A Farewell To Sleeves

by Alex in Gear, Epigrams and Interludes

I first laid eyes on you in Melbourne. Tash and I had just moved interstate. We were young, broke, adrift in a world that was bigger than anything we had encountered up until that point, but we were independent.

We were free. 

And although we didn't have much money to spare, we decided to celebrate our newfound freedom by treating ourselves. We knew that a factory outlet was all we could afford, so we headed out.

And there you were.



At the moment we met, neither of us could have forseen the journeys we would take together. I was just another customer, browsing in the Giordano outlet.

You were just a jacket, hanging on the rack with dozens just like you. But then, I picked you up and tried you on, and magic happened.

The right length, the right size. Big enough to not stretch, but not baggy at all. As I explored your many pockets, judged your weight and warmth and padding, I knew. You were the jacket for me.

Not that we didn't have our troubles at the start, mind you. Youth is a difficult time for everybody. We change, we grow, and we lose some of the things we thought were essential parts of us. But as the furry lining of your detachable hood, and then the hood itself, disappeared and were lost to distant memory, I wasn't losing parts of you.

Rather, you were transformed into the jacket you were destined to be. And what memories we have!

You shielded me from Sydney's roasting sun, from Melbourne's frigid chill. You were with me through Laotian rain and Scottish snow, from jungles in Thailand to mountaintops in New Zealand.

You were always there for me, even as the years began to catch up with you. Your colour has faded in the sun and the weather, your padding has collapsed after so many soakings of rain. Your hems are fraying, your threads are loose, and your pockets are now more hole than fabric.

...do you remember the time that I had a whole hotdog in one pocket and a drink in the other? Do you remember the look of wonder on that small child's face as I pulled it out and started eating, like a shrunken Hagrid brandishing a birthday cake? I'll never forget that look.

But please forgive this digression into sentiment. You have raged admirably, dear friend, but now, as it must, the dying of the light has overtaken your efforts. Go gentle, into the second-hand clothing bag, and be reborn to someone else.

But know this - no matter how much further your road may take you, how long you have before your sleeves fray to ribbons - you will always be my jacket.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading. If you liked the article and want to see more like it – let us know down in the comments. If you want to follow along with us - you can subscribe to our email feed down below, and be sure to check us out on facebook or follow us on twitter.

If the pretty pictures caught your eye and you would like to see more travel photography hop on over to flickr or for our daily oddities check out our instagram feed.

As always – Don’t Forget To Be Awesome!