Beverly Hills Dress Code

So today on the bus...

visual: My green lululemon Cozy Up Jacket above my black leggings and dark brown UGG boots, offset with hot pink legwarmers and my heavy, magenta patent leather gym bag await my bus adventure today.

Sunday mornings at the bus stop are always pretty low key. People are still sleeping or not up and at 'em at 7:00am. I rush into the 711 Convenient Store to grab my extra bold coffee. I rush out right when the bus arrives.

Five quarters inserted and I talk weather with my bus driver. He is a younger gentleman and we share our love that the sun is back in town and the rain has finally passed. I inquire about his bus driving hours to find that his morning shift starts at 5:30am. Thus, he has to be up at 4:00am to make it to work on time. Shoot! I thought I was tired today. I make sure he is alert and head back to my seat.

Like I said, Sunday mornings are slow and I sit in the high perched seats and sprawl my stuff everywhere. The bus continues it trek down Wilshire today and I am making incredible time.

I look around and notice the sleepy eyes on the bus. I make eye contact with an older gentleman in a suit jacket and blue baseball cap. He has white chest hair peeking from all angles of his button down shirt. It is somehow endearing. Weird.

A smooth ride and I am already at my stop. No interactions and here I go! Yelling thanks to the bus driver, I depart to my 90210 place of work. I think, what a quite ride today.

Now, while waiting at my crosswalk, the aforementioned older gentleman comes up beside. He is giving off this amazing cheerful energy and says immediately that he loves my outfit and asks where I am going. I smile and tell him I have to work today. Making that dollar! He responds that he is going to church and proceeds to tell me about his outfit:

"You know, when you come to Beverly Hills, you have to look good [he pulls the collar on his suit jacket]. I had to put on this jacket today just so the cops don't give me the run-around. I once wore a t-shirt and walked by the cops and I thought they were going to come after me. Really, they were giving me the glare. So from now on, I know the code and to dress it up".

I laugh. He is amazing. The old school blue baseball cap with the black suit jacket and button down. And I am not even kidding about this white as snow chest hair visible from all areas of the collar. He has thick glasses and just smiles the whole conversation.

He travels from Santa Monica to Beverly Hills to visit this church every Sunday. I am sure there are Protestant churches in Santa Monica, but he is bored and just needs a spice of life. Or, he just wants to dress up and loves the story of Beverly Hills, what a thrill lifestyle.

He walks my way and he shares about our generation, homeless people and how important it is to stay healthy. He tells me he was a Marine and lived in a time where kids smoked and drank much more than they do now. I bet he was a teacher at some point. In our one sidewalk block of interaction, he is trying to convey about eighteen messages. Very professor mixed with a beautiful grandpa-esque style.

His name was Ed and he was 82 years old. I mean, he looked great and moved pretty quick for his age. He was out of breathe after we departed ways, but he was so very sweet.

We shook hands at the corner and I walked towards work thinking about Ed's view of Beverly Hills. How he felt he had to get fancy to walk the streets and his quick teachings while walking with me. I do not know what I got from it, if not more than just warmth in my heart for this older man. The authentic connection and happiness shared. And goodness me, that gnarly chest hair. But, he definitely started my morning off right with a huge smile and his wise 'teachings'.