When I was a lad, my dad and all the men in the neighborhood wore felt hats in the winter and round, straw hats in the summer. The hat biz was a booming business until John (Hatless) Kennedy came to town. When he was inaugurated president in 1961, the hat went out of style-fast. Caps were in, hats were out.

Since my hair went south, I have been a cap person and have a collection of favorites, likely an ego play to let my neighbors know I'm a traveling man. Caps are conversation starters, as in: "Where are the Apostle Islands, anyway?" They are in Lake Superior. I have Chicago Cubs and Harry Caray caps, but not a cap from my Southside favorites, the White Sox. Come to think of it, I haven't been to a Sox game for 58 years. Luke Appling was my all-time favorite. And I have Fog City Diner, Boston Marathon, Peggy's Cove and a bunch of other hats on the rack in my home office.

Recently, a woman from one of Silicon Valley's boom-time companies cashed in her stash and called it quits. Looking for something to do, she opened a hat store in our town, appropriately named the Mad Hattress. I bought a Panama hat.

In all the years I've worn caps, I've never had anyone say "nice hat." But in the three weeks since I bought the Panama, I've had six or seven compliments. When we went out to dinner with our septuagenarian friends a couple of weeks ago, I got two "nice hat" salutes while we were waiting for our table. That's when my friend's wife urged him to make a trip to the hat store. Fat chance, since he figures hats are for show-offs. He wears a weather-beaten golf cap.

But my newfound hat fetish has created a few problems. My hat is too small and looks goofy perched atop my bald head. My spouse says I look like an idiot. Whenever we go out, she gives me the "you aren't going to wear that hat" look. But I take the hat. And, lately, whenever we go out to dinner, she suggests I leave the Panama in the car. She's just doesn't understand; she's not a hat person.

When Frank isn't relishing his 'nice hat' encounters, he can be reached at fburge@cmp.com.