Black Hat Story

Although I own a black hat, I almost never wear it. I experimented with wearing one on Shabbos a number of years ago but I never felt comfortable, both literally and figuratively. I didn't like wearing a hat indoors and I didn't feel that it was "matim li". I just wasn't a black-hatter.

Yesterday, however, it was so cold in the morning that I decided to dig the black hat out of the closet and wear it to shul. It is definitely warmer than my baseball cap.

When I got back from shul and walked in the door, The Toddler, as usual, was there to greet me with her big smile and loud enthusiasm. She took one look at me in my black fedora and screamed out, "Abba's wearing a man's hat! Abba's wearing a man's hat!"

We all started laughing (which, of course, triggered repeated refrains of "Abba's wearing a man's hat) and finally, I said, "Yes, TT, Abba's is wearing a man's hat."