The Hat

 

 

In the old photograph he was wearing a hat.  Age has taken a bit of quality from the picture.  It is slightly yellowed, and curled at the edges, but a close look suggests it was a formal gathering.  The hat, however, was out of place.  A playful facial expression was a dead giveaway, as if the moment no one was looking, he slipped on the hat and the photographer snapped the picture.

 

I doubt it was a wedding.  None of the ladies wore a wedding gown and neither did it appear to be a funeral.  Possibly a class reunion.  It was outdoors with everyone looking proper except for the man in the back row with the hat.  Once I started using a magnifying glass and took a closer look at the faces in the group, I spotted the lady on the far right, second row up.  She was looking directly at the man in the hat.  Her expression was also one of whimsy.  She obviously knew him and knew he would pull something like this.

 

I think I would have liked these two people.  Him for finding fun wherever he could, and her for not being a snitch.  I’m glad this photograph is black and white.  It adds to the statement of the situation.  This is life, warts and all.  No fancy photographic effects, no distracting colors, just some guy in the back row, not at all concerned if his tie is straight, just secretly knowing that she’d be looking.