Old friends

 Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver the other is gold.

I'm packing to go into Northern Ontario for some tonic of cycling, kayaking and fishing.  I'm taking along some old friends. I am learning to be more than a potter.

My favourite t-shirt that I bought in Athens, Georgia with Hester Meyers probably 8 years ago. It is a Patagonia t-shirt that cost me $40USD. It was the most I ever spent on a t-shirt. It became like a hockey players lucky underwear or a baseball players favourite socks. I always wore it when driving in the US. I thought it was a guardian angel of travel like Raphael. I need a new pair of Patagonia shorts as I have learned they include a secret label "Vote the a-holes out!" I will continue to pay for Patagonia products if I can't find them used. 

I am also packing my Springwater Packers orange ball cap. Aunt Nancy gave me a new one at Christmas but don't tell her I don't wear it. I love the orange one.  Somebody told me I'm colourful. It represents probably 40 wood firings. It shows the sweat band of the hard labour. I probably should be embarrassed to wear it but I'm not. It represents sweat equity and I hold that in very high esteem.

I got my cycling and outdoorsy stuff stuffed in my backpack that Robin bought me for Christmas probably in 2006 when I was headed off to Jingdezhen to spend 4 months with the USU crew studying ceramics as part of my MFA. That bag has gone to China, Korea, Wales, Italy, all over Canada and the US. It is a friend. Robin bought me a new one last Christmas and told me I shouldn't wear that dirty nap sack to places I was going. Don't tell her this but I don't use the new one. I love the old one. 

These three friends contain memories, superstition and what the hell I ain't no fashion model any who. Proud to be a workin' man.