Dallas

One of the things I've realized during my week of traveling is that my ability to maintain my happiness is directly proportional to the amount of the sky I am able to see when I walk outside. Which is why I able to be reasonably happy in Los Angeles, and less so in New York. But absolutely nothing compares to the sky in Dallas. Imagine seeing this sky everyday. It gives you a small sense of your own infinity.

I spent most of my time in Dallas delivering flowers for my mom, Mother's Day being one of the five busiest days for a florist. I actually received a three dollar tip from a customer, which I consider a highly auspicious omen, as that never happens.

During my time off, I read the novel Parasites Like Us by Adam Johnson, and saw the movies Paycheck and Lord of War. I also visited my old grade school, only to find that absolutely nothing had changed. The same red brick, the same mass of backpacks strewn across the campus, the same teachers reminding students to tuck in their shirttails.

The reason I visited my grade school was to acquire one of my school's physical education t-shirts. This is a shirt that every student at my school must own; it's the official uniform for all PE classes, and it's reversible, in order to facilitate the formation of dodgeball teams. It also happens to be the sort of garment you would pay $50 for at a vintage clothing store on Melrose Avenue. So naturally I thought I would pick one up.



A few reasons why this shirt is a unique addition to my collection:

1. It's reversible (gold and navy), so that you see the contrasting color at the seams of the sleeves and the bottom.


2. The bottom seam is a raw seam, with contrast stitching.


3. The design of the shirt hasn't changed in at least forty years. This is the same shirt I wore in seventh grade, it's the same shirt I wore in first grade, it's the same shirt I would have worn in 1956.


4. The shirt is cut for skinny boys,and fits me really well.


5. The fabric is a fifty-fifty blend of cotton and polyester, which retains its shape and ages more gracefully than pure cotton.


6. The gold is a heathered gold, which is a fairly unusual color and texture.


7. As the shirt undergoes repeated wash cycles, the yellow will wear down, revealing the navy underneath, lending the shirt more dimension.