Nice Hat!
by
Dick Prosapio © 2004
I
was walking through WalMart and saw the green and gold T-shirt. I
altered my path somewhat, "Nice shirt." I said to the guy in
passing. "Nice hat!" he responded remarking on what I was sporting
at the time.
Being an introvert I am not what you would call a
"flashy dresser". I have always loved turquoise and silver and since
living in New Mexico have taken to wearing a moderate amount of
jewelry (a watchband, a belt buckle, and a silver bracelet). Believe
me, for this area, this is moderate. For me, it's pushing the
envelope. A personal risking of sorts.
But as I enter my dotage I've taken to supporting
a pro football team which, if you've read much of my stuff for the
past few months, is the Green Bay Packers.
Growing up in Chicago I was a Bears fan. Then, as
years went by, I lost interest in sports in general only to return
to it when, after my men's group ended on Monday evenings, I'd plop
into bed and watch the last quarter of a Monday Night Football game.
Turned out that for about four weeks in a row on those Monday nights
Elizabeth and I saw some pretty impressive games. So, I re-entered
the sports lists and began to take an interest again. Still a
Midwesterner at heart I had a narrow range of choices I felt and the
Packers were a natural choice for where I'm at these days. Here's a
professional team supported by a town of 30,000......no big bucks
owners, no cartel behind them, and one of the original franchises.
I also liked their colors.
I know, sounds a little dumb.........but on one
Monday night about a year ago the Packers were playing the Browns in
Green Bay. It had snowed and the video of the game was, there's no
other way to say this, beautiful. The Packers in green and
gold, the Browns in white and orange, all played out against the
deep green grass edged with drifts of white snow......it was
positively poetic. So I fixed on that picture and it
seems to have stuck with me as what "football" should look like. So
I became a Packer fan.
I'd never bought a team jersey in my life, but I
bought a Packer sweatshirt and a few months later, a really fine "G"
hat. (No, I'm not doing the "cheese" thing. Introverts do not wear a
wedge of cheese.) One day I decided to "risk" it and I wore this
ensemble to town to pick up some parts at the Toyota dealers. Who
should wait on me but a die-hard Bear fan whose fellow worker is a
Packer-backer, "Hey! He's flying his colors right in front of you."
he says to the Bear guy.....who then, sullenly, walks away.
I had no idea that people took this thing so
seriously. Outside of Oakland or Cleveland that is.
Since that encounter I've noticed something else.
Per capita there aren't many Packer fans, especially here in the
southwest. But when I come across one there is instant camaraderie
as soon as the "G" is spotted. (I had heard that the "G spot" was
important but never knew it could cause instant friendship.) This is
exactly the kind of entry any introvert wishes for, no uncomfortable
small talk, a quick focus of conversation, a friendly exchange (or
just a "knowing" look) and it's over.
Perfect.
On the downside, there's the fact that some people
take football very seriously. If they belong to the group
that has a long-term rivalry with your team, a Bears fan in the case
of the Packers for example, there is instant enmity and the "small
talk" consists of a growl.
Weird.
I don't wear the sweatshirt and hat to town
anymore. Mainly I wear just the hat. The combo seems to me to be
over the top and why provoke 'em? We're
gonna kick their butts in the next SuperBowl anyway!
Whoops! How did that slip out?
Ah well, it's getting too hot to wear my "G" hat
much longer....I'll have to switch to my "P" hat.
What is a guy from Chicago who lives in the
Southwest doing with a Pittsburgh Pirates hat?
Well.....that's another (long) story.
Dick Prosapio ©2004, All Rights
Reserved
