From: youngj4@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Jeffrey 'Taldin' Young)
Subject: Re: Hats
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 05:44:48 GMT


Taldin grins at Mike. "Well, with a title like that and
an invocation of my name, I guess I need't respond in kind,
and supply info, just the same."

"Hats.  Well, they are supposed to give one their originality,
indeedy so.  I think back in my freshman year in HS I started
off with a Bronx Science painters cap;  garish green with white,
and it always got me some comments because to go home I ended
up mixing with the Townshend Harris students.  They got the
impression I was smart or something.  *chuckle*  But the
reason I started wearing it mainly was because I wear glasses,
and as such, can't wear sunglasses.  (I know prescriptions and
photogreys are available, but they's expensive...) When that
wore down, got wet, the green ran, it was lookin' pretty bad.  
Graduated up in the world of hats, a deep blue baseball cap.
Bigger brim, blocked out the sun even better...."

"Junior year, high school.  Anyone ever read the softcover edition
of 'Split Infinity', Piers Anthony?   Stile and Neysa on the cover?
Well, I LOVE that hat... wanted one like it..."

Being home now, he can reach into a box somewhere in his basement
and come up with a very battered looking greyish blue hat.  
Denim/cotton, very stiff, with a snap on either side that
you can snap up onto the side of the hat.  Two holes on 
either side of the snap.   "Bananna Republic safari hat, circa
1987.  Mom and Dad bought a bunch, I got steel-blue for my own.
ANd suddenly, I had my Hat.  Snapped up one side, doing both
looked real silly.  Putting it on and taking it off enough 
righthanded gave it a distinctive ~ shape with the brim, and
it was Cool, all it needed was a feather.. (I've always wanted
a feather in my hat. )  (Not you, Feather!)  From my Oath Friend
Dragon came a brass ring from Martha's Vineyard, Flying Horses
Carousel;  that went inside the snap.  Tossing the hat on
the table makes it go, *CLANK!*  Which makes people doubletake.
And from Kevin Flynn came my first set of feathers... soft blue ones.


About sophomore year in college my hat was in a bit of sad shape;
fortunately I snagged one of the extra ones we had bought, and
the XL one (mine was a L) is my present hat to this day. 
At an Indian crafts fair I found a set of bright bright blue and
neon orange ones, longer (5" or so), which I still have a few I'm
saving.  And finally, this April at I-Con, Ruby snagged my hat and
stuck her own contribution in- a 2' long pheasant feather that
proved to be a conversation thing at Cedarcon, 'Who Got Whacked 
By Kaliffio/Taldin's Feather'... it's long enough so when I walk
it bounces in a couple places, and people standing behind me on
line got tweaked in the face-- I'm 5'6", just the right heght
to nail people.  *grin* Keeps the sun out of my eyes just as 
good as ever. 

Taldin snaps his fingers, and sitting in his place is an anthropomorphic
Blue Unicorn, in colonial garb, with the same hat.  Hm. Nope. Snaps
again, and the figure's got pince-nez gold glasses, medieval garb,
and a swashbuckler's (WIDE brim) hat with a golden sphinx feather
sticking out of it.  A notch cut in the brim accomodates his silver
horn, and the raven locks are streaked with silver and white.
"Kaliffio is my alter-ego on FurryMuck;  the Digni'corn is
an ambassador, sorcerer and diplomat to the courts of Vicky Wyman's
Xanadu.   The hat's a gift from Lady Sibylline Antehman, Advisor
on Foreign Affairs.  Part of a RPG game we were in.."

He snaps his fingers again, and is again himself.  "Hats keep out
the rain.  Keep the sun off my head (black hair gets HOT in sunlight)
and the snow.  The feather's proof against travel problems, too..
(oh, the current feather is a grey seagull feather another Oath Friend
found for me.. the last blue one went to my ladylove on her trip home
from visiting me.)          

"They make you stand out.  And Robin Hood or no, I WANT to stand out.
I don't like being written off as 'just another student.'  And I make
myself easy to recognize when making the VR to RL transition.
'Look for the kid with the silver glasses, the cloak and the floppy 
beige hat with a feather.  You can't miss me...'

Notoriety has its drawbacks, I guess.  But my hat is my individuality,
and they don't make these anymore...

Taldin

-- 
TTTTT AA    LL DDDD   II   II NN      "I don't believe in a religion
   TT  AA   LL DD  D  II   II NNNN      that doesn't believe in me."
  TT  AAAA  LL DD   D   II II NN NN        Taldin The Blue Unicorn
 TT  AA  AA LL DDDDDD IIIIII  NN  NN          youngj4@pawl.rpi.edu