Users of the bustling senior center on Lancaster County Road expressed outrage last week over a new dress code in the building. As warm weather approaches, card players, lunch-goers, knitters, and program participants will all have to refrain from wearing short shorts, revealing see-through tops, provocative sundresses, bikinis, and skimpy briefs. These restrictions should be seen as important safety measures meant to prevent unfortunate incidents in and around the building, especially in the parking lot, where additional distractions are to be discouraged.
Although some regular participants expressed anger over the restrictions, many admitted they have value. For one thing, some people tend to lose inhibitions as they grow older, while others hate the way age has altered their appearance. If everybody covers up, those factions can coexist more amicably as they bond over the excruciating details of their knee or hip replacement surgeries.
But other program participants embrace the notion that they are at least as physically appealing as they ever were, and maybe more so. Or they just want to be comfortable, whatever it takes, wherever they are.
Officials are still wrestling with the issue of cover-ups bearing hateful or profane slogans. While heated political discussions are becoming more common in the building, they are generally civil and listeners always have the option of turning their hearing aids off-—or taking a nap.
