Cheeseheads

I have realized lately that there is a certain type of person that is particular to Wisconsin. The distinction came to me as I was waiting at the baggage claim in the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. It was there that I noticed that residents of Wisconsin can get away with wearing just about any kind of hat. Now by "get away with" I don't necessarily mean that such a person will look good wearing a certain hat, but merely that these hat-wearers will not be grouped together and labeled as social outcasts because of their choice of attire on their heads.

Now I must also offer a feeble disclaimer: it was winter when I visited Wisconsin. Winter is hat weather. One will almost always see more hats in winter when visiting Wisconsin than any other season. End disclaimer.

As I stood and watched the passersby, I was amazed at the varieties of head apparel that walked around this city! There was the commonplace Green Bay Packer baseball cap, the knit wool cap, the knit wool cap with tassel on the top, and the knit wool cap with the roll over cuff. There was also the I-would-only-need-this-big-fuzzy-suede-hat-if-I-lived-at-the-South-Pole hat, and the My-grandpa-used-to-wear-this-plaid-hat-but-I'm-bringing-it-back-in-style hat. And these were all being worn INDOORS. Enough said.

And it doesn't stop at hats! Wisconsin-dwellers can get away with wearing close to anything in public, because there's always the always appropriate "It's just so cold!" response to any question of their appearance. I saw a lot of cheesy turtlenecks and a few pairs of snow boots, even though there hasn't been any snow all winter.

Yet amidst some of the clothing mismatches, there is a slight charm about these Cheeseheads that exuded sincere loyalty. And all these folks aren't necessarily rednecks, either. These are the folks that will dig your car out of 2 feet of snow at 2 a.m. These are the folks that will snowblow your driveway so that you don't have to shovel in the morning...

Cheeseheads. Gotta love 'em.