Personal Items of Importance

Bear with me for a moment as I get the teensiest bit preachy. In a world of rampant consumerism, where we are told to BUY! BUY! BUY! and are surrounded by ads trying to force upon us the next latest (and overly expensive) fad fashion item, I think it's hard for us (young men and women especially) to "stand out" of the crowd, as it were. Now I'm no pinko commie nut or anything, I'm not telling you capitalism is bad and you shouldn't spend your money how you see fit, but it's fairly easy to see that in the vast sea of humanity we find ourselves in, that a lot of people will go far out of their way to try and show that they aren't just a blurry face in the crowds. They'll collect items, get tattoos, color their hair, buy expensive brands, etc. This isn't a bad thing necessarily, as individualism in the west is a valued principle and in my humble opinion, part of human nature. But I feel a lot of people go to hard into the YOU MUST BUY BRAND part of this. Simple items, no matter their value, mark you as distinct from your fellow man even if it is just to those closest to you.

For example, my father has a pair of positively ancient cowboy boots. He has had this pair of boots for Lord only knows how long. When he arrived at USMC boot camp he had these boots on (earning himself the moniker "Chip" from his future fellow Marines). He wore them to every rodeo he ever went too, breaking horses for friends, on fishing and hunting trips, and even up into the Grand Teton mountain range and national park while guiding tourists on horse trail rides. I couldn't tell you the brand of these boots, when he got them, etc. But those are HIS boots. He has owned many like them (hell I have some of them in my house right now) but none of them are quite HIS like those old, well worn leather cowboy boots. He's had them for longer than I have been alive, they've been with him through triumph, tragedy and the every day drudgery the common man finds himself in. They aren't fancy, they don't have anything custom save for the wear of his foot and occasional resole he did himself but they are without a doubt HIS boots. They've traveled with him hither and yon, and likely will be buried with him when his time comes. A testament to the life of a man of adventure and providing for his family as best he could.

The point I am trying to make is you do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on BRAND to show personalty. That isn't to say something branded isn't personal. I'm sure some of you have an old Marlboro or Budweiser ball cap belonging to your grandfather's lying around that makes you instantly think of him when you see an old logo somewhere, but I'm sure you understand my point.

I personally am known among family, friends and coworkers for my hat and pocket knife. It's nothing to write home about, just an old Boker assisted opener I bought on my honeymoon and a cheap $10 Mossy Oak fabric fedora I picked up at a Walmart about fourteen years ago. But the knife has such wear and tear and the hat I've customized and added too for fun that people who I don't really KNOW know will act surprised if I don't have them on me when they see me.

"What no hat today?" or "Rad, that's not your knife. Did you lose it?"

Things I never really think about have become part of who I am as a person. I didn't distress that old knife for character, or decorate my hat to stand out, it just happened. Minuscule things that you wouldn't even consider out of the ordinary add to your character to those around you. Sure you might have spent a bunch of money on a pair of shoes or whatever, but people close to you will treasure the small things you always wore or used far more than that pair of shoes. It could be as simple as a watch, an old hoodie or  a cheap pair of sunglasses. Things you just had because it's what you had through life are tied to important memories of those around you. Even if it's just some $10 Mossy Oak fedora from Walmart.

So add more patches and pins to that old battle jacket, repair that old pair of boots instead of tossing them, sew the rips in those faded BDUs. You never know who might wish to keep them once you're gone, and how important they are to their core memories.

Stay unique friends.

Pictured above: My beloved hat and knife. The knife's black paint has peeled, the point broken and refinished on a grind wheel, the spring replaced and multiple screws are missing or damaged. The hat I added a snap button to, has a piece of my son's first blanket sewn into the sweat band, a leather boot lace chewed by a beloved dog long gone, a leather scrap gifted from a good friend to hold it in place on my head during windy days. The band was woven by myself while learning a new skill from jute and tar line. The pin was a gift from my beautiful wife, while the feathers were purchased at a renfest where I met with a long lost cousin for the first time. And most importantly, the tassel was made from a lock of my son's hair and the bullet casing from my one and only ND, to remind myself that a single mistake can take it all away from me.