They call it the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” which may be marketing hyperbole, but I suppose there’s an element of truth to it. But the Calgary Stampede hat on my desk didn’t come from Calgary, I got it in Toronto.

I have been to the Stampede, and if you like small-town country fairs it is definitely worth the trip. Except it is a country fair on steroids – bigger and better (and probably more expensive to visit, but we won’t get into that). There’s a reason it has lasted more than a century and hotels are able to charge a premium for the ten-day run in July. There’s something different to see and do each day; I can understand why for many people it is an annual must-attend. If it was closer than a couple of thousand kilometres from here I’d probably be going more often.

I picked up the hat, which is small and rubbery, at the Toronto Children’s Festival a couple of year ago. We were visiting the city and looking for something family friendly and it seemed to fit the bill. Mind you, it was probably a little strange to take children in their twenties to the waterfront event – they didn’t seem to want to try the face painting or the kiddie rides. We didn’t know it at the time, but it was the last time we would visit my son and daughter-in-law in Toronto. A few months later they moved to Europe to pursue career opportunities that had come up unexpectedly.

A Children’s Festival isn’t really my idea of fun. Still, there were some interesting exhibits and lots of free food (I remember specifically the bison burgers and Nutella). And some exhibitors were giving things away, including folks promoting the Calgary Stampede.

I got a full-sized cowboy hat, admittedly made of some cheap material but it looks good on me. Or so I have been told – I think it looks a little ridiculous, though I have worn it on occasion. I also got the hat which sits on my desk. I think it is supposed to be a stress reliever; you can squish it around in your hand and I can see how doing that could relieve tension.

What does it say about me though that I have such an object in my desk? Does its presence suggest that I foresee the need to use it? Am I implying that my job is so stressful I require some sort of help to prevent mental distress? Or is it just something ornamental that brings back pleasant memories?