Snowballs and Fluff balls

I saw a lady today wearing earmuffs.  True earmuffs.  The kind that look like wooly mammoth circles over your ears with a plastic headband in between.  And when you take them off they curl up into a nice little ball. 

When I was a little kid, I hated wearing hats in the winter time.  I don’t really know why.  Well, I don’t know if I actually hated wearing hats or if I just hated the hats that my parents put on me.  I remember being in first grade with a hand-me-down hat from my sister.  It was this baby pink stocking hat with a fluorescent pink snowflake on it and a fluorescent pink fluff ball on the top.  What was the deal with the fluff balls back then anyway?  I mean, I’m sure my Mom thought I was cute as a button. But really.  Did they not think about all the torture I went through?  All the times my hat got pulled off by the mean boys in my class?  Seriously, I think that hat spent more time in my school bag then on my head.

And then there was second grade where my Mom thought a Strawberry Shortcake hat with a red fluff ball would be the cutest thing ever – especially since I had a thing for the cartoon character.  But Mom, seriously.  Do you not think of all the mean boys and girls that pull the fluff balls?  Again, why can’t I have something cool?  Something like earmuffs?  They were so awesome.  All the popular kids had them.  I remember you saying that I couldn’t have them because they wouldn’t keep my head warm.  Well, my hat was in my school bag, so I’m willing to take my chances with just keeping my ears warm.  Ugh. 

I wonder if my parents couldn’t afford cool stuff “back then”.  I don’t remember being truly deprived of anything.  However, I never had the cool stuff.  The cool earmuffs, the cool Trapper Keepers, the cool pens, the cool stickers, the cool jump ropes……and don’t even get me started on snow boots……….yes, I was the kid with moon boots. 

I wonder if my parents knew or know any of this?  Did they know how much I detested those stupid stocking hats with the fluff balls?  I was a pretty quiet kid back then – I bet I didn’t put up too much of a fight.  But it really hurt (obviously, if I can remember it now as an adult) when those mean kids picked on me because of my hat.  I wonder if my sister got teased and that’s why she gave me the hats?

I wonder if that lady I saw today liked those earmuffs or if she was just wearing them because she couldn’t afford to buy something more modern – like a hat (fluff-ball-less) or fleece headband.  She was older – probably a cleaning lady getting off work.  Maybe she doesn’t care.  Maybe she likes the earmuffs.  I wonder if they still sell earmuffs? Gosh, how long has she had those things.  Would she be offended if I bought her a hat (fluff-ball-less)?