The Hats We Wear

By my calculations the odds that you have heard the term “I wear many hats”, is decently high. I’m not the best at math so just for you, I’ll recap. This saying is a way to express that we have many different types of ourself. If you are a plumber, you put on the low rise pants. If your kid has a soccer game, you break out the #1 Mom sweatshirt, juice boxes and orange slices. Hopefully, you made it past the idea of plumber crack and are still with me. In the ruggedness that my definition was, I hope I sparked you to think about the hats you wear. 

Personally I feel like I wear more hats, than I have places to hang hats. The combination of numerable interests and a side of indecision created me. A gal who has a hat for everything from branding, mountain biking, proficient college student-ing and a business professional. Have you ever had a hat that was your favorite? One that was worn in the right spots and broken in just so? It’s the hat that has been worn so much that it feels more natural to wear it than not. I love this hat. I wish all hats could be this way, but of course they aren’t all ‘created equal’.

I also have hats that I prefer not to put on that often, hats that pinch and tug. Plain uncomfortable, I am sure you know the kind. Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with these hats. Then I remember that without them, how would I grow? I think wearing the hats that make me uneasy and push me to find comfort, to try harder and get used to it.

There is the side of me that loves trying new things and loves to put myself out there. Anxious me always seems to regret that, 30-40 minutes after I make a daring decision. Somehow it all ends up okay though. I find a way through it and most times I enjoy it! Of course there are the times when I gained nothing but learning that I do not in fact, enjoy what I just put myself through. That’s good! It forces me to learn new things about myself. 10/10 times I would so much rather put on my flat top buckaroo hat and find cattle than prepare my resume for a room full of professionals. All woes aside, it adds to my toolbox, my character grows and I meet new people.

So try the new hat, you might feel strange leaving the dirty and uniquely sweat stained hat at home. I promise it will be worth it. Putting on the new hat might surprise you, or it might just leave you with a higher appreciation for the way that your favorite hat has been molded and weathered over time.

Just thoughts, 

Jessica Riley 

October 27, 2020