"Never give up, never give in."

"You're running the wrong way!  Retreat in the other direction!"  

His Blueness, Yellow Submarine 

I retreated a little bit today.

And it was such a subtle retreat - all I did was buy three t-shirts, two black and one blue.  Just plain t-shirts, no messages, references or representation, just t-shirts, something to wear on those days when I don't want to have a dialogue about my choice of clothing. 

Because, you know, it's just easier sometimes. When I wear my Doctor Who-inspired "THE ANGELS HAVE THE PHONE BOX" t-shirt, it's not uncommon for people to ask me who my favourite Doctor* is. Given the nature of the fandom, I don't think it's a challenge (in the way that someone might ask the same question about my favourite player if I were to wear a Maple Leafs jersey) but every time I wear that t-shirt, I end up feeling that I need to have an answer ready, just in case.

Sometimes you don't even get that much of an opportunity to defend your t-shirt statement.  I recently decided to wear my Captain Canuck t-shirt as a patriotic gesture in support of the current economic struggle with the United States, and while crossing the street someone coming toward me on the crosswalk loudly shouted "FOR SHAME" as they passed me.  

But why?  Did they have a reading comprehension problem?  Did they think it was a Captain America t-shirt?  Did they prefer the original Richard Comely version of the Captain to the modernized one represented in the artwork?  Was it actually because of my NASA hat?  Had I not been burdened with a large and heavy bag of books purchased at the annual VPL sale, I would have turned around and requested an explanation.  As it was, I shrugged and continued on my way, but the encounter left me mildly disturbed for the rest of the day, as if I'd been slapped by a stranger without warning or apparent cause.

And then there's my stepfather-in-law, Steve.  Pleasant man, friendly, well spoken, but I learned some time ago not to wear any sort of merch that requires the least bit of explanation - I'm still not certain if his repeated "WHAT?" is a statement about the obscurity of my tastes or a comment on his hearing, but regardless, he always seems disappointed by my answers, as if he has evaluated my choice of lifestyles and somehow found it wanting.

But, regardless of losing a little battle today, I haven't given up.  The key to winning a war is to play the long game - tactics versus strategy.  Choose your battles, pick your battlegrounds, and accept that sometimes you may have to retreat, just to make sure that you can stay in the fight.

- Sid

* Since you've asked: original series, Tom Baker.  Reboot series, gosh, I know everyone loves David Tennant, but I have a definite soft spot for Matt Smith's nuanced interpretation of the last Time Lord.