This Wonderful Life: Brought to you by Plaid
A year ago I was not happy. I didn’t like where I was living, who I was spending time with or the job I had. One weekend I met Kat Cooper-English, the most adorned ginger in Lansing, while watching a MSU football game. She suggested I come to the Lansing Happy Hour Club she organizes on Monday evenings. I mulled it over for a few days and decided to give it a shot.
I walked into The Boardroom around 6 pm on Monday, October 17th, like a young lady with nothing to lose would, introduced myself and took a seat. I hastily ordered some food and drink to keep my hands busy and answered all the questions a new person in a well-established group must answer. After the getting to know you part, I turned to the person next to me and said, “I really like your shirt. I’m a big fan of plaid”. It was a really great, cozy-looking, feel good plaid. The kind you remember your grandpa wearing in the winter. The kind you want to curl up next to. It was also flannel, as if that was even up for debate. Khalid Ibrahim’s giggly reaction was nothing short of epic and the sound often comes up in happy memory. After the laughter his response went something like this: “REALLY?! Dude, do you know this guy? Plaidurday JUST happened.” Not knowing what Plaidurday was, or the person he was referring to, I asked for a little more information.
After a monsoon of information about Plaidurday, I had the privilege of actually meeting Bugsy Sailor, creator of Plaidurday. He conveniently sat directly across the table, and had been sneaking glances at me, if I remember correctly. As fate would have it, Plaidurday’s creator and I had more in common than just a love of plaid, and it didn’t take long to get to know each other.
That simple compliment I paid to plaid sparked a conversation and thus the beginning of the best year of my life. I encourage you to compliment the plaids you encounter. It undoubtedly will make the wearer smile (and maybe even giggle), but could also spark a conversation that leads you to meet someone who makes you happier than you even knew to be possible. Plaid could be your saving grace, too.