Photo: Etsy.com
"Damn it!" I heard as I was making my way down the street. Looking up I saw a man in maybe his mid-twenties cursing to himself while running. He was tall, maybe 6'2" but with broad shoulders and a curiously shaped hat. Never have I tought that I would be the one holding that colorful hat moments after. Anyway, just as he disappeared behind the corner the gentle wind made the hat fall right beneath my feet. All it took was a few seconds wasted while grabbing for the hat to lose sight of the man and whatever he was running after. Not paying much attention, I hid the hat in my backpack and continued my journey towards my car. Days have passed and that hat has really grown on me. Everything was idyllic and tolerable until the lost hat posters started showing up. I ripped them off of trees and billboards whenever I saw them. One morning while reading the newspaper a picture struck me like a lighting bolt because of a rather familiar man on it. I tried so hard to remember but I just could not connect the running man and the soldier on the picture standing between his friends, smiling and gloating because of receiving a medal of honor. Reading through the text I found out that while he was away on military duty, his family was in a tragic accident. I did not know how to react so I decided to return the hat to its rightful owner. That day ended with a beer in one hand, some peanuts in the other hand, listening to music in a downtown pub feeling bad for taking the soldiers hat for so long after finding out it was his son's hat.
