North America has became a melting pot of "sub-cultures" often influenced by what is seen on TV and the media. "preppy", "hippy", "punk" etc. For some people their clothes are a "statement" about who they are or who they are trying to be, or in some cases a cry for attention,-- sometimes in the wrong way. I personally think "punk" is disgusting, especially when their faces look like a "goalie for a dart team", and they haven't washed in-- when ever. I am talking filth, not dirt acquired from hard work. However-- sometimes we have to try to look beyond the clothes and try to see the person underneath, even when it isn't easy to breathe, because –they smell—well not so good, and I don't mean cow barn either. Take for example- there is an individual that many mock because this person is a severe- burn out—drugs—booze etc. One day, this person told me that as a young child, they came home to find one of their parents dead on the floor—suicide. The other parent blamed the child why the other parent was dead.. I can only imagine the emotional trauma suffered, and can easily understand why they drink so much. Similarly, some people might be like that because life had dealt them a hard hand and they don't care anymore, not just a lazy slob.. I figure dress for the job or occasion, or whatever. What is "normal" may vary from area of the country to different areas. I know a few preachers, who dress very neatly in expensive western style clothes, but that is normal for this area, as there is a fair sized ranch community around, and if they walked up in a suit and tie, and a " better than thou" attitude, there would be raised eye brows.. I know an area in the caribou where there is a high portion of millionaires, but you would never know it by the clothes, blue jeans and Mac Jackets / shirts are common. Another situation I have encountered was when the kids were very young. A man did not realize adults / larger kids were present and approached with what I believe were ulterior motives, who when realizing others were present-- he quickly split. He was dressed "to the max" in a suit and tie, with short clipped hair. No grungy street clothes there.. Another incident was during the O.J. Simpson trial. I was standing in a grocery line and there was a greasy grungy biker type behind me. The guy pointed to the "slander sheet" concerning O.J. Simpson, and said— " when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, he won't get away with that'! My mouth must have hit the floor, cause I had to "pick my jaw back up and put it back on my face". That was the last thing I had ever expected to hear from that guy. So one can't always "read a book by its cover," although one might have an inkling on what is going on inside. And yeah, I have gone to church in clean double fronted Carharts and a clean nice Tee shirt, with steel toed boots underneath, cause one don't always know when one has to kick something more than a cow pie!! LOL
