My hat has a hole in it.

For the past few years, I've been captivated by hats from coeur.
It's a black hat made of soft rabbit fur.
Because it's rabbit fur, the texture is wonderfully pleasant.
And when you unconsciously touch the same spot day after day,
the hat develops a hole, you see.
I was surprised, as I never imagined it, but perhaps,
this too is a sign of affection.

And before I knew it, while not quite nose-hair length,
in the last year or two, to my own surprise,
white hairs have begun to blend into my own.
Of course, it's not without its psychological aspects, but
age, after all, is unforgiving.
As a result, the hat now pairs perfectly with my look,
so aging truly brings nothing but good things.

And yet,
I still can't quite come to terms with my own age.
Even as I tell myself to stop struggling and accept it,
I stubbornly refuse to listen, which is quite the predicament.
So, the story is about my hat developing a hole.
By chance, I've been living with a coeur hat for some time now,
and while the black rabbit hat is fine for autumn and winter,
my head feels unsettled in spring and summer.
Of course, I've tried several,
but none seem to match the black rabbit hat.
It seems one cannot escape finding a hat that truly suits them.

Then, the other day, I went to pick up a dark navy Harrison tweed suit I had long wished to own,
when I happened upon a beautiful, classic grey Borsalino from Italy and fell instantly in love, bringing it home with me.
But the size doesn't fit. There's nothing to be done about it.
The handsome young man at the shop suggested I try tucking a neatly folded, thin strip of English newspaper into the back,
but wouldn't that feel uncomfortable with something so stiff?
And so, while I pondered what to do about this impulsive purchase,
spring and summer were already arriving. I had intended the Italian hat for cooler weather, so perhaps it's best to send it back to its country of origin.
But that would be quite improper, wouldn't it?
A return is bad for one's reputation and feels awkward,
so I suppose I'll just let it live here with me.

So, about the hole.
It's been fixed. By someone kind. There are good people in the world.
To my surprise, they repaired the hole in about twenty minutes.
You can't tell from the outside. They're so skilled. Truly professionals.
At hole repair, that is. And while I waited, I fell in love again.
This time, it was a beautiful, deep navy hat.
At first glance, you might mistake it for black, it's such an elegantly deep navy.
Given my previous experience with the Italian hat,
this time I carefully tried it on multiple times.
It fits perfectly.
Tomorrow, I plan to pair it with my beloved deep navy tweed suit.
I intend to match it with my suit.
Love at first sight, no matter the age, is impossible to resist.

coeur
http://www.coeur-tokyo.com/

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