I ❤️ book people

My t-shirt from The Last Bookstore is a geek magnet

Photo by Jaredd Craig on Unsplash

They say clothes make the man, but what they don’t tell you is that clothes also make for a good conversation starter.

I’ll give you an example from the archives. Back in 2015, I owned a Sriracha t-shirt. The first day I wore the Sriracha t-shirt, strangers took notice. Here’s what I posted on Facebook:

The barista who takes my order says I’m “like a super hero” because of my “amazing shirt.” I could tell him my wife bought it at Target (on sale I think), and that he can own one too. But I don’t want him to think that just anyone can be a super hero. With great power comes great responsibility, I guess.

A woman at the communal table tells me she puts Sriracha on “everything.” But I know she’s lying because there’s no hot sauce on her blueberry scone.

A man on the sidewalk gives me a thumbs up and shouts, “SRIRACHA DUDE!” I appreciate the love, but it’s unclear if the man sees me as a kindred spirit, or as the dude-esque spokesperson for America’s favorite…