A to Z: Hats Galore

Hats are amazing inventions.  Not only do they keep the elements off of our heads, they also serve to delineate one job from another.  For instance, only firemen where those special firemen-type hats.  Imagine that fireman's hat on Oprah?  Looks rather silly, and would totally mess up her hair.  Cowboys are generally identifiable by their special hats, and those hats look ridiculous on anyone who has never sat on a horse.  Military personnel wear specific headgear, and seeing anyone else in such a hat just doesn't fit.

Specific job=specific hat. 

My department attended a workshop a couple of weeks ago.  The trainer handed out paper plates and markers, and asked us to divide the plate in half.  On one side we were to write all the jobs we had to do at home, and on the other side we were to write all the jobs we did at work. Because we're all about the multi-tasking.

The work side was easy.  When I punch in, I'm an evaluator, problem solver, consultant, detective, data archeologist, interventionista, counselor, behavior specialist, report writer, and occasional crisis manager.   That's not including that clause in my contract that states "other duties as assigned".   I love every bit of it.  It's exciting and fun to me. If I could choose a hat to wear for my job, it would be one of those pith helmets that the old time jungle explorers wore.  That is the perfect school psychologist hat. 

The home side was more difficult.  I wear a lot of different "hats" at home as a wife and a mother.  Problem solver is one hat.  Political consultant to my husband is another.  Soccer mom.  Blogger.  Housekeeper. Triage nurse.  Kisser of boo boos. Resident hugger. Kid herder. Crisis manager. Counselor. Crying shoulder.  Cook. Animal trainer.  Snake handler.  Spider shoo-er. 

I could go on.  What sort of hat would fit such a plethora of roles and duties?  It would need to be stylishly loud, because if I am going to wear a hat, I need to rock it.

Then it hit me.  The perfect hat.

It's fancy, bold, and stylish.  And it suits me, I think.