I’ve long had this funny way of considering my clothes. To understand this, you have to know that I’ve grown up as a sports fan. I understand the concept of “first string,” “second string,” “third string,” etc down, and have for a long time. If you don’t know, “first string” is the top, the best, and one moves on down the “strings” from best to, um, least best.

Anyway, as you’ve probably guessed, that’s how I see my clothes. My favorites are the first string. Get it?

Well, in 2008, the summer we went to Montana and spent a week at a dude ranch, I bought an authentic cowboy shirt. In Montana, it was easily a first stringer. But back in Seattle, it ended up on the bench. In 2010, as we were packing for France, I didn’t even consider taking it. You could say it wasn’t going to make the road trip. It got relegated to the practice squad or the Arizona Instructional League, extended spring training, or something.

Then, at the last minute, a change came over me. The shirt got hot, as it were. It made the cut and traveled to France. In France, it continued on its torrid streak, moving on up the strings, leading me to draft (buy on eBay) others like it. Now I’ve got scouts out all over the country looking for others like it.

That’s it in today’s photo. I wore it to school today.

Clearly, first string.