When the Hat Makes the Man

For those of you that know me, I often spend my off time wearing an old fishing hat…the same one you see in my blog’s profile pic and my Facebook. It’s a wrinkled old hat, (about 15 years old), has a red band at the base of the rim, thin blue pin stripes bordering the red, and age spots that rival a 90 year old man. I’ve managed throughout the years to get it greasy while working under the hood of old cars, mildewed from soaking it in muddy rivers to cool my forehead, and ragged by accidentally running over it when pulling out of my drive. To many this is just another hat that indisputably belongs in the local thrift store or even worse…the trash. You know the kind…one of those hats you wouldn’t think of buying for 10 cents, even on half price days. To me however it’s a diamond in the rough that represents more than just a hat.

I remember the day I spotted this beauty resting on a rack at the local Kmart. The style alone caught my eye, as it reminded me of one my late uncle “Walley” used to wear…a real character he was. Walley was a kind spirited truck driver who enjoyed life to its fullest. Full of piss and vinegar like his little sister (my mom), he backed the attitude up with a sense of humor that was both swift and clear-cut. His hat, which I was told he owned for many years, was pierced by an old fishing lure for those impromptu trips to the lake I guess, and sported a couple of pins from the various truck stops he would visit along his journey between pick-ups & drop-offs. As a kid, to simply look at him with that hat on brought a smile to my face and a belly giggling chuckle. To hear him talk and break out a joke was merely a bonus for me.

In his later years Walley fell sick and was placed in a nursing home near Center, MO. I remember visiting him there a few times when I was a teenager. I hated the long drive in the back seat of my parents car…seemed like we had made that trip a thousand times. Fortunately, you could guarantee after the 4 hour ride, you would be greeted by Walley, that ole hat, and the chuckles conjured up when talking to him. As his health faded, it wasn’t long before Walley was laid to rest in a small country cemetery there outside of Center. I remember the funeral plain as day. There he was, eyes closed, smile on his face, and that ole hat laying there beside him as if he were speaking directly to me, “Skipper…leave um with a laugh or two, and a smile on their face”. It wasn’t too long after that day when I bought my “Uncle Walley” hat, one which I hope I’ll wear to my grave.

So, when does a hat make the man? I feel it’s when the hat you put on for the day, reminds you of someone with simple unspoken wisdom to live by…a hat that helps you remember where you came from, and where you should be going. In my case, it’s a hat that reminds me to “Leave um laughing with a smile on their face”. So what hat will you wear today?