On March 20th, 2009 I went into American Eagle to take advantage of the “15% Off” deal they give when it’s the week of your Birthday. As I was looking at the new spring selection of stripped and solid color Polo’s a plaid hat caught my eye. I walked over and stared at the hat, not daring to pick it up, for fear of what the sales associates might think. In my mind I imagined the girl working at the checkout counter warning all the other employees (through those ear pieces they all wear) that someone who wasn’t trendy enough to buy a fedora was getting a little too close for comfort. I then decided that there was no way I could “pull off” that hat. It wasn’t my typical sense of style, I would never actually dare wear it in public and if I did dare wear it people would mock me. I went back to looking at more medium sized polo’s until I found myself back with the fedora.
I decided I would try it on, but there was no way I would try it on out in public (even though this was at the Cache Valley Mall and it is always empty). So I grabbed a medium vintage fit polo and the fedora and headed to the dressing room. After trying the hat on I figured I really couldn’t pull it off in any normal public setting, but perhaps during the summer at efy I could wear it for games night (“Games Night” is the one time during the week Counselors are allowed to wear hats). Still unsure of my ability to “pull it off” I took a picture of myself wearing the hat in the dressing room and sent that picture in a text message to Jill Catts asking for her thoughts. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait in the dress room too long before Jill replied back. After receiving a positive response from Jill and taking into account the fact that at efy I would be the Counselors boss, and since most people would want to be on good terms with their supervisors I didn’t feel Counselors or youth would openly mock me if I wore the hat. As I approached the checkout counter I was sure the cashier would question me about the hat… Strangely she rang it up as if it was completely normal for someone like me to buy a hat like that; perhaps she figured I was buying it for some trendy person who could “pull it off”. I tucked the hat away until its big debut at efy, once again I was pleasantly surprised that no one questioned my ability or right to wear the fedora. Since that time I have purchased several more fedoras and even wear them in normal public settings such as going to the library or shopping. Therefore what? So I can wear a “Fashion Hat” in public and not be overly concerned with what people think…
I think one message that can be gained from my experience with the plaid fedora it that you can “pull off” more than you think… And I’m not just talking about style. Often times in different social settings I remain quite or in the background because I often don’t believe I can “pull off” the happy, outgoing, kind and caring person that I would like to be. I worry that people will think I’m just being fake, or that I’m really “trying too hard”, or that it just isn’t me. Yet whenever I have stepped out of my comfort zone to be the kind, caring and outgoing person I desire to be I never regret it… The only regret I have is not doing it more often. So the next time you hesitate to do something good simply because you are worried that you won’t be able to “pull it off” or you get worried about what others might think… Just think of how great I look in my Fedora… And step out of your comfort zone, not worrying what others might think! (And if you don’t think I look good in my Fedora… Step out of your comfort zone anyway.)
