At First Sight.

voltee ♦ January 19, 2011 ♦ 4 Comments

Item: Tee-shirt Color/Fabric: Orange, cotton Where Purchased: American Eagle Years Owned: At least 10

Tonight for your consideration I have an orange tee-shirt. I found this today when I was in the basement, staring at the mountain of empty boxes that house our Christmas decorations. I stared for quite some time. While I stared, I thought about carrying the boxes up the stairs and then taking down the Christmas decorations, putting them into the boxes, and then carrying the boxes back down the stairs. It seems that I should do this before the neighbors start whispering that we are crazy and friends are embarrassed to come over.
Logically, I know this and even accept it. I just could not will my hands to find the strength to pick up the boxes.
So I turned the corner, and saw a little corner of orange fabric sticking out from a garbage bag. I knew instantly what it was.
Maybe it’s sort of cheating to write about this shirt, since it was already a victim of a closet clean out. But the truth is that I have three garbage bags in the basement full of clothes that I no longer want in my closet, but am not 100% ready to kick out of my life. I feel much safer knowing that they are in the basement. In case I should need them.
And, well, ok, so the situation has never arisen where I should need this particular tee. However, I can think of three pieces that I rashly eliminated and then desperately wanted back. Two of them, an adorable flowered 60’s modish dress and a pair of classic striped city shorts, had already walked the plank and were lost to me at the Goodwill. One I had not tossed, was able to rescue, and had a delightful time on stage in it.
And I was so very happy when I saw this tee. So certainly, it can’t be that bad of a thing to keep huge garbage bags full of clothes that you don’t wear in your basement. Not as bad as, say, leaving Christmas decorations up all year round.
Anyway. This is the tee that I was wearing the very first time I ever laid eyes on New York City.
It was an IBM sponsored trip to see the Yankees play at the old Yankee stadium, shortly after we moved here, and this was what I thought was the most appropriate shirt I could wear. Even though it’s vaguely Mets colored. But it looks sort of uniformish and sport related, right? It has a number on it. And the sleeves are slit to show off my guns. Athletic perfection!
Except that I wore it with a denim skirt that flew the coop years ago. That really wasn’t the most practical choice for climbing up the bleachers into the nose bleed section.
It was ok, though, since our tickets were only $5. About half of the price of the beer.
I don’t remember who played, or who was really there. I was meeting many of them for the first time and felt very shy. And the game was ever so boring. I think that there was only one actual hit in the game. It was like watching paint dry.
But the excitement of being in the real Yankee Stadium, and so close to Manhattan, and the thrill of hanging out with a new crowd, and the realization that this was something we could do whenever we wanted made it a very fun game. All that, and the hot dogs.
When the game ended, I climbed up to the top to look out of the little windows and try to see Manhattan. It was there! All shiny and glittery and magical and I loved it. That is what you call love at first sight.
So was I right in tossing this top? I don’t really see myself wearing this. Although I do love the color. Maybe I just needed to tell a little story about it before I finally let it go.
And please don’t think that I am crazy for keeping my Christmas decorations up and hoarding clothing in my basement.

**It’s time to part with this one. Would anyone like an orange Tee?