Do these slippers make me look old?

I've gone without slippers for most of my life. So, how is it that in the last couple of years I have completely turned the bend and wear slippers all the time? Sure, I don't like getting my feet dirty, but why wear them when we have carpet? Maybe I should get an old worn-out cardigan sweater and stumble around with my cane, to complete the image? Only old people wear slippers. Well, I used to think that anyway.

Funny how life changes you in unexpected ways. I remember my father walking around with black slippers, that looked like otters to me. It seemed he was a hundred years old, and those slippers were my associated image. Another image is him hunkered over his amateur radio set (which is not very amateur at all, and is more like a dedicated professional hobby), talking with people from Australia, Taiwan, and Poland. He was always fixing things around the house, learning new skills, and teaching me all the time--though I hardly realized it then.

I wonder how many other things I've taken from my father's many examples? He's always been there for me, no matter how badly I messed up. He never gained a sense of fashion, so I guess I should blame him for that too. Yet, it's the simple things that really matter. Like these slippers I'm wearing now ... they aren't otters, but maybe they're related ...

Do these make me look old? No. But, I hope I can look like my father.

- M