Jorts
Written to Speak Blog.
Written by Tanner Olson.
@writtentospeak
Jorts
@writtentospeak
It was hot.
It was muggy.
It was bright.
It was sticky.
It was 2007.
It was my 17th year of life.
It was Florida in the summer and we were getting ready for Warped Tour.
I was ready to mess it up in that dusty pit.
My ears were itching and they could only be scratched by the music my mother asked me to turn off.
(New Found Glory. Underoath Paramore. Norma Jean. Sum41. Chiodos. Anberlin. Haste the Day. The Starting Line. The Chariot. Yellowcard. The Devil Wears Prada.)
I was ready to hardcore dance and shake my fist to the words of my youth.
I was ready to spend all 40 of my dollars on a day below the sun and sounds of angst and emotion.
I was ready to sweat and smile and leave the school year behind.
I was ready to come alive.
And I couldn’t wear athletic shorts.
And I couldn’t wear jeans.
And you know I was not about to wear cargo shorts.
And so I made what I needed:
Cut off jean shorts.
“I don’t need shoes today.
Only a tank-top and cut off jean shorts.
Not jorts.
They’re cut off jean shorts.
Don’t call them jorts.
I used scissors to create these cut off jean shorts.
I guess I’m a designer of sorts.
I guess I’m a designer of cut off jean shorts.”
It was hot.
It was muggy.
It was bright.
It was sticky.
It was 2007.
And I was proudly wearing cut off jean shorts.
W T S
Tanner Olson is a writer, speaker, poet, spoken-word artist, & creator of Written to Speak.
He created Written to Speak to share hope & announce love.