Friday, January 18, 2013

Looking Back at Untrod Paths


One of my passions is hats. Not just any old cap, though. And, not those frilly, frou-frou ladies hats that make such a spectacle on Kentucky Derby Day.

I mean classic hats, the kind of felt or straw hats that graced heads during the golden days of cinema. My personal favorite is a nice felt fedora or Trilby like Bogart, Bergman, or Bacall would have worn. Of course, I’m also partial to a nice straw Panama like Paul Henreid, Edward G. Robinson, or Gregory Peck sported in their films.

What does that have to do with paths not taken? Sadly, quite a bit. A few years back, I bought a gorgeous Montecristi Panama hat from Brent Black, and it’s still the pride of my hat collection. It has surpassed the two Trilbies I own from Lock & Co of London, but I digress.

Anyway, during the process of selecting and ordering my hat, I chatted a fair bit with Brent Black, hatter extraordinaire. Knowing me, the conversation probably included me making a comment like, “I envy you your job. What a great business!” Mr. Black promptly replied with, “Well, why don’t you consider getting into the business?”

From there, we chatted about hatters in New York that I might apprentice with so I could learn to block hats. We even briefly touched on the possibility that I’d relocate and work with him a bit to really polish my skills. The idea petered out, probably because I lacked confidence in myself at the time. This was shortly after the academic world had gleefully pummeled my work and self-confidence.

Now, wounds licked and (mostly) healed, I wonder if I let a golden opportunity pass me by.

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