The Incredible Shrinking Man

Around this time last year, I started to notice that the size 36-inch waist pants I've been fitting into for the past 20-years were starting to get kind of snug.

I caved in and pulled dozens of jeans and slacks off my shelves and started to replace them with size 38s. Luckily it was nearing Christmas and before long my shelves were filling up with jeans that fit.

As my brother-in-law said, "Welcome to the other side."

For some strange reason I just didn't have the heart to throw away all of my size 36-inch waist pants. I stacked them at the bottom of my closet, made sure that Freckles couldn't possibly lay on them, and forgot about them.

Recently Barb started dropping hints to me that my clothing was looking pretty big on me. I came to accept the wider waist and really never considered that my size would ever go back down.

For some reason I always remember Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon talking at the beginning of a Tonight Show. Johnny asked Ed if he eats because he enjoys it or because he knows he has to. Ed, a man after my own heart, said that he of course ate because he enjoys it. Johnny made a quick joke or two and then said that he eats because he knows he has to.

I've always found that a bit odd. I ate because I loved to. Or, at least that's the way it had always been. Now I understand the other side, eating because you know you have to.

But I do eat. The portions are healthy, but nowhere near the portions I used to enjoy.

Barb's usually right. Could my clothing now be too big?

I didn't really believe it until I saw a picture of myself. My jeans were bunched in at the waist, full through the legs. They were definitely too big. Barb's always right.

I remembered putting all of my old pants aside at the bottom of the closet. I pulled the pile out and tried the top pair on. It was a perfect fit. I didn't think I'd really see the old size 36s again. But they were back.

Now I have to pile all of the size 38-inch pants at the bottom of the closet.