If you are looking at the pictures below, I bet you are thinking you know what this blog is about. And if you are thinking it is about hats then you are only partly right. This is a story about who is wearing the hat and what is going on under that hat. Anyone can put a hat on their head but not everyone can wear a hat - and Cameron could wear a hat. This is also a story about confidence and attitude, about not caring what people think and it is about expressing yourself without saying a word. But you are right - it is also basically about hats...
The Heisenberg Hat - this is where it all started. It was bought for Cameron by his Aunt Bev and arrived just in time for Christmas 2013. Cam loved this hat
and it became a strong symbol for his fight against cancer. Many people remarked how
"bad ass" he looked in it and they were right. It set the tone for all that was to come - and Cameron always wore it with pride. It later became the focal point of the celebration we had to honor Cameron and people were lining up to get a chance to wear it. Nobody looked as "bad ass"....
The Angry Bird Hat - this is one of those hats with the long, dangly side braids. He bought it at Value Village
mainly to keep his head warm and because it was easy to put on with one hand. This hat expressed Cameron's whimsical yet practical side and when he wore it is was with a sense of fun and not anger. Nothing "bad ass" about this hat...
The Bling Hat - what can be said about the Bling hat? Anyone who has seen it will never forget it and the sensation it caused whenever he wore it. He bought it in Toronto when he was recovering from his operation and I think in some way it gave him a feeling of freedom and was his way of saying "Look at me, people!" And the people truly did look - they would actually run up and ask where they could get one. It takes a lot of confidence and a devil-may-care attitude to carry off a hat like this - and Cameron had that in spades.
The Bucket Hat - call it what you like, a fishing hat or Woody Allen hat. This hat was more of a symbol of solidarity and was given to Cam by a fellow patient who was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. He liked Cameron a lot and they got on very well. It didn't have Cameron's usual flair but it was practical and it shielded him from the sun. And as usual - he wore it with pride and it looked good on him. Of all Cameron's hats - it is the one I feel that I might wear someday and I don't think he would mind a bit.
The Hair Hat - now this one was just plain fun! We bought it at a truck stop on our way to Toronto for what was to be a wonderful vacation. It is one of those hats that everyone has to try on but once again no one could wear it like he could. It was kind of a joke at first but it became a very practical hat too. Cameron was totally bald at the time but he did not wear it to cover up his bald head - he wore it because it was fun and damn it all - he looked good in it!
Cameron was not only a man of many hats, but he was also a man of many talents, many interests and ultimately a man of many admirers. Not the least for his natural ability to be one hundred percent himself. And let me tell you - that is a rare trait in this world. Like I said at the start of this story, anyone can put a hat on his head but it takes a special person to wear so many hats and wear them so well. Hats off to you, Cam!
