORTIES THAT SHOW THEIR UNDIES?

The security guard at a mall  the other day kicked out a young girl who was wearing shorts so high on her legs that he could see her underwear.  Most people my age would probably support that action.

I suppose I might have agreed, until yesterday. My husband and I have Sunday brunch at a college hangout, and since school just started, we got to see what current styles are popular these days.  I think I wrote last spring about nose rings, but this new crop of college girls seem to be going minimalist.  No nose rings, sometimes not even earrings.  And yes, they’re wearing those shortie shorts that look like they have on  nothing but underpants beneath those long tee shirts. 

First, I’m really glad that wasn’t the style when I was in college.  I have skinny legs and knobby knees, and I think that would not have been a good look for me.  And they definitely are not flattering to women who are overweight.  But when you’re in college, you want to dress like everyone else in order to fit in.  That’s why you see so many girls on the beaches during spring break wearing bikinis that do absolutely nothing to cover up their less attractive features.  Oddly, I don’t find this new look particularly sexy.  It’s sort of a little girl look, like kids emerging from a sleepover. If they were on a beach, they would appear normal, and no one would be shocked. 

Times change, attitudes change.  A couple of hundred years ago, a lady showing her ankles was thought to be indecent.  They even built houses with separate his and hers stairways , so that a gentleman would not follow a lady up the steps and get a glimpse of her ankles.

So I’m thinking, if that’s the look this year, it really won’t hurt anyone, and short shorts are a pretty cheap wardrobe item.  See, they’re saving money to pay off their student loans!

See my new blog @ livingwellafter80.com

WHY SOME BRIGHT KIDS DROP OUT OF COLLEGE

Numerous studies show that in the long run, a college degree guarantees a higher income.  Why, then, are so many students dropping out of college?

Lately, I’ve talked to some bright young people who dropped out because they can make so much money in one of the many  jobs  available today that don’t require a college degree.   They are leery of spending four years of their young lives, only to face decades of paying off student loans before buying a house, getting married, or starting a family.

Fifty years  ago, college degrees were extremely important if you wanted to enjoy a comfortable life style. Many of us got through school on a shoe string, paying tuition as we went long, maybe dropping out for a year to save some money.  Also, you could get some credits taking night classes and working during the day. Student loans were unheard of.  Maybe you didn’t land your dream job the minute you graduated, but at least you were debt free.  That sounds like a fantasy to today’s college graduates, many of whom will be paying off student loans for years to come. 

Okay, back to the college drop outs.  Are they destined for a life of poverty?  According to the Bureau of Labor statistics,  there are plenty  of jobs paying  $60,000 to $90,000 a year that don’t require a college degree.   If you don’t care about living in San Francisco or New York City. that kind of income will buy you a modern  house, a new car, and a good life here  in flyover country. That’s enough for a lot of intelligent young men and women, who don’t want  a high pressure job that requires long hours  and the constant stress of “keeping up with the Jones.”  Rather than luxury cruises,  they’re content to vacation on lake shores, or  in state and national parks with their kids. 

The simple life can be a very  sweet, indeed.