by Evelyn J. Mocbeichel
As the winter winds are blowing and snow might be falling, keeping warm seems to be a continual quest when venturing outdoors. Having a warm hat on is a steady part of my winter ensemble. Depending on what I am planning to do outside, or where I am going, determines what I put on my head. If it is only cleaning snow off the car or shoveling the front steps, an old knitted, semi worn hat will do. When going to church or a nice event, the pick is still warm, yet more fashionable with sparkles and a bit of pizzazz. When making my choice recently before heading out to the supermarket, I was reminded of a charming essay my good friend Beth wrote a few years ago about hats and her observations.
The Hats of Winter
by Beth Ruberg
“It was the hats…that caught my attention last night. My husband, Ron, and I were going into the city for a dinner invitation at Le Bernardin, an elite French restaurant in midtown, New York City. In spite of the frigid weather we stuck to our usual habit of taking the train into Manhattan from Metro Park in Edison. To say it was cold outside was an understatement. Reportedly, it happened to be THE coldest day of the winter thus far. It was the type of weather that goes right through your clothing, no matter how many layers. It was raw and bone chilling. To make matters worse (and more uncomfortable), we were going into the city at 5PM when the sun no longer shone to give even a hint of warmth. Officially, the wind chill factor brought the temperature down to a minus 6 degrees! Given this statistic, it’s no surprise that everyone along our route, be it at the train station, on the train, or walking Manhattan’s streets, was bundled up, and most sensibly, wearing a hat. It was precisely these hats that caught my attention. For not only was everyone wearing one, but there was an incredible variety of what appeared to be hand stitched, knitted or crocheted caps and tams, etc. While it made perfect sense that folks should be bundled up against the cold, it was the type and form that got me thinking. Unlike their coats, which were of predominantly dark hues, the hats were made of every color and pattern AND, most strikingly, so very many appeared to be handmade. Perhaps it’s the romantic in me, but I imagined them being knitted by sweethearts or lovers (like my son Dan’s was by his girlfriend Renee) or by wives or grandmothers for sons, daughters, grandsons or by wives for their hubbies. In any case, I thought beyond the cold night to the warmth meant for each of these city people. These folks who passed me by so anonymously sporting these gestures/gifts from their loved ones…sent out into the night. With these warm and very real reminders (as we are sent every Sunday after church)…with these little blessings upon their heads.”
