If Only

A short story revolving around the theme of DREAMS.

      I’ve been here for several weeks now. It’s just not as exciting as it used to be. The first few days I was the fresh new choice, the one everyone picked up to inspect thoroughly. But then, as the days went on and gradually morphed into weeks, I became ostracized. That’s the case, I’m sure of it; for I keep getting shoved to the back of the shelf each time I am touched. Others were much more fortunate than I, for they arrived and departed the same week, or day, some even within the same few hours of their arrival!  At this point in time, I am rather infuriated. So many hands tossing me around, then shoving me back beneath my peers. Getting placed upon numerous human scalps. Some of them rather nice and well groomed, yet others atrocious; you’d swear they had never even touched an ounce of shampoo! All this commotion was pretty much during my first few days at the shop. Like I mentioned previously, it’s been a dull life for me since my first week here. I suppose people are looking more for something that calls out their name; their style; their sense of adventure. No one wants to take me home; I’m just a raggedy old straw hat. Although my kind has been worn consistently in the summertime and in European countries, as well as Asia, for many centuries, I have yet to be seriously considered for a customer’s purchase. I was specially designed to protect a person’s head from the sun and against heatstroke. Older people want to look more “in style” so they aren’t interested in me. Little kids think of me as more of a “playtime” hat, or something that should strictly be worn by farmers or the infamous Mr. Dressup. And teenagers these days, well many of them try to be all “gangsta” and wear a ridiculously large hat with an extended straight peek atop a bandanna. But I’m just an unwanted straw hat!   

      Perhaps my life would be more interesting if I were one of those odd cone-shaped hats topped with a tiny propeller, worn mostly by clowns and nerds! Then I would have the opportunity to share the confidentiality of knowing how to properly cram several beings into a tiny car, or maybe even the trick behind stuffing so many pens into one shirt pocket! How fascinating would that be? Quite the adventure I think, for I’d get to hear laughter wherever I’d go. And there isn’t a greater joy in life than hearing laughter, especially that of a child! Chances are, no matter who I’d be worn by, there’d be a group of people around ready to laugh hysterically. That is always enjoyable (for them, that is!), but the only low point I can think of, would be that I’d be the cause of having someone being made fun of. Then I would just be considered a bully! That’s no fun, well sometimes it is, but I wouldn’t be doing it on purpose, so I’d feel slightly awful about it. I’d quickly develop a rather guilty conscience!

      How awesome would it be to arrive at a train station as the conductor sounds the boisterous horn, and tips his hat to the fellow passers-by? Not only would they be looking at his winking eye, but they’d see me, navy-blue, white stripes and all, resting on his shimmering gray hair! Everyone would know his position and wouldn’t be shy to show him respect because of me. I would be his indication of authority and seniority on the railways. And, at the end of a long day, the engineer would take me off of his paper-thin hair and delicately place me upon my very own brass hook. The only disappointment, however, would be the unfortunate fact that he would be the owner of a rather large dog. The type of dog that would always be hungry, and would figure out a way to jump and knock me off of my hook so he could morph me into a new-age chew toy any chance he’d get. So maybe this wouldn’t exactly be the ideal situation. Perhaps I am just better off here at the shop for the moment.

      If only I had entered this world as a type of hat more people would be interested in wearing. A style that would never die out, and would be around for generations upon generations.  All I really want is to have a loving home; someone to care for me; my very own family; and above all my very own hook to hang on. I can’t wait to leave this shelf temporarily inhabited by other stinky rejected hats and inhabit my very own hook, high above the floor where no dog can chew on my loose ends! Each style of hat I dream about has its highs and lows. I suppose everyone’s life will at one point or another. Perhaps I am now experiencing my “low” and with the help of “process of elimination”, seeing as I have yet to have a major “high” in my life, something good should be happening to me in the near future. I’ve decided that it’s great to dream about how one’s life could be, or could have been (everyone does it!), but I believe that I was placed in this situation for a specific reason, it’s presently undetermined, but hopefully someday (preferably in the near future) I’ll figure it out. Instead of dreaming about the future, perhaps I’ll start concentrating on my life right now: taking it easy one day at a time!

      And just as that last thought struck my mind, a little boy dressed in denim overalls, carrying a toy tractor, began extending an arm in my direction. So there is hope after all! Or at least that’s what I thought until I saw him reaching for a package of bubble gum on the shelf below.          

If only it was destined for my brim!
                                                      If only…