“Oh gosh, he forgot his belt.”
That was the first reaction from a Grandma when the country singer came on stage to perform at a recent awards program.
Actually, we noticed it too. Then, we heard the next morning on the radio that the entertainer thought about the missing belt after arriving at the auditorium. He wanted to go back and get it, but his wife insisted there wasn’t time.
In reality, we’ve forgotten our belt a few times, but not in recent years. One time that we did continues to haunt and remind us how important a belt is to being fully dressed. When we got our team picture taken before leaving for Denver to the livestock judging contest in 1972, thankfully we had our jeans, shirt, boots and hat on, but no belt.
That photo permanently hangs in the animal science hall and appears on the giant screen annually at the judging team reunion to remind us and everyone how poorly groomed we were.
However, as important as a belt is to being completely dressed, that’s obviously not the concern with much of society these days.
Many people often go in public not wearing belts. And, their pants are falling down, or certainly appear to be. “Oh, that’s the style,” we’re quickly informed. Well, it’s not very stylish, that’s for sure.
Credit given when due, that musician who forgot his belt recently is still one of the better groomed singers around today. The majority of them are very sloppy in their appearance, to the point of appearing dirty, if they’re not.
Belts were meant to keep the pants up, and despite an embarrassingly-growing potbelly, ours do slip, or feel like they will, these days if there isn’t a belt in place.
Notable, there was a time when we didn’t have that worry, as our jeans would shrink so we could barely get them zipped, and then no freight of coming off.
Regardless, we’ve always felt the right belt was essential to being dressed, and we are fortunate to have a trophy buckle to keep it fastened.
Reminds us of Isaiah 5:27: “They are never weary, their belts are tight, their bootstraps strong; they run without stopping.” And, Exodus 28:40: “You shall wear long sleeves, belts and hats for glory, honor and beauty.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
VII–47–11-17-13