Pajamas

It’s another typical Sunday morning. Walking up to the whir of the overhead propeller and hearing a loud pounding down at the Burnleys where he has been working on the house for over a decade, but today’s sound is the typical hammering noise but more like the dull thud of cutting down a tree with an axe. Listening to the 500^th radio show and checking Facebook and email to see who is awake this early on a Sunday morning and their silly photos or links or read their feelings about the Zimmerman verdict.

Enjoying the huge fluffy white clouds against a background of clear blue with a sweet little breeze I venture out trying to decide if I want to chance the traffic or just watch the hawk soaring up above the clouds. I take the later deciding it is safer. There is more traffic out this morning than usual but I guess the rain yesterday held people inside. Maybe that is why so many lawnmowers are revved up today?

Feeding the yard and a couple of hungry mosquitoes, putting away the rib eye steaks for the Sunday feast, I scan the television log to find nothing but golf and opera. And wonder why they don’t do something to jazz golf up, like having the players sing and dance between shots.

But that’s not what it is all about this morning. I check the clock. 11:11. Perfect! The sermon for today is: Pajamas.

A brief description…

“Pajamas in US English, spelt pyjamas in British English, often shortened to PJs or jammies, can refer to several related types of clothing. The original pāyjāmeh are loose, lightweight trousers fitted with drawstring waistbands and worn in South and West Asia by both sexes. In many English-speaking nations, pajamas are loose-fitting, two-piece garments derived from the original garment and worn chiefly for sleeping, but sometimes also for lounging, also by both sexes. Today pajamas may refer to several garments, for both daywear and nightwear, derived from traditional pajamas and involving variations of style and material.”

So as we get into the hottest time of the year why do I bring up pajamas? It just struck me that pajamas were a big deal in my family growing up and I decided to share some of the freakiness over nighttime clothing.

I don’t remember having footie pajamas but probably had some, with the flap in the back. I do remember every Christmas one of our presents were always pajamas. My brother will vouch for me on this. He is probably chuckling now. Christmas was when some clothing essentials, like socks and pajamas were given by our parents as gifts. The top drawer of the dresser would have the folded pajamas next to the tighty-whities and the socks balled up in pairs and lined up in a row. Everything was in order back then.

Now we didn’t rush home from school or church, which were our two major excursions into the big city, and put on our pajamas. No, we had school clothes and then “at home” clothes. We hung up our best wear or put them, under instruction, to the clothes hamper and they would magically appear in our closet all cleansed and pressed. Only when it was time for bed were we told to put on our PJs.

I think there is some ritual for wearing bed clothing but I never figured it out. For one, if you went to a sleep over, which was just another family taking you in for the night, you had to bring your pajamas. But you can’t wear pajamas when you go to camp. Sure your mom will pack them, but you can’t wear them. It is just not done.

Also, I think you are supposed to go “commando” when you wear pajamas. I personally found all that free space dangerous and was not comfortable with all that dingly dangly business so I always wore underwear. Yep, even to this day. I think it is best to be prepared, say the house catches on fire, that I can be dressed and out of the house in like a minute.

So what is all this about pajamas in July? Well, like shorts, which took forever to catch on, pajamas are everywhere now. They are called “casual wear” so you see people wandering around the grocery store or the mall or maybe even in church in the clothing they sleep in. Don’t get too close; there might be a revolting smell.

Flannel seems to be the material that took this transition from pleated kaki to balloon clown outfits. Sure they are comfortable, but are you really attractive wearing your pajamas to a wine tasting event or an excuse to get as silly as you look? Now sweats are reserved for the gym but leisure clothing can be worn and accepted anywhere. Throw a logo or a school symbol on it and the price goes up. Walking billboards as the money-grubbers tout.

As I’ve said, my family was big into pajamas. And when I got married I found girls had it worst than guys. Shoot they had a whole array of products to fashion sleepwear. There were whole department full of lacy and sheer clothing for the ladies. I think the marketing showed the Mrs. Cleaver shedding her pearls for push up and see through.

From what I remember my pajamas were always blue. Don’t know why, but I think bright colors were forbidden because it might keep you awake. Then there were the plaids. I guess they did keep me warm in winter, but when summer came the material got lighter but it was still too much for only a fan to keep you dry at night. Even experimented with nightshirts but you just get tangled up and they ride up. Had a set of silk pajamas once and wanted to try them out after a concert but the cleaning person knocked on the door and we were so panicked we raced out of the room and I left them behind. Bought lots of those frilly enticing items for ladies but they didn’t last long. Had a custom set of PJs with the family tartan woven in wool but they were real, real hot and I think the dog ate them.

Now I’m not opposed to pajamas. Seeing a woman in a PJ top, much like wearing a white pressed dress shirt, can be the most romantic image a guy could vision. I do think these are rather frivolous pieces of clothing. Who else would dress for bed in a Star Trek outfit or a Superman suit or a union suit?

Have you ever slept without heat; in the dead of winter? Snow packed up outside and winds blowing through the frosted windows while leaving the water dripping so it won’t freeze? Well if you have, you realize what layers are all about. Bed clothing becomes that much more important. A sweatshirt hoodie becomes wonderful bed-wear when you can snore freezes on your mustache.

Yet I regress. I don’t believe I will buy any more pajamas, no matter what they name them, and I don’t expect anyone to wrap the flannel garments in colorful paper and placing the package under the Christmas tree.

Nothing says “I love you” more than here is a pair of baggy pants and floppy shirt that you can wear to bed.  

Some people's hot
Some people's cold
Some people's not very
Swift to behold
Some people do it
Some see right through it
Some wear pyjamas
If only they knew it

The pyjama people are boring me to pieces
Feel like I am wasting my time
They all got flannel up 'n down 'em
A little trap-door back aroun' 'em
An' some cozy little footies on their mind

Po-jama people!
Po-jama people, people!
They sure do make you sleepy
With the things they might say
Po-jama people!
Po-jama people, people!
Mother Mary 'n Jozuf, I wish they'd all go away!

Po-jama people!
It's a po-jama people special . . .
Take one home with you, save a dollar today
Po-jama people!
Po-jama people, people!
Wrap 'em up
Roll 'em out
Get 'em out of my way
Hein nya-nya-hein nya-nya-hein nya-nya-hein
HOEY! HOEY! HOEY!
Wrap 'em up
Roll 'em out
Get 'em out of my way
Hein nya-nya-hein nya-nya-hein nya-nya-hein
HOEY! HOEY! HOEY!
Wrap 'em up
Roll 'em out
Get 'em out of my way
Hein nya-nya-hein nya-nya-hein nya-nya-hein
HOEY! HOEY! HOEY!

(Well . . . ) now some people's hot
An' some people's cold
(Well, Lawd . . . ) an' some people's not very
(Very) swift to behold (swifty!)
(I told you) some people do it (do it!)
(Yes, they do!) (No . . . )
Some see right through it
(See right through it!)
An' some wear PO-JAMAS
If only they knew it

The pyjama people are boring me to pieces
They make me feel like I am wasting my time
They all got flannel up 'n down 'em
A little trap-door back aroun' 'em
An' some cozy little footies on their mind

Po-jama people!
Po-jama people, people!
Lawd, they make you sleepy
With the things they might say (hey, yeah-hey . . . )
Po-jama people!
(Well . . . now) Po-jama people, people!
(I said) ARF! ARF! ARF!
I wish they'd all go away!

Po-jama people! (People!) (Oh, yeah)
Po-jama people special . . .
(I said, I said, I said)
Take one home with you, & save a dollar today
Po-jama people!
(It's a) Po-jama people, people! (Special)
Wrap 'em up
An' roll 'em out
Get 'em out of my way
HOEY! HOEY! HOEY!
Wrap 'em up
An' roll 'em out
Get 'em out of my way
HOEY! HOEY! HOEY!
Wrap 'em up
Roll 'em out
Get 'em out of my way
HOEY! HOEY! HOEY!

(YEAH-HA-HA!)