My Hat

This hat was my first checking account purchase in the ninth grade.  It must have been 1991 or 1992.  I ordered it from a J.Crew catalog for $12, if my memory serves me well.  I think it's time to retire it.  I loved it.  I wore it the most of all my hats.  And I have quite a few.  I wore it to school, on weekends, and on vacations.  It was like a part of my uniform, only the hat was the only variable that didn't change, like a good friend.  It hid my insecurities.  It was a socially acceptable security blanket.  It was a part of my identity.  It went with me to various countries in Europe.  It spent two years in Argentina as I was a missionary for my church.  I wore it whenever I could, like on personal days and during laborious service projects in the sweltering heat.  It has been all over the Northwest as I have traveled, backpacked, camped, hiked, climbed, rafted, and swam. It has protected me from sun and rain, heat and cold.  It has endured countless hours of academic, outdoor, and family pursuits these past 20 years. I'm sure it was there for the birth of my children.  I doubt I will ever find a hat as good.  I don't even know if J. Crew makes a hat like it anymore.  Thank you J. Crew for creating such a quality head covering for any occasion.  sigh ...