missing in action

this is the tale of a loyal companion, a quiet comrade, a fighting protector and now a sadly missed and much regretted loss.

many years ago katherine lustig and i were perusing the hat collection in david jones. this was before the renovation, when the hats were kept in the south east corner of the ground floor. it felt welcoming and almost cosy there. you could browse around and around and be pretty much on your own. now the hats are between the lifts and the escalators- far too exposed. too commercial, too race season, no opportunity to stand in front of a mirror and try numerous angles and expressions confident that no-one was watching you. a hat is possibly the most personal item of attire. much more than shirts, pants, coats, shoes even underwear. it's a small list of people that see you in your underwear (generally!) hats are right there crowning you. everyone sees your hat; it's a statement, a character trait, an expression or indeed anything else you want it to be.
katherine and i discovered that a sale was on. i don't remember the details, suffice to say if you bought in multiples of two some discount was made. we made the most of this and purchased three hats each, divvying up the cost between us.

those of you who know me thru work or play know that my hats are pretty special to me. at last count my collection was around 50.

the collection is now down one. one of the three i got that fun day in dj's. it was not a pretentious hat, it did not draw attention to itself. it had no feathers, no ribbons, no bright adornment. it was plain and modest and hard working. a simple black, now faded, straw hat with a wide brim and a devoted band. it clung to my head in all weather and circumstances. and in it's turn i clung to it not at all...

that hat accompanied me happily on many trips both short and long, both near home and abroad. it came to work with me, it went on picnics and thru the aussie bush, it went on our honeymoon for crying out loud! on that marvellous trip it protected me from the egyptian sun and the sleet in the wadi rum when we trekked with the bedouin on camels. a year later it kept me from being burnt while paddling thru the hongs in pang nga bay near phuket.
that darling hat really kept me safe and happy for many years on many adventures.

and now it sits alone, not ever forgotten, in the overhead compartment above seat 31A of a singapore air plane flying into singapore on 7 june 2007, that we rushed madly to get off, hoping to make our connection.
i suppose it's not there anymore...
i will think of that worn black hat with the stitching starting to come loose at the very top whenever i go somewhere new. it was my companion along for so many steps. i'm terribly sorry to have lost it. there are other hats but none so easy, so comfortable and filled with so much history.

vale my trusted, easy, beautiful friend.