Margaret and Bert, a lively older couple with a penchant for humor, had just relocated to Texas, where everything, including ambitions of becoming a cowboy, seemed larger than life. Bert, always harboring dreams of cowboy glory, spotted a pair of authentic boots on sale one day and couldn’t resist. With a grin from ear to ear, he strutted home, the shiny new boots giving him a spring in his step.
Entering the kitchen, where Margaret was brewing tea, he puffed out his chest and asked, “Notice anything different about me?”
Margaret gave him a quick glance and went back to her tea. “Nope,” she replied nonchalantly.
Bert, undeterred, decided to up the ante. He marched off to the bathroom, removed everything but his new boots, and returned, striking a dramatic pose in the doorway. Hands on hips, he declared, “How about now? Notice anything different?”
Margaret looked up, squinted slightly, and sighed. “Bert, if it was drooping yesterday, it’s drooping today, and it’ll be drooping again tomorrow.”
Indignant, Bert snapped, “Do you know why it’s drooping, Margaret?”
Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Enlighten me,” she said dryly.
“It’s drooping,” Bert huffed, “because it’s STARING at my new boots!”
Margaret didn’t miss a beat. Without even cracking a smile, she replied, “Should’ve bought a hat, Bert. Should’ve bought a hat.”