Hi guys,

It has been awhile since I posted a ‘How ya like my Hat?’ photo and story. Here’s my latest.

I was wearing my newest hat, while visiting my grandson in San Diego, when I was approached by a man with a request that seemed a little odd to me.

He said, “I am producing a film called, Strange Things you see on the Street”. I saw you and thought, “You might fit that title.”

I replied with, “Are you calling me strange?”

“No, but your hat is.”

“Oh” then paused for a moment and said, “You are the first person on the west coast that talked to me other than my grandson and your comment took me by surprise. However, I am from the east coast and people that know me say I am strange, weird and a little crazy. You made me feel right at home. Thank you.”

Then I noticed a lady checking me out and attentively listening to the conversation, so I nodded at her and said, “Hi.”

She smiled, got real close and said, “I like your hat. Can I have it?” She put her arm through my arm, batted the biggest brown eyes and kissed me on the cheek.

Well, anyone that knows me, knows at that point I am ready to do almost anything she wanted, but before I could respond the dude said, “Wait, wait, wait. I might have a spot for you in my movie, you can be a star. Although, it is predicated on you wearing that hat, dressed the way you are and keeping that unshaven look.

Brown eye said, “I am a very friendly girl. Can we talk a trade of some sort?”

I thought movie, money and fame, then looked at the brown eyed girl and thought, “A bird in the hand is worth…”

Photo taken at White Plains Flea Market on 1-23-22

Is this story fact or fiction?

I thought this was a brown hat, but it’s not – it’s a red hat. Do you know how I figured that out? Well, a guy at the thrift store told me he collects hats that say what color they are. Then he said, “I have blue, green, brown and a few other colors, but I need red.” So I bought it for a dollar and tried to sale it to him for a profit. I took it off and offered it to him for five dollars. He looked at me in disgust and started too walked away. I quickly decided to give it to him if he took some photos of me wearing it, so I could use one of the photos for this story. He took it from my hand while saying, “I want to look at it first.” He then turned around and started to walk away.

I yelled, “Where are you going?” He didn’t respond, but hastened his pace toward the door, but before he was out of the store, I held my receipt up and yelled, “That guy is stealing my hat.”

The cashier stopped the man and asked, “Is that your hat?”

He said, “I’m holding it aren’t I!”

“That doesn’t make it yours. This guy has a receipt.” She took a photo of the guy holding the hat and said, “I am calling the police”

“You don’t have to do that.” then a second later said, “What can I do to make it right?”

“You can start by giving it back to the rightful owner, but he can still press charges.”

He handed it back and I asked, “Do you still want it?”

He looked at me in bewilderment and replied, “Guess so.”

I put it on and had the teller take a few photos then told the man, “It’s yours for twenty dollars.”

Amazon author page, https://amazon.com/author/jimmcdonaldjr

Jim McDonald Writes, https://facebook.com/poetryandmorewords

Website – J F McDonald, https://jfmcdonaldjr.com

Good morning everyone. I have been searching for a hat like this for close to a year. Not only for my ‘How ya like my hat?’ stories, but because I like it. Finally found it for $7 in a Camp Spring thrift store, but it is just a little tight.

As apposed to buying a $16 hat stretcher for a one time use, I want to borrow one for a month. Can you help me?

My hat stories could be fact, fiction or a mix of both.

I started this story in 2019 and set it aside for a while, because I had writers block. The hat photo was taken by a fellow classmate at College of Southern Maryland (CSMD) during my Communication 1010 course, on November 26, 2019. I have an assortment of McDonald hats, since my name is McDonald.

Last week I went in one of my local McDonald’s, because I had a hankering for one of their new Bacon Big Mac’s. After I ordered my meal I noticed my server was wearing a new McDonald hat. I thought of my story category called, “How ya Like my Hat?” and asked if I could speak with the manager and when she came over I pulled out my wallet and showed her my driver’s license pointing to my last name – McDonald.

She said, “Oh”.

I told her, “I collect hats, especially McDonald hats.” I then pointed to my server and asked, “Can I get one like that”.

She replied, “Because of the M?”

Of course I said, “Yes”.

“Let me see.” She turned and went to the back of the store and returned with the hat I’m wearing in this photo.

“Thank you so much.” I adjusted the band, put it on, grabbed my food and walked out the door.

• 

I immediately felt that something was wrong in my universe, but I had food so the universe had to take a back seat. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed north toward the CSMD La Plata campus for my Thursday afternoon Communications class. I noticed a car full people behind me wearing Burger King hats, but didn’t think much of it till they got real close and followed me down Mitchel Road toward the college.

I was a little concerned with my tailgater as I moved through the shady crooked Mitchel Rd., then I saw another car full of people behind them and they were wearing hats from Wendy’s. At this point my food took a back seat to the immediate threat of the hat brigade.

Luck has a way of finding me when I need it the most and as I was pulling in the campus parking lot I saw a large crowd of people. Everyone in this crowd was wearing CSMD hats – there were hundreds of my fellow Hawks (students) coming to my rescue. Somehow the universe let my friends know I was in trouble. When the Burger King and Wendy people saw this they turned and slipped quietly off the college grounds.

• 

Of course with my plot thickening type of mind, I thought it was all about me. However, there was pep rally happening that very moment and I was the bearer of that good luck because of it.

Amazon author page, https://amazon.com/author/jimmcdonaldjr

Jim McDonald Writes, https://facebook.com/poetryandmorewords

Website – J F McDonald, https://jfmcdonaldjr.com

Is this story fact or fiction?

It was a nice indoor event with a lot of people hoping to meet one or all of the Redskin players that were in attendance. One former player was Sonny Jurgensen, and the two active players were Darrel Green and Gary Clark. I liked all three of these men, but I really wanted to meet Jurgensen, because I was wearing his jersey. That was a no go from the start, his line was so long but the Green and Clark lines weren’t short either. Stopping to survey the venue once I walked in, I noticed I was in Gary Clark’s line already.

• 

I was hoping that my girlfriend Lisa would come with me, but she roots for another team, so she went to lunch with a Cowboy fan. Standing in the line for what seemed like hours, I remembered a recent conversation between us.

Weeks earlier I bought a Washington Redskin hat at a yard sale and gave it to her, but she

said, “I’m not wearing that filthy thing!”

My reply was, “It’s a gift, bought especially for you.”

“I don’t care. Get that thing away from me!”

The hat was actually bought to add to my collection of Skin hats and of course sit on my head till another hat came along. Later I noticed it was tight and barely fit me, so I thought maybe I’ll turn it into a gift for Lisa and it might turn her hatred for my team to at least respect – that didn’t happen. Realizing when I put the lie on my head it wasn’t a big lie, but a lie all the same.

• 

However, while at the ‘Fan Fest’ I was in line hoping Gary Clark would sign the hat. He graciously did. After that I looked at the other lines and decided to leave for home. After I walked out the door I heard a commotion to the right, so I walked toward a crowd to see what was happening. Low and behold there she was, my girlfriend in the middle of a Dallas Cowboy rally. I stepped closer to the crowd unaware I was setting myself up for ridicule. I had no idea that Lisa overheard me explain the little lie to a friend and she set out to teach me a lesson. I got closer and closer to the crowd, then she pointed at me and shouted through a mega phone, “That’s him, the Redskin liar.” At that point I realized that cowboys and Indians didn’t mix and this relationship will probably never work. It reminded me of a country song where the wife gave the husband an ultimatum of fishing or her and he told the listener in the song, “I’m going to miss her.”

Amazon author page, https://amazon.com/author/jimmcdonaldjr

Jim McDonald Writes, https://facebook.com/poetryandmorewords

Website – J F McDonald, https://jfmcdonaldjr.com