Daughter is a 'cold snob'

It's amazing what you can learn from reading the newspaper.

On Monday, thanks to The Associated Press, I learned of a phenomenon called "cold snobbery."

I had never heard of the term before. But I quickly discovered that I've known a "cold snob" all my life. She's my daughter, Bailey.

Cold snobs, as the AP story calls them, don't bundle up. They typically wear shorts and T-shirts when they leave the house, never mind the frigid temperatures. They insist it isn't cold.

"Everybody knows people like this. They're usually easy to spot. Their mantra -- 'You call this cold?' -- is an annoyingly familiar jingle," the AP story points out.

Well, I confess I never thought of my fifth-grade daughter as a snob. But she definitely likes to wear shorts even in the dead of winter.

My wife, Joni, and I don't want her to be too snobby. We won't let her wear shorts in freezing temperatures.

But as soon as it warms up just a little, Bailey's back to wearing shorts to school. She views a 50-degree day as perfect for wearing shorts.

Late last fall, she could be found ignoring the cold while playing in a recreational soccer tournament. While some of her teammates bundled up in long pants and wore long-sleeved shirts under their jerseys, Bailey strolled onto the field in shorts and T-shirt.

I was cold just watching her. Bailey just smiled at me. She was in her element.

I know I've felt guilty at times letting Bailey go to school in shorts in the middle of winter. But "cold snobs" like Bailey don't seem to be feel the chill in the air.

I know because I've asked her. She says her legs don't get cold. I find that hard to believe, but experience tells me she means it.

She hates to have to go to class bundled in long pants and long-sleeve shirts. She doesn't mind wearing a jacket, particularly when it accompanies shorts and a T-shirt.

Some colleagues complain about the cold. But having lived in Chicago one winter, I know Cape Girardeau doesn't really suffer from cold weather or a lot of snowfall.

Earlier this winter, the Cape Girardeau area was hit with some snow flurries. People reacted as if it was a blizzard. I remember telling a colleague that such flurries would be considered a nice spring day in Chicago.

While I'm not a winter person, I admit I made my Chicago comment with a bit of a swagger. Never mind that I really didn't adjust to the Chicago cold and snow.

I think maybe Bailey might even define a Chicago winter as cold.

But as long as she's living in Southeast Missouri, I'm sure she'll continue to find it comfortable to wear shorts most winter days.

Bailey admits that even some of her classmates have questioned her sanity when it comes to wearing shorts in the winter.

But that doesn't bother her. She couldn't be happier.

Bailey, no doubt, doesn't think of herself as a snob.

But she does give me a funny look when I suggest she might like to wear jeans.

"It's not cold, dad," she tells me.

At least she's consistent.

As Bailey sees it, shorts look good for just about any occasion.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer with the Southeast Missourian.