Thursday, April 7, 2011

One Thing Even My Friends Don't Know About Me IS...

by Steve Downing

GET TO KNOW ME  (this week on Between You and Me)

            Most of my friends don’t hunt, so hunting isn’t something we tend to talk about when we’re together. They know I hunt, and no one holds it against me; it just isn’t a component of our friendship. So this is a chance for me to do some sharing.
            One thing my friends don’t know about me: before I field-dress a whitetail, I ditch the packboots and slip into my red wingtips.
            I want to assure friends and un-friends alike that I haven’t turned into a fop. Fop-hood is not on my short list of aspirations or accomplishments. I’m a jeans and hoodie guy. Except for very, very special occasions.
            To wit: that moment of big-game harvesting. This experience is so all-consuming, so intimate, so meaningful, how could you ever over-endow it with special-ness? You can’t. I’ve even on occasion finished off the hunting wardrobe-of-the-day with a Jerry Garcia necktie that complements the rest of the outfit wonderfully well, contrasting here, blending seamlessly there.
            In the event you think I’m either joshing or heaping scorn on the whole deer-hunting adventure, I dare you, I double-dare you: dress up for field-dressing, once. I guarantee: you will never go back to the beat-up, sun-faded, beer-and-blood-stained, tradition-rich duds you’ve been wearing since that long-ago time when they actually fit you.
            Finally, the shoes and tie in the attached photo are mine. Pretend they’re yours. Ask yourself: besides the deer hunt, how many other opportunities would you have during the year to deploy these invaluable assets? I’ll say no more.