What is the best thing you’ve acquired second hand?

What is the best thing you’ve acquired second hand? 

I would have to say a Tom Petty concert shirt I borrowed from a friend and have yet to give back. I actually want to frame it and hang it in my man cave someday. It has been though a lot with me, could tell a lot of stories. It is now so worn out that I don’t want to run it through the wash too many more times or rip it. Can only be worn on special occasions or be hung up in remembrance. I wore it a lot throughout the initial years of this initiation/bet (Schizophrenic Episode?). 

I love things that can help me roleplay or further dive into an experience… For instance, when I start playing poker more, I love to use a money clip, puts me more in that rounder mood. In fact, even in a gambling idea I had, called gamble junkie, which is all play money, I still thought it might be neat to have high quality play money you and your friends could buy, that could still be rolled up or put in a money clip to help a person still feel like they were living the gambler’s dream… the little things can make a big difference! 

But, the Tom Petty shirt, was really my first Tie Dye shirt I ever owned, and really helped me sink into the whole peace and love vibe. I can even remember a friend from high school seeing me at a function wearing it, he said something like, I can’t believe I am seeing Tyler Gutierrez in a Tie Dye shirt. I was sinking into the mood so fast, it was hard for me to believe that people couldn’t picture me without it! Clothes can really help set your inner feng shui, it helped me embark on a whole new chapter of my life. I quickly became The Dude in a way too many people, seemed I had found myself a bit. It wasn’t even like people that use to know me, thought it was weird that I changed, rather that I finally came out of the closet in a way as a hippie, like they knew it all along. (sorry if I used coming out of the closet inappropriately, couldn’t think of another expression). 

It also helped me with my art work. For whatever reason, I was very timid about using what some people may call “feminine colors” in my art work. Well, I know the reason, I was probably worried about people questioning my sexuality. But, using the Tom Petty Tie Dye shirt which used all the colors, was my excuse to myself to branch out and paint in all colors, in fact my first multi colored painting were dedicated in a way to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. That is how I would introduce them… Hung the t-shirt right next to them… But I love using all of the colors… 

So, it helped me get over some little hurdles in my mind with worrying about being perceived as feminine or having my sexuality challenged. Where I am now, and how far I have come, it is hard to imagine that I ever thought like that. Heck, I walk around with my messenger bag now (man purse)! 

I’m not sure why I was ever so worried about someone possibly questioning my sexuality or something like that? I say that now, because we live in a new day and age, where the LGBTQ community has made tremendous strides over recent years, much more accepted. Honestly, the gay community may be the most persecuted throughout human history. Even within persecuted groups, the gay people were persecuted. Torture and the death penalty have been known to be the norm for most of human existence, always seen as inferior and outcasts. 

So, there probably is a lot instilled in us, to still try and avoid that persecution. How many times in grade school or our lives have we heard the term gay as an insult? That is one reason, I also always wonder how people can think being gay is a choice… being gay, you got tortured, murdered, bullied, persecuted… no sane person would choose to go that route if they could just switch. Just the sheer amount of effort the human race took to stamp out homosexuality and it is still here and thriving, speaks volumes. 

But, I have gotten a bit off topic and will talk about stuff like that more in the future! This post was about my shirt! It is amazing how much that single shirt has helped bring about change in my life, one article of clothing. Helped alter my state of mind completely in many ways… It is most certainly man cave worthy! Get it one of those nice jersey display cases!