Yesterday, a large, but simple box came to our office from Paris Hatters in San Antonio Texas.
That was strange because almost all boxes we get come from Amazon, or recently from Wal-Mart for the shoes we bought for the homeless kids of Akron.
I would have remembered buying something from a hat shop in Texas.
That would have been memorable because I have a thing for Texas hats. All my cowboy hats come from Texas. I do some social media training in March down there. That's the exact same time as the Houston Rodeo. I usually pick up a hat from there.
If you've never bought Western wear, like hats or boots, there's one thing you should know: They aren't cheap.
They are all typically made in America and are really high quality.
The next time you see a rodeo, realize that cowboy is probably wearing $1000 in boots and hat. And who knows what he paid for that belt buckle.
I am not a cowboy hat expert. But I know 2 things:
1: The quality of a felt or straw cowboy hat is gauged by the "X" marking. The higher the X in a felt hat the more fur is in it. You can easily feel the difference.
The last felt hat I bought, I could only afford a 3X. The sales lady was trying to talk me into a 9X. But it was out of my price range.
2: Stetson is the brand everybody wants. They 've been in business since 1865. This year, 2015, is their 150th year anniversary. Stetson is the creme of the crop. I've never had a Stetson brand cowboy hat before because, again, they are out of my price range.
I tell you that because when I opened that box this is what I found:
When you know what you're looking at when you're looking at something like this, you suddenly become speechless.
My hands get a little trembly just thinking about it.
The fur on these hats is as soft as the fur on a dog's ears. I make everyone touch it.
The other amazing thing about these is that they aren't meant to be worn just indoors. You wear these things in the rain and snow and sun. They are meant to be worn!
But here's the thing: There was no note. They didn't say who they were from. They just appeared out of nowhere.
I don't have any idea why I got them or who could have gotten them for me.
But I have a theory:
You should know that I am an armchair admirer of physics and particularly Quantum Mechanics. That's the study of super small things. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination. But I love following what these scientists are studying.
Without going into it too much, you should know that there is something called the The Double-Slit Experiment. It proves that observing particles will instantly change them. And this mere act of observation that causes the change happens faster than the speed of light. It happens almost instantly. In fact it might be instant. But our atomic clocks can't track to that level of accuracy yet. This would be the case if the two particles were in the same room or 13 billion light years away from each other.
It suggests that there is a DEEP connection between things that we probably don't yet understand.
Meaning: We all are likely deeply connected at the atomic level.
That Meaning: When we do something it is likely to make something else happen even though there is no observable connection.
So what does this have to do with these hats?
I'm not sure. Ha!
What little understanding I have of physics leads me to believe that maybe it is because I'm trying to be a small force of good in my community with helping the homeless in Akron.
I'm certainly not saying I deserve something as nice as 2 Stetson cowboy hats. But I will say that I graciously accept them and am wildly thankful for them.
I will wear them always. And they will remind me that we are all connected. That we are in this together. All of us are together. No one can think that they are isolated from anyone else. And therefore, when we ignore those in suffering we are ignoring our own suffering.
When we help those in need we are helping our own need.
We aren't saving others. We are literally saving ourselves.
I will keep working.
Thank you. I love you.
Sage
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