This One Fits Me to a T

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What is it about race T-shirts that makes them so hard to part with? If a mix-up hadn't inadvertantly halved my previous collection, I'd have race T-shirts overflowing from closets, hampers, dressers, plastic bins, laundry baskets and beneath beds by now. As it is, the shirts have taken over my wardrobe again and yet, when I go through my closet in search of items for a clothing drive, they remain untouched. Most also remain unworn.

Shortly after we moved to San Diego, I went through some of the moving boxes and decided to part with about forty 5k, 8k and 10k T-shirts before they reached the bedroom. I was to keep any 10-milers and up and a few shorter distances that were firsts for me. The rest were going to the AmVets Thrift Store. It felt good to lighten my laundry load. Unfortunately, some Korean War veteran is probably wearing my Marine Corps and New York City marathon shirts, and a Vietnam vet is hopefully lovin' my favorite Charlottesville 10-Miler memento. I somehow managed to give away the very bags I couldn't do without and kept those I'd already broken up with. I took it hard.

In that four years, I've managed to watch the T-shirts again multiply. I noticed that this weekend the Carlsbad Marathon organizers are conducting their Second Chance Shoe and T-shirt Drive. And I want to help them out. Alas, I remain far too emotionally attached to that heaping stack of worn cotten.

Perhaps next time.

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