I Will Give a Ted Talk About Cargo Shorts One Day

They’re my passion; and they’ll help you find yours too.

Who doesn’t want to give a Ted Talk?

Having the chance to discuss something that’s important to you but also beneficial for everyone watching, that’s something to be amazed about. If not, they’re fun to watch too.

I know it won’t be today, tomorrow or even a few weeks from now, but I will give a Ted Talk about my wearing cargo shorts someday, and how the piece of clothing helped me find my passions for life.

The Story of the Cargo Shorts

A few years ago, I wrote in the Daily Illini at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign about my passion. It went something like this:

Most celebrities are known for their talents. Some are known for just being famous. Then there are those celebrities known for the particular clothes they wear.

Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist Saul Hudson would not be known as Slash without wearing his signature top hat and sunglasses. Alice Cooper would not be known as “The Godfather of Shock Rock” without his eerie face paint and boa constrictor around his neck. Colonel Sanders wouldn’t sell some of the best chicken in the world without wearing his string tie and white suit.

I’m no celebrity by any means but wear a certain type of clothing too. No matter the weather, the occasion or any calendar day out of the year, I wear cargo shorts. It’s one of my main passions, and it helped me realize finding what you love to do plays a major role in succeeding in life.

I attended Catholic grade school for seven years where students were forced to wear uniforms all day, every day. It wasn’t until middle school when I discovered my trend. Students were allowed to wear anything they pleased, so long as it followed the school dress code; and so began my career of wearing cargo shorts.

They became so comfortable to wear each day to the point of difficulty in choosing some other type of pants to wear. Even in the harsh winter months, shorts are always my go-to, along with a sweatshirt and heavy jacket if need be.

“Aren’t you cold?” people always ask.

I reply with a simple answer: “No. They’re comfortable on me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Why I Would Give a Ted Talk

You’re by no means supposed to choose a certain type of clothing as your passion for life. It can be any hobby, activity or anything else that makes you happy. In the early days of wearing cargo shorts, I found many reasons why I love them so much.

Not only do cargo shorts fit perfectly, but they also hold everything I need. Each top pocket is for my cell phone and wallet respectively. One bottom pocket holds my keys, while the other holds my phone charger. Yes, a phone charger. You never know when you’ll need one while on the go.

If you were to take a gander through my closet, besides shirts, sweatshirts, a few pairs of jeans for the absolute chilly days, socks and boxer shorts, you would find multiple pairs of cargo shorts.

Maybe you love to wear a certain type of clothing too. If you do, embrace it! The latest fashion trends should not hold you back from wearing the clothes you like. Wearing cargo shorts does not fit everyone’s taste, and they probably went out of style years ago. But I continue to wear them because they also make me who I am.

Whether back home or even on social media, if someone of my relative stature is seen wearing shorts at a distance, people automatically assume it’s me. Most of the time, they’re correct. There were even students I’ve met on campus who knew who I was because of my cargo shorts before they even met me.

If you’re lucky, your passion will play a huge part in who you are in society. Sometimes, it might even be because of the clothes you wear.

Apple founder Steve Jobs wore black turtlenecks, blue jeans and New Balance sneakers that quickly became his trademark, and he’s one of the most important people in the technology world. Even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wears a gray shirt and jeans every day. Maybe having this clothing trademark of my own will lead me to the same level of success.

Discovering a passion for something plays a major role in lifelong happiness. It can be the clothes you wear, but that’s not always the case. Wearing cargo shorts are a huge part of who I am, and it’s a passion I don’t seek to eliminate out of life anytime soon.

That’s why I want to give a Ted Talk about it. It’s a topic I know very well and can share with the world.

So, while you’re there in the world discovering a passion of your own, I’m going to enjoy mine while I can.

Make sure to catch the Ted Talk in the near future.

What Are Your Passions?

Noah Nelson is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in political science and history. He served as a senior columnist for The Daily Illini, serves as a writer on Medium and the host of his blog called Nothing But Noah. His books “Life: A Collection of Short Stories” and “Dana and Me: A Memoir” are both available now on Amazon. Like what you read? You can write for Medium too!