I know pajamas are really comfortable and they make us feel good. I’ve written some of my best essays at home in my pajamas, rollers, and house shoes. But can we agree to restrict the wearing of pajamas to a zone of no more than 10 feet from our own front doors?
You may have heard about the commissioner in Shreveport, La. who wants to pass a law banning pajamas in public. That may be a little extreme. The last thing California needs is another law. But I understand where he’s coming from. I reached this point one day when I was heading into a store and the lady in front of me was wearing pink flannel pajamas covered with white bunnies and a pair of fuzzy slippers. Really? How hard could it be to pull on a pair of sweats and throw on a T-shirt? If it is that hard, maybe you should just stay home or send someone else who has enough energy to put some clothes on.
Other American River College students share my opinion. Culinary arts major Crystal Brown, 45, feels wearing pajamas in public is disgusting. “It’s what your mama didn’t teach you at home,” said Brown. “It’s a sign of ignorance.”
Faculty members notice as well. “I’m not worried about the pajamas. I’m somewhat concerned about nightgowns,” said math professor Anthony Barcellos.
I realize there are times when you oversleep for any number of reasons. What to do?
Keep a pair of jeans or yoga pants or sweats next to the bed. Take off the pajamas, pull on the pants, zip on a sweater, slip on a pair of shoes and get moving. OK, if you’re really, really late, pull the pants on over the pajamas.
I think pajamas feel so good because they don’t carry the baggage of the outside world. Pajamas should never stand in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, see the price for a gallon of gas, or attend ARC. At the end of a long, hard day, your pajamas will be waiting for you at home. That’s what it boils down to; your pajamas belong at home. That’s where they do their best work.
