Sidetracked

As I look at the photo above, I have a little tear in my eye.

Not because I cut my heel a while back, and it still hurts. But, rather, I have a tear in my eye because I called for change, and the people responded.

The people said we’re tired of the old ways of Hawaiian shirt Fridays. They said we need a new direction. And I, taking on the role of visionary/statesman, proclaimed that in tough times we as a nation need to turn to hats.

And so on this, our first of many Hat Fridays, roughly 16 people here at the Tribune took part in that change.

Of course, not all of it was pretty. Take, for instance, that lobster that has invaded features copy editor Jay Thompson’s head in the above photo. 

Scary, I know.

But look at the beret columnist Bill Morem is wearing. He just got that puppy in France.

Reporter/columnist Bob Cuddy (on the left) wasn’t around for the group photo, but that didn’t mean he could escape blog immortality. So we had to catch a solo photo of him. It sort of looks like something a rancher might wear, which is interesting because I don’t really picture Bob as a rancher type.

And copy editor Sam J Lin comes in late, but we definitely wanted to include his fedora. Sam gets credit because he actually wore this hat before Hat Friday. So he’s somewhat of a pioneer. That’s him on the right.

Web guy Danny Thorogood (pictured above) is also wearing a fedora — one he bought for twenty bucks at the Pismo outlets. I think eventually he’s going to go for a Blues Brothers look, albeit the Scottish version.

Dave Middlecamp wasn’t in the group photo because he took it. But he did wear a hat. Of course, I’d prefer it not be a baseball hat — that’s a little easy. But, you know – baby steps.

So that’s Dave below in his Giants cap. By the way, Dave, sorry about the Giants this year. But, you know, football season is right around the corner.

 I also got an e-mail from a reader, Nate McKenzie, who got his styling hat (below) at the Newport Jazz Fest last summer. He writes: “I originally bought it for myself, then realized it’s too small to fit over my afro.  Then I was going to give it to my gf at the time, but realized it’s prolly too goofy looking for her.  Though she would have worn it anyway, very happily.  So anyway, I left it in my closet, then hung it on the wall, and now pulled it out for Hat Friday.  I’ve cut my hair since the ‘fro and it actually kinda fits now.”

See? The word is spreading, people.

By the way, that dork in the middle of that top photo is me. I’ll be wearing my hat during a surf trip to San Onofre next week. So this blog will be hibernating. Meanwhile, others have assured me they will carry on Hat Friday in my absence.

So congrats, hat wearers everywhere. And nice work.

Hat’s off to you.

Posted on July 11th, 2008 by Pat
Filed under: The World According to Pat