I am not generally given to excessive sentiment, and especially where mere things are concerned. One mourns for a person or a fallen pet, but not for inanimate objects, as a rule. Yet it was with a degree of sadness that I finally decided the time had come to purchase a new jacket.
Se, my previous jacket, the one I will wear until I locate a suitable replacement, has been with me since just before my first trip to France, back in 1998. It has, therefore, served me loyally for nine and a half years, or rather more than a quarter of my life to date.
What's more, this jacket has travelled with me through so many of my adventures, visiting France (five times), the Netherlands, Switzerland (twice), the US, Germany, Italy (twice), accompanying me on the disaster that was life in Yeovil, joining me in drinking Irn Bru atop the Jung Frau , in sun, rain, snow, hail, and many other conditions. And it has borne wounds from its travels - I have resown two of the three pockets, the main zipper has not worked in years, and it now offers only the most marginal protection against the cold.
How can such a loyal companion be so cruelly cast aside?
Well, the answer is quite simple, actually. The zipper on the pocket in which I keep my keys has become rather unreliable, and that is a fault that cannot be ignored. Further, the task of replacing such a zipper is just beyong my meagre skills with the needle and thread.
And so, it is time to lay aside my companion through many adventures. And it is time to have some new adventures. But it just won't be the same.
1 comment:
You should write a song about it.
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