Seeking the support of a century old native Chicago Hat crafters. OPTIMO

Good Morning, 

I was referred to your company by a man I met in a park full of wise old Mulberry trees where I walk a stubborn young bulldog named Brutus.  This man who's name I will leave out and from what I took from our conversation is that he is a man of integrity and that  has a particular investment in design, style, craft, individuality and the proper application of those things and how it effects the populous.  It’s charming to have met someone else that holds those characteristics as important as I do.  If I play my cards right? I will surely be enlightened by my own adolescence in said fields of study and practice.  That being said this fellow referred me to your hats.  I was thrilled to discover a Chicago company that holds craft, tradition, style and does so from Chicago with pride and humility.  

Now, it seems very narcissistic to brand myself to sell a particular style of bicycle, or to sell what it is that I miss in mankind.  But I do so because I cannot afford to pay another nor to I trust anyone else, and what I am saying needs to heard.  I will do so quietly because it's hard to enlighten a cities worth of people that they don't know how to ride a bike, that their frames are too small and their seats too low and these seemingly tiny decisions are damaging their bodies, furthering an existing unsafe urban cycling environment, & propagating negative cyclist to autoist relationships.  Personally, I rather relish the aggressive battle of traffic vs bicyclist (it terrifies others.)  Where it's myself fighting for life and limb against so many trapped, angry, overweight autoists crippled by the very last security blanket of the fully grown american child.  That sensation drips of independence, prowice, and an uncanny awareness of what it feels like to be more evolved than those immediately around myself and those autoist hatred for that seeming independence fuels all that is primal and lies just below the surface of day to day courtesy, political correctness, and whatever else I am suppose to be doing to be a respectful member of our community.  But I refuse to be ignored and I am sick and tired of people presenting my life's enlightenments as their personal discoveries, hence the top hat.  Now. If a man in a glass house should throw no stones? And I, chose a bicycle, a top hat and a densely populated urban environment to sell what I have come to discover about the simple machine of the bicycle then that makes me rather vulnerable and it is a near impossible battle to do, what it is, that needs to be done.  But nothing easy is worth talking about.  And we need heros that are within the reach of our children there are a ton of hero athletes weaving the fabric of this city that gladly go uncelebrated, but I will be fucked eight ways from sunday if they go disrespected, at the hands of some selfish, money hungry, power, or glory driven folks who simply fair weather whatever it is that is trendy without care for the why of said trend.  Parasites.  Well, I am tough and like I said before; I refuse to be ignored.  I am new to this city.  eight years now.  But I have used the bicycle as my primary form of transportation all eight years.  So I am seasoned to some extent to the how to cycle in the city.  What is important is that I very much want to either manufacture or encourage the manufacturing of bicycles, saddles, bags, bicycle accessories and possibly umbrellas here in Chicago or at the very least in the midwest.  I am relentless in my efforts and am very much aware that the world wants American made products (tough to do, because we forgot how to; greed, outsourcing, and other foolish behavior seems to be catching up to a former generations sons and daughters) as well as Chicago’s need for jobs and doing or being about something to be proud of.  We, Chicagoans have had our place in the international bicycling community because of Schwinn and the American dream.  That is not enough anymore. It’s been too long and Schwinn’s products are not what they once were when they were painted into the picture of the American Dream complete with a suburban home, a Buick Regal, and matching his and hers Schwinn bicycles.  This story was a great one and lies safely inside the walls of the Smithsonian Institute.  This story is past and what will be today and tomorrows story.  Somebody had better write it before it gets written for us. 

I believe there is a new story to tell.  Not a grandiose story.  Those come from Hollywood and I was raised in midwest.  But tell a story worth raising an eyebrow to. I choose to do so on a bicycle with a top hat.  Kind of ridiculous but existing Chicago cyclists need protection from autoists, from city planners who do not care for existing riding trends, laws, culture and style, and from non native cycling forces looking to profit on the adolescence of a new, fresh and growing cycling community.  That being said new cyclists need to be enlightened of what it is to ride in an urban environment and do so respectfully and safely.  If not we are gonna be taxed.  Look at the autoist and what they pay in parking tickets, fees, licensing, and more to have the luxury of a car in Chicago.  There are existing leaders that should be noted and celebrated for their efforts.

***Help point out these leaders by posting bellow***  

Though I have a nice top hat.  It was not made here.  And I do not like the people that I got it from.  I respect their products, their tradition and their store, but as people they horrible, disrespectful thieves who owe me money and an apology.  But I don't believe in three strikes your out and I believe people are capable of providing the pleasant surprise of tact and character.  So currently the foundation of my story immediately lacks integrity. And I hold honesty and integrity as core fibers that make up who it is that I have come to be.  It’s been brought to my attention by a man in the park that I should be wearing an Optimo hat and I would be graced to do so.  Though, I cannot afford one of your fine hats. And, I see your not selling top hats at the moment.  I do assume you may have one from a generation past or are waiting for trends to change to rerelease a retired design.  Well I am feeling the top hat at the moment.  I would like to wear one crafted by a native Chicago master in a some what forgotten & ancient craft.

Well here is a little more narcissism, but I change things and have unique ability to activate people.  It’s a bold statement but it's true.  I refuse to be ignored and am relentless in my efforts.  My goals are true and sound is development and execution.  Which is what draws the the most skepticism.  So help start to tell a story worth repeating, a story that can guide our sons and daughters and their sons and daughters back to where we once were.  It would be my great honor to lend a hand in the drafting that story.  Directly from the mouth of man in glass house, on a bicycle, with a top hat.    

That is what I’m wearing this season any way.  Lend a hand, I will sell your hats it may take a moment but help me keep maintain integrity while I fight for what it is I see that is great about this city & Chicago residents who do not falter in there follies to remain true.   

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