Me and My Bell Bottoms
by Oliver Carlos
Bell bottom pants were a big fad in the 1960s and 70s. These were pants that had large openings at the bottom near the feet. They’re shaped like a bell beginning at the knees going downward. They were really cool back in those days. If you wear those pants, you will feel handsome or pretty.
Don’t you know that bell bottoms had their origin in the early 1800s? They were actually made not for fashion but for function. The first ones to use them were American sailors. They needed pants that they can roll up easily above their knees when they would wade on shallow waters. Soon it became part of the uniform of the US Navy, and later on by the British Royal Navy.
In the late 1960s, they became popular again thanks to Hollywood celebrities and rock stars. When I was a little boy, my Dad had a vast collection of long-playing albums. I saw on those album covers several artists, including the Beatles and Elvis Presley, wearing such pants. But in the 1980s, bellbottoms became out-of-fashion. They became a laughingstock when I was a teen up to now. However, recently, I saw some news of a Bollywood star trying to resurrect that fashion. Let’s see if she will be successful.
Months ago, I saw an old family picture of ours. It must have been taken in 1977, as the youngest kid in it was Lenlen who looked like she was just learning how to walk. My sister Lenlen was born in 1976. Our youngest sibling Jay-R, born in 1979, wasn’t there yet. My Mom doesn’t look pregnant in the photo, so this couldn’t be in 1978. I learned that the venue was the steps going down to Lake Sampaloc in San Pablo City.
In that picture, I was wearing those funny bell bottoms while displaying a very wide whole-hearted smile. When my siblings and I viewed the photo together, we all laughed. My siblings made fun of me saying I’m so happy because I’m wearing bell bottom pants. I snapped back and said that I had no idea about it, and I didn’t have a choice on whatever Mom put on me.
Incidentally, a life truth is that there would be 2 phases in life when you wouldn’t have a choice on your fashion. People will just dress you up with whatever they like and bring you to places at their will. Sometimes you wouldn’t like those places, but all you could do is just let them do so, because you’re too weak to oppose them. What are these 2 periods in life? First is when you’re a small child, like me in the picture. The second time is during your extreme old age.
Jesus mentioned this at the closing chapter of the book of John. He was sort of giving a farewell speech to some of his disciples and he described how Peter would die. They then asked about John’s. Some interpret this that the apostle Peter would live a long life, but the apostle John would live longer.
“’Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’” (John 21:18–19, NIV)
There’s a blessing in every phase of life as well disadvantages. Kids and students would have their health and free time, but they don’t have money. Young professionals would have their health, but they don’t have enough money and they are so busy at work that they don’t have free time. Meanwhile, retired senior citizens would have lots of time and money they worked hard for when they were young, but their health would be failing.
The bottom line is, let us enjoy the blessings of today. Thank God for whatever we have at our disposal. We all have our voids; we just have to let God fill them up with the joy that comes from following him and obeying his will. As Jesus said in the verse, it doesn’t matter how long we live or how we die, but what is important is we “follow him.”
