I reached for a hat in the closet and was showered by more than two dozen baseball-style hats, a few caps of various styles, and an assortment of other rimmed headwear.
I knew that several head coverings had accumulated over the years, but the extent of the collection was alarming and a reminder that the time has come to clean and clear.
But as I went through the hats, I had trouble parting with any - save one or two duplicates. Too many memories and each brought a smile.
There are the memories of the trips to the Canadian Rockies, the hot air balloon over Napa Valley, New Orleans. There are hats from a long-closed diner on the East End, a diner on Martha’s Vineyard, Tanglewood, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Mets, Yankees, Nationals, Giants (football), Seahawks, Ravens, and the fictional team from “The Natural” are all represented with appropriate hats.
And, of course, my Gotham hats in both black and white.
And there are others.
What’s in your closet and what can you part with?