Hat People

Last night I went to the Pasadena Museum of History to see the hats.

There was a reception for the Mad for Hats exhibit. Patt Morrison of KPCC was there; she spoke to the crowd and was brilliant as usual (off the cuff!). And everyone was wearing a hat. You don't see a crowd like that every day.

Can I be honest here? I have one hat. It's a straw bowler (boater). I don't know where I got it. (Actually, I have a stocking cap for winter, but I wasn't about to wear that to a fancy reception.) But I'm not a hat person. I didn't think I was interested in this exhibit. I went because my neighbor Linda invited me, and because I made her promise we didn't have to stay long.

But I had fun. I got into it. I love the Pasadena Museum of History, and the hats in the exhibit are gorgeous. It was like being in the most perfect hat store and wanting every other hat on display. The only trouble was I wasn't allowed to try them on.

I left there thinking of something Patt Morrison said: "It's time for hats to come back."

Damn. I might be a hat person after all.

Update April 25, 2011: Due to popular demand, the Mad for Hats exhibit will remain on view through Sunday, September 25, 2011.

Onward, Christian Soldiers

Have you heard any of the press about "the war on Christmas?" I heard about it on Patt Morrison yesterday on KPCC.

Apparently some people are up in arms (it's a war after all) because they prefer to hear "Merry Christmas" instead of "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays." They want to see red and green--none of this blue stuff (that's Jewish!) or orange (what is that, Kwanzaa?) or--does Ashura have a color? What color signifies fasting? I think that would just be clear.

Okay now, hang on a second. I think we have enough things to get freaked out about. Do we really need to get upset over this? We're talking about Jesus Christ's birthday, here, so let's ask ourselves, what would Jesus do?

I think Jesus would wish us a happy Chanukah.

If someone wishes me a merry something or a happy something, they're wishing me well. It doesn't matter if it's something I celebrate. I don't celebrate Kwanzaa, for example, but if you wish me a happy Kwanzaa, I'll take it. It's almost Kwanzaa whether I celebrate it or not, and I might as well be happy.

And as for that holiday parade in Tulsa, as a certain friend of mine would say, "Oh, for the love!" Calm down. It's Tulsa. It's not like we're talking about the liberal hotbed of America. We're talking about a town like every other town in the U.S.--a town where not everyone is a Christian, yet everyone's invited to the parade. At least that's the America I live in.

And I might just point out that when folks are worried about parades and lights, Santa and shopping, they're missing the point of Christmas anyway.

There's no war on Christmas. The only war going on in these quiet towns at this time of year is an imaginary war inside a few teeny, tiny minds.