my leather jacket

When I was putting on my leather coat this evening, I noticed a loose thread in the stitching. It was nothing serious, but it made me take a closer look at the jacket overall. I have had the jacket for almost a decade and there are signs of age here and there. For example, around the collar the leather from repeated handling has become less supple and slightly dull in color. Once again it is nothing serious, but one can tell that the jacket has been used. This is not a coat fresh off of the rack anymore.

Owning a coat for ten years may or may not be a long time to own a piece of clothing for some people, but many things in my life have changed since I put on the jacket for the very first time. Buying the jacket was not my idea. It was a gift from an old girlfriend. She had been less than pleased with the jacket I had been wearing in winter and wanted something more presentable for me to wear. Yes, maybe I should have been offended by the reason for her buying the coat, but I wasn't. Actually the coat that she chose for me is not the one that I still own. I did not like the one that she selected and the two of us went back to the store to choose another one that was more suited to my taste. So in a way I asserted myself against her attempt to change me. Ultimately it was that unhealthy conflict that drove me to leave her much to her confusion.

I've never really perceived the jacket to be a symbol of rebellion and or conformity. I just see it as a comfortable piece of clothing that creaks a little in winter from the cold.

 
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