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Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Threadbare and sentimental

Good. Bye.

Perhaps no two words in the English language conjure up more emotion than those. But really, isn't it just one word? Yes, of course it is. What was I thinking?

Goodbye.

'Tis the sweet memories of time shared darkened by the sudden knowledge of what will never be again. What was it Bone wrote? "For had I known that someday goodbye we would say, I rather would have chosen never to have lived that day."

Goodbye is never easy to say, and even harder to do. Especially when the thing you are saying goodbye to is... a favorite sweater.

I think the time has come to part with my DQ sweater. No, not GQ. DQ. As in, Dillon Quartermaine. I wore it Monday and, well, let's just say it has seen its better days. The once royal and pristine gray is showing the slightest signs of fading. It has started to pill. And also has begun to lose its shape. A couple more wears and frankly, I'll look like I'm draped in a Snuggie. And no one wants to see that.

Why is the sweater such a tragic figure? It's the Holly Golightly of the wardrobe. Like the really hot, high maintenance girl you date. You know it's going to require a lot of work and extra attention and in the end it's not going to last. But you do it anyway. Just because she's so pretty and soft to touch.

Of course, eventually she becomes threadbare and you begin to see her flaws. Her arms start to sag and she loses her shape. And you realize she is no different than every other soft and pretty thing you've ever touched. Wait, what are we talking about again? Oh, right.

We are here today to pay our final respects to the DQ sweater. It has served me well. It wasn't the best sweater nor the worst sweater, not my last sweater nor my first sweater. But it is the only sweater I have ever written an entire blog entry about.

I will always remember its mockneck collar with three-button placket, and how well it went with a pair of jeans and my black leather jacket. I remember when one of its buttons came off, and how I found some girl to sew it back on. And then how it came off again, and...is there anything in the world less reliable than the buttons on clothes?

And so with that, let us lay to rest the DQ sweater. But do not mourn for me. Rather beware. For while today it is mine, all our sweaters shall one day fall.

"If you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread as I walk away. Watch me unravel..."

26 comments:

  1. things I love about this post:
    1. Dillon Quartermain reference.
    2. Weezer song lyrics from 8th grade
    3. Holly Golightly explanation of a certain type of woman.
    4. Bone making me laugh out loud.

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  2. It would be a pleasure to watch you unravel...

    *grin*

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  3. Dillon Quartermain. Haven't watched GH in mongths (maybe years - although I think it's closer to 12 months).. but Dillon remains embedded in my memory of charaters. I kind of laugh in a sneering way when I hear his name and picture him.. endearing sort of annoying creature that he is.

    My son is in love with Holly Golightly by the way. I really hope she eventually named her 'Cat' something elegant like Katmandu or something.

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  4. I don't quite understand this attachment men have to their clothing where they like to hang onto it forever.

    You do know that right now most stores have put all the sweaters that they still have on clearance and you can find a replacement for DQ sweater at up to 90% off! we just bought DH some dress pants for only $15 each and I got a very snuggly men's hoodie for a steal too. Go shopping...you can even do it online in the comfort of your jammies.

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  5. My father had a sweater--well we didn't know color it had been originally. But in my memories, he's always wearing it in the house because the thermostat couldn't be over 68 except in the summer of course, Wonderful memories.

    Agree with Cami except for #2

    the Holly Golighltly metaphor is brilliant

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  6. It wasn't the best sweater nor the worst sweater, not my last sweater nor my first sweater.


    HA HA! You must know that this week all the local elementary schools celebrated the birthday of Dr Seuss. That sure sounds like a line from one of his books!

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  7. Cami - Things I love about this comment: That you love my DQ reference. That you recognized the lyrics. That you laughed out loud.

    Gautami - I bet you say that to all the bloggers :)

    Shelby - Well, GH keeps writing off all its longtime characters, so someone's gotta keep them alive. May as well be me.

    I think we're all in love with Holly at one time or another. I just hope for his sake, it's the actual fictional character and that it's not a metaphor :)

    Renee - Because a favorite shirt is like a faithful friend. You don't discard them easily and without some remorse. Also underwear--something has to rip or tear before I discard underwear.

    Good idea. I may do some online shopping this weekend.

    Pia - I have a couple of shirts that I've had for ten plus years. I refuse to throw them away, even if I don't wear one anymore ever.

    Thank you.

    Mrs. Root - I DID know that! Consider that my little tribute. I really wasn't expecting anyone to make the connection. Very astute!

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  8. Bone: You can make that soup in only 15 min if you buy the stock made by someone else! I was just trying to save some money too and I had the time. I could have done it quicker, but chose not to.

    Next time (if there ever is a next time) I'll dump a can of soup in the pot and call it good! LOL!

    DD was saying "No Soup For YOU!"

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  9. *trying not to imagine Bone unraveling*

    How can you properly memorialize your sweater without a picture?!? Shame, Bone. Shame.

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  10. Thank goodness it is warm in AL once again and by next year you will have a new favorite sweater...

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  11. I make my favorite clothes into rags and them use them in the shop. I save my favorite rags from clothes for those special occasions like giving the old car a good wax job. I use the crappy rags from disliked clothing for jobs like oil changes and cleaning up grease smears.

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  12. Renee - Ah, you are definitely raising that kid right.

    Murf - I thought about that. But I just want to remember it as it was. Not what it became in its last days.

    Daily Panic - Yes! We finally got our annual snow/dusting last weekend. And this weekend it's supposed to be in the seventies. Bring on the golf!

    Ed Abbey - Yeah, I used to cut up old t-shirts and use them to wash the car. Other shirts just seemed to mysteriously disappear over the years, usually while I was dating someone. Hmm, weird.

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  13. Love the Holly Golightly reference!

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  14. I am sorry for your loss. My deepest sympathy's. I just happened to be wearing my favorite woolly sweater. For 12 seasons, I've unpacked it and said "one more year." I dread the day this charcoal gray wintry hug bites the dust. Nope. One more year.

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  15. You're not planning to replace your DQ sweater with a zip-up cardigan, are you? ;)

    Oh, and your snuggie comment reminded me of this --> http://www.snuggiepubcrawl.com/. Yikes.

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  16. Oh my gosh I must be so old because I did not get any of your references. Did it have the leather/suede patches on the elbows?

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  17. Bone, do you wear out your women friends like you wear out sweaters? Better to let them wear out than have them eaten by moths before their time... there's got to be some wisdom in that but for the life of me, I don't know what it is. Thanks for the chuckle

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  18. I laughed and shook my head the entire way through this post, thinking "Only Bone." :)

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  19. Mama Zen - Thanks. That seemed to be a popular one. Perhaps I should try working her into an entry every couple of weeks.

    Actonbell - No, I didn't. I'm not sure what the proper burial is for knitwear. Also, don't tell anyone, but part of me still believes I'm going to wear it at least once more.

    Balou - Wow, twelve years? You must take much better care of yours than I did :) From that, I can tell you truly understand this kind of attachment. Thanks for your sympathy.

    R8chel - I haven't decided on a replacement yet. Would a zip-up cardigan be good or bad?

    Wow. That's frightening. Thought it kinda makes sense. You'd have to be inebriated to wear one of those things.

    PennyCandy - Aww, don't say that. Holly Golight is from Capote's Breakfast At Tiffany's. So maybe you're too young instead :)

    No, but I do have a corduroy jacket with suede elbow patches. I don't wear it without explicit in person approval from a female.

    Sage - I don't know how to answer that. I will just say that in this case, the sweater long outlasted the girl who sewed it's button back on. Ain't that always the way.

    TC - I'll take that as an equivocal compliment!

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  20. For referencing Holly Golightly and Weezer while discussing the demise of a much loved sweater you deserve for someone to buy you a new sweater, a favorite sweater replacement, to be written about in some distance time with cane by your side and remote in your lap.

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  21. Now I'm getting teary-eyed. :)

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  22. A zip-up cardigan would be just fine if you want to look like Mr. Rogers. :)

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  23. At least it wasn't a "Dairy Queen" sweater...

    Wait - do you even know what Dairy Queen is?

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  24. you are adorable! so sorry about your sweater. (of course,what was i thinking bone?? Golden boy!!)
    Love the song lyric! xo

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  25. Cooper - What a wonderful wish. I appreciate it. Also, good to see that you included a remote, as I seem to have misplaced the one to my bedroom TV.

    Circe - Well, that was bound to happen with a post like this :) Good to see you around again!

    R8chel - Ah, so that's the technical name for those. I think I just called them Mister Rogers sweaters.

    Blondie - Of course I know what a DQ is! It's the land where they treat you right. Well, except for that time I got banned from the local DQ. But that only lasted a few weeks, 'til that one girl finally quit.

    Lucy - Yes!!! Someone mentioned Golden Boy! Love it. I meant to google the line Jerry used when saying goodbye to Golden Boy. Maybe I'll do that now :)

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  26. At first I thought the "good bye" was because you were shuttin down the blog!

    *wiping sweat from brow* Now i can go back and read the rest

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