A couple of days ago, I had occasion to say to someone.. "that makes me feel
like Thing 1 and Thing 2, in The Cat in the Hat".
I think most of us are familiar with Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, and there is no question that the Cat's Hat was quite magical.
And then I came across some very interesting information. It turns out that Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel, in real life) was indeed quite a collector of hats.. the more flamboyant and unique, the better. Truly. I'm not making this up. He had a whole walk-in closet -- with a secret hidden door -- full of hats, and paintings of characters inspired by the hats. And I don't mean a handful of hats... there were HUNDREDS of hats!! He was said to have had this notion that hats had this wonderful quality, in that -- when someone put on a hat, it could amplify their personality, or even transform their personality.
In other words, Dr. Seuss had discovered the magic of hats.
By the way, Theodor Geisel's widow has made these hats available to the public, and there is an exhibition touring the country this year. Sadly, the exhibition won't be anywhere near me... but perhaps you'll have better luck.
And all of this has had a special meaning for me, because - before I learned about Dr. Seuss' theory of hats, and his collection inside his hidden closet, I had occasion to experience the magic of hats.
My mother and my sister and I live many many miles from each other. We get together occasionally, although not as often as we'd like... and often it's only two of us, rather than all three of us. But recently, we were all three together. We ended up in a store -- not really shopping for anything specific... just spending time with each other -- and we found ourselves in the hat department.
Not only did we find ourselves in the hat department, but we found ourselves being extremely silly. None of us need a hat at the time, or even wanted a hat, but we proceeded to try on hats. And we found ourselves laughing. A lot. Somehow, those hats did... something. Something magical.
So the next time you're walking by a hat display... stop, and try one on.... the bigger, the more outrageous and flamboyant, the better. Think of Dr. Seuss, and let yourself be transformed, even for just a moment, by the magic of hats.
And then, of course, go have a cup of tea. I did.
Mmmm hats – I like hats but always feel a plonker wearing one. On the occasions I try one on, my wife say, yes, that looks good, then giggles. I find it difficult to believe the opinion of a giggling wife. I guy in a black cycle helmet passed me the other day. (the helmet was the link) It made me think of an earlier bloglet of Laurie’s. He was dressed in a black top and black shorts. It was like he was trying to be noticed yet not seen. He grunted hello as he passed me, with his hands down on the drop of his bars. He was bent forward, pedalling hard, with the lycra stretched tight across his backside. If anyone passes, I usually get up to their pace, but there was a strong hint of white flesh showing through his shorts, and I thought ... diaphanous – it’s not such an attractive quality really. Must get my mind back on hats now.
ReplyDeleteI love hats, though I seldom wear one. The ones around the house now are mostly baseball-style: Alaska, the local botanic gardens.
ReplyDeleteI've been in hat stores with friends and descended into giggles, too.
Tim, I ... not sure what to say, so, yeah, mind back on hats.
I love the idea of wearing hats, but unless it's freezing out or I'm running and need sunshade, I don't love the feeling of them on my head. I sure wish I could appreciate them on me as much as I do on others! Fun post!
ReplyDelete