If there's something on your mind that just doesn't seem to fall into any of the other categories, well, it quite likely belongs inside Joe Finneman's marketplace. Think of it as a general store for general discussions!
Once upon a time there was a hoodie. It was a really cool hoodie–-red and gray stripes, naturally, but the colors weren’t blinding or bright. Its color was softer and faded. It was too thin to keep anyone warm, but it hugged my waist and arms like it was supposed to be on me. I had gotten the hoodie while on vacation in Colorado Springs. It just looked so lonely sitting there all by itself on the clearance rack. Maybe it wasn’t as cool as all the other hoodies for sale, but I could sense something special about this hoodie. I bought it.
For awhile I thought it had been me who chose the hoodie. Little did I know, it was the hoodie who had chosen me–-us. Just like the three of us, this hoodie had a past. I wasn’t sure what its past was, but I could feel it was there whenever I put it on. I could tell the hoodie hadn’t come into our lives because of something tragic or horrible. It was just one of those regular and painful transitions of life. That, it turns out, was The Way of the Hoodie.
Everyone called it a rag. I wore it everywhere. I wore it out. There was a huge hole in the sleeve. I thought maybe it was time to let the hoodie go. Maybe it wasn’t special after all. But it had been a loyal hoodie–-noble. Sure, anyone could glance over it and just think, “Okay, a hoodie,” or you could stop and really examine its beautiful complexity. The colors and stitches. It had character. And the hoodie wasn’t forcing anyone to accept it. It was perfectly happy just doing its basic job of making us look cool.
There definitely was something special about this hoodie whether anyone saw it or not. This hoodie connected the three of us. It still does to this day. How else can one explain a hoodie that fits three girls of completely different sizes so perfectly? It must be magic. And it was. It brought us together. It made us love each other and grow close to each other. Three girls who had never met before in our entire lives became best friends.
I can’t say I was a deep, loyal, and instant appreciator of the Hoodie. I have to be honest and tell you that I was the one who nearly threw it in the trash. But that all requires backing up a bit and explaining how the Traveling Hoodie was born…
