By Wendy Cartwright

Guest columnist

I have been writing this column for a whole year. It appeared in another newspaper for three months until it became a part of the Tribune in July of 2023. I would like to thank the editor and the readers for welcoming me and following along with my anecdotes, as crazy as they may often seem.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and fellow Midwesterners through my articles and pondered many things that I may not have otherwise thought about. Sometimes I do things simply because that is the way they have always been. It has been fun to explore the “why” of our quirks and behaviors.

I’ve written quite often about the weather and many times about food. I’ve commented on the words we use, how we drive, and local fashion. Today, I am again thinking of clothing.

It’s the time of year that some people love and some hate. “Fool’s Spring” is in full swing. It’s hoodies and shorts season.

A baggy hooded sweatshirt with a pocket the size of a kangaroo pouch is indispensable.

Both comfortable and warm during cool mornings and evenings with the cargo space of a Volkswagen Beetle, it is the perfect outer layer.

I’m very hard on hoodies. I often stuff the pocket so full that the corners pull away from the body of the sweatshirt. As a matter of fact, this happened to my last hoodie. It was gifted to me by a friend. She gave me the hoodie I loved before it as well. I ruined that one wiping worm dirt off my hands while fishing.

Lucky for me, I paid a visit to that friend this past week. She just so happened to have a new hoodie with my name on it. I couldn’t ask for a better friend.

Some people don’t care for hoodies and shorts. They think it is more of a fashion disaster than a fashion statement. That’s okay. I tend to dress more for function than anything else.

Whichever side of the fence you find yourself on, I hope that you’re enjoying this time of year. We will have more cold days and it won’t get truly hot as fast as I’d like, but I enjoy the opportunity to wear hoodies and shorts. It’s a wonderful time of year.

Wendy Cartwright hails from the North Vernon area and has lived there most of her life. She has a love of sharing her thoughts on growing up in the Midwest and other stories from her life. She spends her days reading and writing in the home she shares with her husband and chihuahua. Send comments to [email protected].