Handkerchief Scarf....Flag!

"I do this for myself because I am my own fatherland,

and my handkerchief is my flag."

-Reinhold Messner

OK, I've been a little consumed with my nose as of late.  Which made me think of all the colorful...beautiful...vintagy handkerchiefs I have jammed into a drawer.

I love the one's with an "A"...and the 50's colored ones...most any of them call my name.  They make me think of another time.  I'm not sure when that time was...for I don't believe I've ever seen anyone reach into their purse and pull out a handkerchief to use.  Have you? 

The thoughts of actually doing it... and even more freekishly, using it... put my head into a germ infested freak-a-zoid moment that makes my lysol hand sanitizer scream out calling my name and bellowing, "stop the madness."    I'm sure it would be perfectly fine to acutually use the handkerchief for its purpose...but, just the idea of that "stuff" on the beautiful, soft colorful fabric...then stuffing it back in my purse....then retrieving it again at home....and eventually washing it...just seems like too much! 

Can you imagine what the "Moms" of 2010 would say if you acutally used a handkerchief?  Would you be turned into the Hazardous Disease Patrol? Would you need to enter the Witness Protection Program for "People Who Do Not Cough Into Their Elbow" and/or "Folks Who Do Not Dispose Of Their Post Nasal Drip With Appropriate Earth Friendly Bio-Degradable Paper"?  There has to be another purpose for handkerchiefs! The enormity of the shame is becoming illogical in my mind.

Thus, the creative process begins...
1.  gather handkerchiefs of like colors properly washed and santized
2.  sew end to end
3.  wrap around neck like a scarf
4.  say, "oh really?" when the 87 year old spunky, spitfire, lassy in the grocery line says, "I used to have a handkerchief just like that"
5.  think in head while continuing to converse with spunky, spitfire lassy in the grocery line, "this could very well be your handkerchief...but, we will never know for according to my 385 episodes of various CSI shows I've seen since my latest sinus issue, your DNA should be long gone when I soaked these babies in the bleach and water mixture to remove all remains of a former life."
6.  walk away satisfied that my new scarf has made its mark (no pun intended) on the fashion world.

I wear my handkerchief as a flag of honor!