May 10, 2010
Dear Jimmy,
As I unwrapped the new SunBody hat from the box I could not help but smile and think, "It's too nice; it's too pretty." My old hat of what, 4,000 miles, hangs from Tucker's saddle, dozens of stories woven into the palm leaf hat like an old woman's face aged with character.
It is impossible to for me to throw them away. I have three others waiting back home in Montana from previous rides. They are the hats of a long rider, a necessity for what I do and an intimate part of my life that rides atop like a protective crown.
I dislike parting with the old worn one. Yes, it has a hole in the crown. Yes, the edges are tattered and frayed. It is dirty, colored, stiff, bent and holds the trials and tribulations of a 4,000 mile distance woven intricately between the stitches.
I wish I could read the name of the person who personally handcrafted last year's hat, but I can no longer read the tag. But to "Joaquin Alvarado", whose name is written on the new tag, who rides with me as surely as he made the hat, I extend a hearty "Thank you!" I will see his name and wear the hat then another year, or longer perhaps. To his hands that wove the sturdy, beautiful hat, and to you, Mr. Pryor, for making SunBody Hats possible, a hearty thank you.
Sincerely,
Bernice Ende
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