It’s Autumn in New York! Time for warm apple cider, fireplaces, scarves, sweaters and most importantly, HATS! I love this season!

The hat is an endangered fashion trend that I feel the need to advocate for and defend. Let a boy walk on to the subway platform with a hat on and I am immediately transfixed. I think it is the utter mystery and coolness of all that a hat represents that draws me in. Whatever it is, I love love love love love love a man in a hat. What better way to do that than to profile my love of the millinery art form translated by the amazingly talented Elon James White?

It all started back in September of 2008. My roommate and I were having a lazy weekend afternoon at home peeling through our Google Readers and doing homework. One of my favorite blogs to read is “Stuff White People Do”. And every weekend the author posts, “White Weekend Links”. This weekend in particular he was featuring a new episode of This Week In Blackness. Of course, I clicked the video and proceeded to watch this portly gentleman put me in stitches with his musings on the state of being black for the past week.

On an escalating scale my love grew as I made my way to YouTube and watched past episodes. What sold me completely was the TWiB Short Film.

Was this love? Oh yes. Did the “Black” on the left remind me of the last guy I dated? Yes he did. So I proceed to track the site of course, via Google Reader. And two weeks later, another breakthrough!

He socialized! And looked amazing in all his cute hats, might I add. So in true unrequited love (read: stalker) fashion, I looked up the Thinking Liberally group and decided to attend the next debate party in an effort to find my one true love. And find him I did, just in time for Presidential Debate #2.
I brought along reinforcements, my roommate, her friend visiting from NC, and one of my close friends from college. My roommate arrived first and called me to let me know that “my blog boyfriend” (as we had taken to referring to Elon since TWiB #7) was indeed in the building. Oh was I excited, and nervous!? I tried not to be obvious because he stayed behind us most of the debate viewing. But I snuck a few glances, despite myself. The Thinking Liberally, Drinking Liberally event was packed and there wasn’t a ton of room to maneuver myself closer to the object of my affection but there was Presidential Debate Bingo! And I played that and tried to occupy myself. I won bingo with all that work and no one else was really playing so I went up to the organizer to let him know. He said, “I’ve never had anyone win before. I’ll have to think of a prize.”

I decided I would have a think as well and BRILLIANCE OF BRILLIANCE I thought Why not get a shout-out on the next TWiB which would, no doubt, feature info on the debate in some capacity. And that was my in! I was going for it and saw my opportunity as Elon passed by and people were filing out of the venue. I tapped him on the shoulder.

Me: “Hi. First of all, I love This Week In Blackness. I’m a big fan. Good job on that.”
Elon: “Well, Thank you. Somebody actually watches.”
Me: “Second, I won bingo. And the guy is thinking of a prize but I thought of one on my own. I’d like a shout-out on the next episode.”
Elon: “Sounds great. Do you have a card or we can write your …”
Me: “Yeah let me write my name.”
As I’m writing on the golden Bingo ticket:
Elon: “Is there anything else, we can do? Buy you a drink? Shout-out your job?”
Me: “Well I’m actually unemployed right now, so if you know anyone.” I brandish my resumé.

All the while my friends are standing in awe of my “awesome” (as Elon would say.) I pointed out my info at the top and our conversation comes to a close. But not before I notice a lady, putting her head on his shoulder and nearly snatching my resumé out of his hands to examine it. I was in too much of a euphoric state to analyze it in the moment but as we emerged it hit me, that girl was his lady. Oh no! Not again …. My roommate came out telling me that Elon had invited her to an event he was part of at the same place the following week, where entry was free if you wore pajamas. Of course we had to go.

I went home, empowered and defeated at the same time and my continued research (Myspace reading/stalking) revealed he was indeed, “in a relationship.” My love grew yet. When we got to the show, all my dreams came crashing down as my boy performed his stand-up routine and related to the crowd how much he very much loved his white, jewish, live-in girlfirend, and would probably marry her. Every adjective and verb a stab at my heart! I left the show totally depressed. If this was the case, how could I ever have my love?

I supported TWiB still and a couple weeks later, was glad to learn he was a man of his word:

Needless to say, I found him on Twitter. Started following him. He started following me. So we follow each other. I added him as a friend on Facebook. Now we’re friends.
Now if there’s one thing I know, it’s Yelp New York. I was Elite two years in a row and used to write there frequently. I had recently (and snarkily) answered a request Elon posted on facebook looking for sushi-grade fish in Brooklyn. It was easy to Yelp the search so I sent Elon my result and told him he should write a review detailing his experience. I didn’t expect him to do that last part. But one evening on a random tour of the internetz, hitting all my fave sites, I eventually landed on my email. “Elon James W. has sent you a review on Yelp,” one bold headline alerted me. And I nearly fell out of my chair. I opened it to see a review he wrote for my fish market suggestion.
I’ve firmly attached myself to his social network in hopes of one day having all my dreams come true. Who wouldn’t desire an Obama-loving comedian who knows the difference between beanies, fedoras and newsboys? (Oh MY!) Good people of Dwende, step number 1 to gathering groupies: Read this blog. Step number 2 to gathering groupies: Get thee to a millinery! ;) See you next week.

http://thisweekinblackness.com

http://twitter.com/elonjames

http://facebook.com/elonjames