Boxers v Pants

At an impromptu welcome back BBQ on Monday night (Labor Day) our host Patrick filled us in on some of the success he's having with his blog. It's sports related... (I want to say football) and he's connected to something called a 'blog network', and even attends sports related events replete with 'media pass'... suffice to say he's operating on a slightly different level from me.

He's even starting to earn a paycheck; not enough to live on (yet), but certainly a nice bonus.

Patrick tells us that his boss in the blogosphere has just quit his regular job, and now works from home, all day... blogging.

"Livin' the dream," says Patrick.

Dan grunts, knowingly.

"Is that the dream?" I ask, innocently enough.

"Are you kidding?! Getting to sit at home all day in your boxer shorts!?"

Dan just nods, with his eyes closed, as if the mere mention of such a possibility is almost too much bliss to handle.

Patrick's question is clearly rhetorical, so I don't answer it. But it makes for an interesting distinction.

I usually hesitate to speak for all women, but I like to imagine that for most of us 'the dream' is usually represented in our imaginations by the donning of things, be it a red carpet gown, or scrubs, legal robes, or even just great sunglasses.

And if our dreams turn to the kind of self-employment that involves working out of one's living room, it's probably because we imagine being able to make our own hours, and fit our work around families and friends, or some greater artistic pursuit that doesn't yet pay the bills.

Whereas it turns out that for men, the great obstacle of life to be overcome... is pants.