Me, Irene Cara, and the Leg Warmers

What is so wrong with wearing leg warmers? You know, those knitted devices that fit nicely between your knees and feet? They do a good job of keeping your calves and ankles toasty warm. Irene Cara made them horribly popular years ago in Flashdance. And nothing would have it but that I had to have a pair (or several). A girl can't just keep wearing the same pair over and over, you know. A coworker and I were reminiscing today and we ended up in total hysterics with tears running down our faces from laughing so hard. I was telling her about coming from Idaho where we spent all of our time "helping the sheep over the fence." I mean, what else was there to do? Well, there was one other thing. In Idaho, we were really excited when we could get away to one of the big cities nearby....Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC. On this particular trip to Vancouver BC, I had it in my mind that I needed a couple of pair of leg warmers.....don't ask me why or what I was thinking....because it's quite obvious that I wasn't. I remember telling the girl that I went with on this trip that I just had to have a pair and that "everyone was wearing them nowadays." (I'm sure that the words freak, twisted, and weirdo probably crossed her mind.) So, I stood there....in front of the wall of leggings....hum....which ones...which color. (Did it really matter.....I mean, they were going to think the same thing about me....whether I had green, red or blue.....Fag!....but in those days, we were called "light in the loafers.") I picked out a pair of blue ones and a brownish/tan color....hoping to ease the laughter with a semi-masculine hue. And I wore them. Proudly. There are probably a few incriminating pictures floating around for evidence in the Court of Gay No-No's. I took those things right back to Idaho, stretched them across my feet, positioned them just-so over the ankle area....and went right out to go and help the sheep over the fence. No one ever said a word. Do you think they knew then what I know now?