Immature love says, "I love you because I need you." Mature love says, "I need you because I love you."
- Erich Fromm -
It wasn't love at first sight, it was simply the price that attracted me initially and the words cheap and nasty came to mind more than once. I needed it though so I handed over the money and headed home.
I remember the first time I slipped inside, it was...well, we fitted perfectly. I looked in the mirror as us together, so close there was nothing between us at all, and yes...we fitted together like we were made for each other. It was then I realised I was in love.
We were together so often from that point, not always, but when the opportunity presented itself I'd slip into that most comfortable of places and it felt so good. Life was good in fact, we were together, had fun, and if things got dirty we'd wash up and be ready to go once more. Yes, I was lost in life and love.
Like many love affairs, there were rocky roads to travel, and we had our share. We'd always come through though, always found a way to be together. It was a forever thing, or so it felt. But sometimes forever is just a dream, an ethereal thing one's hands cannot grasp. And so...we were parted.
It was years, two or so I guess. I had given up on my love, though it was not for lack of trying. I'd slipped into many since I'd lost my love; some were so lovely, so comfortable, but, none I loved like I'd loved before. I looked, heaven knows I looked, disappointment at each unsuccessful search pulling me a little closer into despair; the chaos of loss and madness of unrequited desire. I longed to slip inside, to feel that moment, the way I felt when enveloped by my love...But no matter how hard I searched, my love was lost.
That's the story of the tragic loss of a beloved t-shirt which I loved with all my heart.
I'd come across it in a shop around eight years ago and, whilst I didn't love the print on the front or the colour, it was cheap at $6 Australian dollars and that was good enough for me. I purchased it, took it home, slipped it on and that was that, I was in love.
I wore that fucken thing to death y'all. I mean, I was always in it, when not wearing a suit to work of course. If I was not at work there was a fair chance I had this t-shirt on. It travelled overseas with me, went shooting, hiking, to the beach, camping...Me and that shirt had a love affair that couldn't be broken. Until I fucken lost it.
Over two years went by and despite looking literally everywhere I could not locate my favourite $6 shirt. You know when you're looking for something and you end up looking in the same place fifteen times hoping you missed it on the last fourteen looks? Yeah, I did that shit y'all. It was driving me bonkers.
In the end I gave up figuring the shirt was lost for all time. I still talked about it though, even used a picture of me wearing it in some of my posts, a homage to it's greatness, as such. You can see one immediately above taken back some eight years. Yeah, I loved that shirt, but I had to let it go, it was lost to me. There have been many like it, but none blossomed into true love like my Detroit Denim cheap-as-fuck t-shirt.
But wait...The story doesn't end there.
A couple days ago I was looking for a charger for one of my LED lights and went to the box where I knew I'd find it. I was rifling through the box for the charger and came across a rag right at the bottom. Dafuq is that doing there, I thought to myself as I reached in to grab it and...Yeah folks, you know what I'm going to say right?
Yep, love was rediscovered!
With reverence I carefully took it from the box...I fucken tore it free from the box, whipped off my existing t-shirt and slipped on my favourite shirt once more and...all was well in the world once again. I felt it's gentle caress on my nipples as it enveloped my body, that same pleasing satisfaction I recalled so fondly as I slipped all the way inside and the memories came flooding back. Ah shirt, it felt good to be in you!
The main image in this post was taken a couple days ago, the day after I rediscovered my shirt, and true love; we went for a short hike together after its liberation from confinement and our lamentable absence from each other and as I strutted along I knew I'd never let it from my sight again, and I knew I finally looked good again, thanks to my shirt.
This shirt has lasted me for so many years and considering the price I paid I'm pretty happy with it, 6 bucks for many years of wearing? Yep, a good deal. I don't know why I love it so much; maybe because I think it looks ok on me. Maybe the fact it was so cheap but wears so well. Maybe the way it caresses my nipples so pleasingly; I don't know. All I know is that I found my favourite t-shirt in the most unlikely of places after over two years of looking and I'm really fucken happy.
Have you folks ever had a much-loved favourite piece of clothing like my shirt? Come on, I bet you have. Tell me about it in the comments below.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any images in this post are my own
