Stop! Sucking! Day 19: Stop and buy a damned hat
I’m no garden-variety L.A. idjit.
Born and raised in Chicago, she of the fickle weather, I learned the value of layers early on. And, when traveling between October and July, of bringing an umbrella. But a hat?
Who the hell brings a hat four days before May? Even to Chicago? Especially when one has an especially large head that looks profoundly ridiculous in hats?
It was in the high 40s today—and that was the high. So I walked and I walked and I stopped in every damned store that was a likely bet, looking for something other than a sun bonnet. Something that would keep the heat in my head.
When I finally found one—in a running store, of all places, for $32—I was a mile from my destination. $32. For a hat that matches nothing I’m wearing on this trip, and that upon my return to Los Angeles will most likely linger in my “winter” shoebox until I give up and hand it off to my friend, Lily, who looks good in all hats, damn her.
$32. To look ugly until the the weather turns.
I snapped the purple “no complaining!” wristband my friend (and frequent commentributrix) Mary Ellen gave me at lunch once against my wrist. And smiled. And thought of my wonderful chats with Mary Ellen and Heidi, and the wonderful soup that I would heat up in my wonderful midweek bachelorette crash pad, on loan courtesy of my wonderful friend, The Overly Talented Account Guy. And then I gave them my credit card, snipped the tags from my brand new $32 hat, and set off for the last leg of my day’s journey at least partly dry and vastly warmer.
Stop complaining. Buy the damned hat. You’ll catch a cold if you don’t, anyway, and then where will you be?
Stop. Before something else does the stopping for you.
xxx
c
(I wrote this last night, the 28th, and hit “save” instead of “publish.” Did I mention somewhere the importance of getting enough rest? Yeah.)
Image by benncapon via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.
TOPICS: 21 day salutes, Stop! Sucking!.
6 Comments, Comment or Ping
Sally J. (Practical Archivist)
Love the bracelet! A short sharp somatic reminder to S-T-O-P. (You can tell I took my alliteration pills this morning.) When you get back to sunny LA feel free to send me the hat and I’ll donate it to a Wisconsin shelter. It won’t clutter up your “just in case” box of winter stuff and it’ll keep someone up here toasty warm. Yesterday? It snowed. Will this %#$& winter never end?
Apr 29th, 2008
the communicatrix
Maybe I’ll send the bracelet–having stuff around my wrists drives me crazy. Must be muscle memory from my days in the pokey.
I will probably keep the cap, much as I make sport of it. The BF’s is perilous cold in the winter, and the hat thing really does work to keep one’s temperature regulated.
But SNOW!?!?! I’m counting my sunny, crisp, spring blessings today!
Apr 29th, 2008
Earl Kabong
One of the things at which I traditionally suck is coming up with story ideas, which is why I’ve generally depended on assignment editors to spoon feed me. And, even then, my first thought when they call and offer me money to write about something is, “Really? is that worth doing? Okay. If I HAVE to . . .” I’m like a five-year-old being dragged to the shoe store.
I’ve got a chance to break out of that mold today. I just got a note from an editor at Reader’s Digest — remember them? — solciting story ideas, good old heart-tugging, triumph-of-the-spirit, human interest Reader’s Digest type stories. And it occurred to me that I have no idea how to find those stories or even where to look.
My friend Dyana thinks I should ask you folks in general and Ms. Trix in particular for suggestions. Not necessarily for specific story ideas (although I wouldn’t turn up my nose at that) but suggestions as to where I should hunt for them. I’m sure they’re everywhere. ira Glass puts them on the radio every damned week. But, since they’re not in my lap, I don’t know where to start. Help me stop the sucking. I beseech you.
(feel free to contact me at earlkabong@yahoo.com if you don’t want to occupy the space here).
Apr 29th, 2008
the communicatrix
Wise advice from Lady Dy, for, as you well know, until you conquer the hill you’re on you will not be allowed to venture forth and conquer other, more attractive hills.
I think it’s a general thinking question, a perspective question, not a question-question. And of course, those are hard to answer.
But I would offer this: most of us write about the stuff we need to know about. And you are an endless source of questions where that’s concerned. So maybe think about what you’d like to know–start with the really close-in stuff, like “how did you get the hell out of the job you don’t like into one you did?” (worked for Po Bronson) or “how did you get happy?”
I will also offer this: Peter Shankman has set up a great query site for journalist and potential resources. And maybe if you go there and ask some general questions along those lines, or even “What heartfelt story do you have to share?”, people will generate your topics for you.
http://www.helpareporter.com/
Apr 29th, 2008
Mary Ellen
Now I’m not complaining, donning my own annoying…uh…wonderful-grassroots-effort-of-a-purple-bracelet that I am, but the masochistic element that is so frequently assumed with this bracelet is really funny. You don’t have to snap it when you complain–you’re simply to switch it to the other wrist. Or, as you say, switch it right over to Sally. I’m glad you bought the hat. Not the Chicago weather I’d ordered for my fine friend but so good to see you in any weather.
Apr 29th, 2008
Adam Kayce
I was there, and I saw the hat. It rocks, C. Thought it was the cutest thing I saw in Chicago.
(don’t know if ‘cute’ was what you were aiming for… but it was.)
May 8th, 2008