Monday, June 8, 2009

Kids Wearing Hats

When I was a kid I always wore a hat. People said it would make me go bald, but that didn't deter me. We couldn't wear hats at school. I didn't wear a hat to church or the dinner table. Any other time I was wearing a hat. When I say hat I mean what some people call a ball cap. I didn't wear fedoras or any other type of hat with a funny name.

I guess I got this from my dad. He always wore a hat too. Growing up in a farming community hats were as much a part of the male wardrobe as blue jeans or underwear. Farmers are notorious hat wearing people. They get them free from John Deere or the seed company or the rice mill or somewhere else. I say they are free. Last I checked a big John Deer combine cost a few hundred thousand dollars so free is a relative term.

I started collecting hats for some reason. It seemed like as good a thing as any to collect. Why are stamps and coins any better than hats. I got a hat from everywhere I went. I bought twenty different hats to wear. I was like a woman with her shoes. I had a hat for every mood. It was out of control. I never counted my hats, but surely I had 100. Eventually I threw them out and got my addiction under control.

I still wear a hat a lot of the time. This summer I am playing softball. I play co-ed church league which is not exactly at the top of the competitive ladder. It's still a lot of fun to get out and play. Of course for softball games I must wear a hat. After all it is called a ball cap. To be like his daddy Braden got his first ball cap last week. He wore it to my softball game this weekend. Surprisingly he didn't seem to mind the hat. He wasn't always trying to take it off and cast it away. He looked good in a hat, and I am sure he will wear them right along with me through his youth.

I only hope this early affinity for hats doesn't mean he will have an unhealthy obsession with them like his old man.

10 comments:

Doug Skinner said...

Didn't wear my first hat until I was in High school...It was a Philadelphia eagles hat and I wore it until the department of health forced me to take it off my head.

I've repeated this process ever since, I'm on my 6th hat...and it's starting to smell...Between the fish slime, jogging sweat, lake water, and general misuse and abuse it's almost time for #7.

GreenJello said...

My little one year old nephew is a hat boy, just like his dad. :)

WeaselMomma said...

Hats are good and he is allowed to obsess over them just like his old man.

SurprisedMom said...

Braden looks pretty happy (and pretty cute) wearing his hat. He'll probably grow up wanting one with every outfit. Hats complete the outfit!:)

HTF said...

Ah, kids in hats rock. I wore one a lot growing up . . . I should probably start up again now that I'm pretty much bald. Pretty certain I wouldn't look nearly as cute as your little man there though.

Jen said...

Oh that picture is just so cute. I like shoes and have way too many so I can totally understand your hat thing.

seashore subjects said...

LOL! My husband was also a hat wearer - my father once didn't recognize him without it! (It didn't even dent his hair growth.)

PJ Mullen said...

I too started collection hats when my pro football team started winning championships regularly. I would also buy the sideline cap each year. I still have like 30 hats that I never wear for some stupid reason. I wear a ball cap a lot, especially these days because its tough getting a shower in during the day when I'm home alone with little man. I've tried to get him to try on hats, but they never stay on. My wife was brave and tried to get him to wear his hat (its a cool Harley one) and sunglasses on a recent walk. That did not go well.

Katherine said...

Wow. He's adorable. I wish my Ethan would wear a hat. He won't. Get's really mad about it. Your little one is younger than mine, but I think he's bigger! I have a little guy.

57plymouth said...

Good work starting the kid off right.

And get him a Fedora!! Once you get one, you won't go back.