The Happy Shirt

For as long as I can remember, I have had a piece of clothing that I refer to as my "Happy Shirt"...if it's clean, I wear it. It makes me feel good. It boosts my confidence. The Happy Shirt has taken many forms over the years. Once, my Happy Shirt was a white t-shirt with a picture of a golden retriever on the front. Another time it was a tank top that said "Can't Touch This"...strangely enough, it doesn't matter what the shirt LOOKS like on me. It only matters what it FEELS like. I can't tell you my surprise when I first saw the Seinfeld episode where Jerry introduces "Golden Boy"...his favorite t-shirt. Listening to the way he describes Golden Boy, I had some reassurance that I was not alone in my Happy Shirt concept. Some screenwriter, or maybe even Jerry himself, knows where I'm coming from.

For quite a while now, my happy shirt has been a red sweatshirt that says Lake Champion. I have no idea whether or not there even is a Lake Champion...that really doesn't matter. I got the shirt at a rummage store, where I paid $3 for an entire shopping bag full of clothes. This shirt means a lot to me, and last week I got yellow paint all over it in a mural painting fiasco. Why wear the Happy Shirt when I'm painting? I just COULDN'T take it off. I was in a foul mood, and I NEEDED that shirt. Now, it's ruined. It's time to move on.

Incedently, the last time I was at that rummage store, I picked up another Lake Champion sweatshirt, from the same table full of warm weather clothes. It feels "right", but it's gray...and very large. It works for now because I'm quite large myself, being a month and a half away from giving birth. But after the baby comes, I'll have to reassess. The next Happy Shirt is not in my closet, this much I know. But maybe it will be waiting for me under the Christmas tree.