One of my husband's BEST personality traits is that he really DOES NOT CARE what other people think of him. He has this confidence, not cockiness, about him that I simply may not ever understand. He can throw on whatever he wants, and go anywhere he pleases, and NEVER wonder if he "looks good", or if "he's dressed appropriately for the occasion", or if he "should have worn different shoes".... I mean I could go on and on and on! My husband is a guy who, not once, but multiple times, has tried to walk out of the door heading to church on Sunday mornings dressed in old ratty jeans and a camoflouge shirt- AND I'M TALKING THE UGLY CAMO! And you can forget "matching", because those rules never apply to him. That'd be silly to worry about your clothes all being in the same color scheme, right? Sure- MOST of us think so, and maybe a tiny part of my husband would even agree. But, either way, he just simply doesn't care, because he is completely unbothered by what other people might think of him.
Which is why it is HILARIOUS that my very own crazy husband has found himself, unknowingly, in the trendiest category around! He was a LumberSexual LONG before it was cool to be one! (Google LumberSexual, or search for pics in Pinterest and you'll see EXACTLY what I'm talking about!) In fact, just a year ago, we all teased him for his lumberjack look, and love of plaid flannels. Add in the beard that comes with every Fall (due to hunting season), and there you have it- my very own LumberSexual. To top it all off, (and look for my pun here) he wears his long hair pulled back in a topknot half the time. The topknot alone could be a whole other blog!
And it got me wondering..... how in the world did my husband become trendy for the moment? And then, I thought maybe it's because he just doesn't care. Maybe all the original Lumbersexuals started out just like my husband. Confident. Uninhabited by insecurities. Cool because they aren't trying to be cool. Anxiety free. Unflustered by daily demands....
Maybe my husband's very personality is what made the Lumberjack-look appealing!
Hey, you never know.... but think how freeing it must be to live your life like my husband? To walk through your day with not a care in the world?
Personally, I'm going to try to live more like him. I'm sure I'll always strive to match, and I certainly won't show up to church in real-tree camo attire. But, I will try to not worry so much about what others could be thinking about me... How others might be judging me...
Who knows? You could live this way and find yourself sparking a whole new trend!
Oh, the freedom!
Just for fun I made a "LumberSexual" board on my Pinterest page. It took all of five minutes- they're everywhere! You can check it out here!
Earlier this week, I clicked on a Facebook link, and watched an adorably sappy commercial from an insurance company in Thailand. (My cousin informed me all Thai insurance commercials are like this and to youtube it! So, I did. Too funny, but true!)
Anyways, I'm always a sucker for those links where the post says, "Get your tissues ready!" So, no surprise, I teared up almost instantly when the commercial hit its "punchline". See, the commercial was all about this young man who traveled the same route everyday (probably to work), and everyday he gave all he had to the people who crossed his path- the plant which needed water, the lady who needed help with her heavy food cart, the stray dog who needed food, the little girl who needed money so she could afford to go to school and get an education, and the elderly neighbor he anonymously brought food to. The townsfolk who watched this young man do these things everyday were almost annoyed with his compassion. How could a working class young man be so ignorant with his money? How could he give the stray dog food and leave himself the scraps?
But, the point of the commercial was he didn't get material or worldly things in return, he received much, much more. He received emotions. Think about that- emotions. He felt joy, love, happiness, a sense of accomplishment and achievement, kindness, laughter, security, friendship, and the list could go on and on. The stray dog became his dog, the food cart owner became his friend, the little girl finally attended school.
This commercial, whose link is posted below, tugged at my heart strings (which was its intention!) and made me think of my daughter.... I want her to be like this young man.
She is at such a delicate age. All around her there are kids desperately trying to find their way in this chaotic world. Kids who care more about the brand name on their sweatshirt. Kids who want to be tough and achieve this by putting others down. Kids who want to get the attention they lack from home, and therefore act out in class, or have numerous boyfriends/girlfriends to fill the empty spaces. Kids who are desperately trying to do whatever it takes to be considered cool, to be popular.
We've all been there. We all remember what adolescence is like- it stinks! But, I want my daughter to be different. I tell her often I'm fine with her desire to be popular, that I even want her to be considered "cool". But, I want her to be these things because she's known for being kind.
It can be done. It can be done without the brand name clothes. Without the boyfriends (or girlfriends). Without the new i-Phone. Without putting someone else down to get there.
What will she get out of being popular because she's kind? Not the latest technological device, cause mama can't afford it. Not the $60 hoodie because of its logo on the front, cause mama can't afford that either.
What she will get in return is something way more valuable. She will get emotions.
I'd take joy, love, happiness, security, and true friendship over those things any day.
Check out the sweet commercial that sparked my ramblings here!
