Hats off to you

Hats off to you

After working 14 hours, two days a week with a few 10 hour shifts in between I always attempt to watch the news on my days off. I suppose it’s my way of reconnecting with the world.  Today is no different. I flip the switch and watch the end of some mindless soap opera only to wait and hear endless banter regarding hat selections for the upcoming royal wedding. ‘Hats bring a sense of positivity’ to people, the announcer insists while continuing to express that such hats range well beyond $100,000.00. I think to myself, a hat for $100,000.00 that may bring a little bit of positivity?

  I imagine the individuals that are able to spend such money on a little spark of positivity. I imagine the outrage of wrong colors, appearance of big foreheads, too many feathers and not enough spunk. I paint a picture in my head of royal wedding hostility including all the press and time that will be spent detailing the glories of the hats, and all the ‘positivity’ it was able to surround the newly married royal couple.  I stop myself and redirect the scene; maybe hats do bring a sense of majestic emotions and such said positivity. However, I can’t stop myself from thinking ‘really, your biggest worry is picking out that special hat; that really outside of a few comments, a shared smile and a 12 hour time spand really won’t be making a huge impact on the world.’ I imagine a world that hats are the biggest problem and positivity is picked up a-top the coat rack.

I laugh, stop  and surround myself in endless memories of Bourbon Street, jazz bands, mechanical whales, crazy out-fits, beads, laughter and hats. Picking up the album of our recent trip to the Big Easy, I flip through pictures of our decorated heads and mentally I am surrounded with every feeling I was consumed with walking through the French quarters.

A purple fedora that complimented Tina’s hair, a birthday candle cake top-hat that told every passer-by it was Jim’s birthday, a blue hat that left fuzz on my dress, an Irish inspired plaid hat that was shared by Dunker and Jarrett, and an astronaut hat that  welcomed Bohaty after the surprise of a life time.

I laugh as I remind myself of the simple joy such hats brought to our adventure. Fabric shaped for a head, inspired to create a smile, or better yet, maybe even some positivity.  I recap the moments Bohaty ‘called Houston’, Jarrett swung the hat around to dance with the ladies, Tina adjusted the purple fuzz to take the perfect picture, and the response of Jim saying ‘hell yes, it’s my birthday’; and I imagine a trip without our decorated heads. I embrace the memories of laughter and become great full for ‘Party City’.

While our hats were not broadcasted on the news at noon, nor would we imagine paying over $20.00 for them. Like the hopes for the royal wedding, our hats did bring positivity. I suppose picking out that perfect hat is worth some mentioning; the few comments, the shared smile and the 12 hour time spand that  is spent wearing them may not make a huge impact on the world, however it will make a difference in your own.  Perspective is a power tool and simplicity and smiles are often the best recipe for unforgettable memories.  Don’t let the chance of a hat bringing positivity pass you by. So here it is, from San Francisco, hats off to you.