Don't let me borrow your fave shirt...

So it seems I have a penchant for stealing men's shirts. I've never had a favorite shirt of my own that I bought. I mean, I have shirts I love and that I think are great and fun to wear, but they never are shirts I could wear all day, every day, even if they began to smell. Ok, I don't think I could wear any shirt when it began to smell. I am extremely sensitive to smells. That could be another blog topic altogether.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, stealing shirts. Actually I never *steal* them. They are usually lent to me. For different reasons of course. The following are just a few of those reasons: the room is cold; I didn't bring anything to paint in; I was thrown in the pool and don't have a change of clothes; I didn't bring a long sleeve shirt because I wanted to sunbathe while fishing and don't see why I need to be covered from head to toe; I need something to sleep in; I don't want to ride the train wearing what I had on last night; the list could go on forever. I can even think of one occasion where I was given a guys shirt just because I liked it so much (It was a really cool texture-- I have a thing for textures, I won't eat certain food due to textures-- let's not get into that either, it is along the lines of my issues with smells. Come to think of it the guy's cologne also was very nice...) . I still have it and another one of his shirts, both of which I am very fond of. In fact, for fear of the airlines losing one I left them in North Carolina when I moved to Holland.

I think the first shirt I tired to claim as my own was either Frank's or BJ's. That was back in the day when all the guys I liked wore flannel shirts. I'd borrow those two's often in class because the theatre in high school was freezing. Actually all theaters in almost all my High Schools were freezing. At that time I was really good at returning them since it was Florida and once out of the ice auditorium I didn't need the extra layers.

Wait a minute; I do own a favorite shirt... well I think I do. I recall my mother trying to throw it out and Nathan (my ex-fiance who is about to get married) trying to throw it out as well. I can't remember if they succeeded at the moment, hrm. It is a Navy Blue flannel shirt and it is why I didn't steal any shirts when lived in RI. I almost never went to school with out that shirt. I've worn that thing till the inner lining of the cuffs frayed and it had holes in it. I love that shirt. it also has a huge hole over the chest pokect. that was from tying it around my waist in Italy and it getting caught on the rail of a bus. I still would wear it though. It wasn't mine to begin with either--- It was Dad's and it shrank in the wash, so I got it since I was in that flannel wearing stage still. Ah hitting highschool in the hight of the Seattle scene definetly left its mark.

So I have a habit of obtain other men's shirt regardless. Other than the one I inherited from Dad most of the others I always have to give back. I actually remember once trying to see how long I could keep one for Frank's flannels. I don't remember now, but it couldn't have been past a week or two. Then I went nearly two years without borrowing anyone's shirts. Quiet a feat I think. I was tempted to borrow Ryan's that night we all went down to the beach behind the teen center on Ft. Adam's, but I was being stubborn and decided that it really wasn't *that* cold and I could tough it out. Besides ,I didn't want the rest of the group to think I was flirting with him, though I was, but everyone liked the twins and it became a matter of principle, I didn't want to be like all the giggly girls and borrowing a shirt when it isn't *that* cold is such a giggly girl thing to do. I wonder whatever happened to the twins... where was I? oh yes the next shirt I borrowed.
I remember borrowing Corey's shirts on the activity bus on several occasions. Oh the activity bus! The times we had back then! What fond memories... I also recall borrowing one of Bill's on the Vicenza trip that was before he started dating Amber and we all gave them such a heard time for her being so young, even though we all liked her. Funny how we all seemed to get along on those long bus trips on the activity bus to Lago. But again these shirt borrowing moments never lasted more than the bus trip and maybe the stay in the place the bus was going. Most of the girls in Naples borrowed the guys letterman jackets. Honestly I didn't like Letterman jackets, they just aren't that comfy. It wasn't until college that I was able to hold on to a new fave shirt for more than a week.

There was one prize shirt of many of the girls in College. It was gray and been washed to the point that the print that was once on it was all but gone. I had borrowed it once before while the guys I was friends with were playing video games and I was freezing since it had gotten a lot colder than I expected that night. I gave it back as soon as I got home and never thought anything about it 'til about a year later when I was dating Jimmy, to which the shirt belonged, and borrowed it again. I loved that shirt! It was *so* soft and warm and just perfect for sitting around the house, after a long day of rock climbing, tossing it on if I had to run to the office and didn't want to go in my PJs, or while studying. I was able to keep that one until laundry days... then Jimmy usually took it back.

I also gained a new shirt from Ben during one spring break in college. I borrowed one of his long sleeve shirts to fish in because I didn't know I needed to have a long sleeve shirt to fish in. I gave that one back, good memory but fishing shirts need to be dedicated to fishing and it is always there when I go fishing again. I also got my only Brandon High School shirt from Ben. That is because I borrowed one of his, but he wouldn't part with it not even for his bestest girl friend. To make up for it he bought me one of my own and sent it to me.

My next favorite shirt became my thinking shirt. My Assignment Editors knew never to bother Alexis between 6 and 8pm if she has the thinking shirt on (well unless it is breaking news, then they better tell me). It started with DeAnna borrowing Eric's shirt as it was colder in the part of the Newsroom where they banished the Edge crew. Then I borrowed it once when I produced the Edge and I was hooked. I stopped bringing in my sweater from home and would borrow Eric's shirt all the time. I'd even wear it when it wasn't cold and I wasn't in a crunch on the show. It made me happy. One time I came in to work on a Sunday early and Tiffany was wearing it. It almost felt like my new shirt was cheating! Even Tiffany gave me this I'm sorry but it is freezing in here look of shame. Ok, that is really odd I know, but I was very attached to that shirt and was sad I couldn't keep it. It kinda belonged to the newsroom. I did get a replacement from Eric, it was my favorite shirt that he wore. It has a really cool weave that gives it this neat texture, not to mention I love his cologne and the shirt smelt like him. A few years after leaving the news buisness I discovered that I some how had managed to smuggle the newsroom shirt home too. Not sure how or when I did that, but after returning to the States and reordering my life after two years in another country and a failed engagement I discovered my favorite newsroom shirt in my closet.

More recently I tried to steal one I was given to wear home. It was another super-soft-worn-all-the-time shirt that is fresh and clean and still smelled of laundry detergent. I threatened to keep it, but I knew it was my friend's favorite and I just coulodn't be that mean. I wore it for a day and a half while running to the market and other such errends around town. I think I secertly wanted some one to notice I had it, though I'm not sure anyone would have known who's shrit it was. I washed that next day and promotly returned it the next time I saw my friend who conviently worked in the town I lived in. If I wasn't such a nice person and I didn't want to stay friends with the shirts owner, I think I would have stolen it. I even saw someone a few weeks after said friend moved away with a similar shirt and thought how I wish I could have stolen it... At one moment I may have said I'd miss that shirt more than I'd miss him. But that is the irrational shirt thief in me talking.

I guess the best shirts are always someone else's for two reasons. Frist, it is because the best shirts are the those that get worn a lot and end up all soft and comfy. They are usually worn so much b/c they are someone else's favorite shirt as well. Second, they have to be someone's shirt you like, because it reminds you of them in some sort of way. Not necessarily a boyfriend or a crush, but just a friend who you have had a good time being around. That shirt can make you think of the time you caught the same fish over and over and over and OVER again and no one had the heart to tell you so until after you got home. Or it reminds you of late nights playing Axis and Allies- writing up treaties and then starting proxy wars before the game board is thrown across the room. The discussions over a glass of beer with a bunch of people from all over the world who you know you want to keep in touch with, but will only see maybe once more in your life time. Of flirting between MOS's and batting your eyes when you know you've turned your scripts in late. I guess it is a lot like hearing certain songs on the radio. Memories become attached to things and if you are like me and attached to memories then you may just get attached to a few favorite shirts.

The moral of this story is don't let me borrow your favorite shirt unless you know I'll give it back or can steal it out of my laundry ;-).