Let me add a quick caveat: I am not talking about little kids who run out real fast with mom or dad, or the sick person at the pharmacy counter. I’m talking about healthy teenagers and able-bodied adults. (Of course, Hugh Hefner receives a lifetime exemption from this rule because he looks really cool in his silk pajamas and smoking jacket!)
It seems as though social norms, whether they be dress attire or public behavior, are step by step sliding backwards down a slippery slope.
I know what you are thinking right now, “He is talking about Walmart; I always get those funny emails.”
Granted a large percentage of the pajama perpetrators do shop at Walmart for one reason or another, but I seem to find more and more pajama people making their way out of Walmart and meandering through the aisles of a variety of stores. Who are these people? Where did they come from?
Could this be the beginning of the “Pajama Apocalypse”?
I can’t say for sure, but to play it safe, we should all take steps to prepare for this sort of thing. I recommend having a supply of Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. Highlight the appropriate sections and hand them out when needed.
But whatever you do, don’t rely on the federal government for assistance. If we bring it up to them, they will probably form a committee and we will be told we are “anti-pajam-ites,” and they (meaning the pajama people) will receive free handouts, free health care and free pajamas.
Okay, okay, I got carried away for a minute. But you got a quick chuckle, didn’t you?
According to researchers, laughing is very important; in fact it has a number of medical and psychological benefits. As the old saying goes “laughter is the best medicine.”
So in addition to addressing the infamous pajama problem, I have personally taken it upon myself to help improve your overall health and wellness. I know solving world problems and addressing the health crisis is a big task but I felt up to it this week.
So in closing, remember to ditch the pajamas when you head out the door, and take time to laugh a little every day.
P.S. There is one more exception to the pajama rule…everyone agrees that it is O.K. to run out to Stewarts real fast for a cup of coffee in your comfiest outfit – but make sure you cover-up with a jacket.