THE ROOT 9: 41.3

It’s an incredibly powerful phrase. Oftentimes, whether someone tells you that something you said stuck with them, or if you tell somebody that, there is a level of gravity and recognition that carries through the statement. I think that’s really powerful.

But as I think about it a bit deeper, what does that mean beyond the moment? How do we act when something sticks with us? How do we carry it and apply it towards our actions?

Not that we always need to create a ‘task’ out of something carrying importance artificially, but it is an interesting thought to meditate on. If an idea has enough weight to occupy space in our mind long after the conversation is over, perhaps that lingering feeling is a call for a small, mindful shift. What has stuck with you lately, and what are you doing with it?

In the last two years, I’ve always started the new year off with a kind of visioning experience, but what if we ended the year on a forward looking note, too?

I had dinner with friends in the Outer Richmond last weekend, and they were talking about all the cool restaurants they had tried in the Mission, and great experiences they had done across San Francisco. I realized that while I’ve lived in SF for a long time (almost five years now) I haven't really lived in the city to the max. There is a lot that I have left to do that I would regret not experiencing one day if I were no longer here.

This realization hit harder when I talked to a friend who spoke to how she moved out of Seattle, and what she did to feel like she had properly ‘closed’ the chapter when the time came: She mentioned that she had made a bucket list of things in the city she wanted to see and do before she moved.

I thought about how I haven't done that for San Francisco, and how one day I might regret not truly appreciating the city, regardless of whether or not I plan to leave. It's a place that has so much to do, and I've gotten a bit too comfortable staying in the neighborhood nearest to me.

So, as the year ends and work slows down, maybe it is the perfect time to reflect on what you want to experience in the coming year. Make a local bucket list that is ambitious but not overly overwhelming. It might be a great way to reenergize your friendships and fall back in love with where you live — whether you plan to leave or not. It's a great reminder to appreciate what’s not right outside your door, but still relatively close.

Mixing Things Up

A couple of weeks ago during Thanksgiving, I noticed an old Pendleton wool coat tucked away in Dylan’s home closet that I loved. It was a beautiful piece, and I got excited about bringing it back into our wardrobe rotation — both as something he owns, but also as something that I plan to steal quite frequently…haha. This isn’t the exact model, but it looks something like it…

I didn't know what the pattern was called then, to be frank. Fast forward to this week, and I happened to hear the term Buffalo Check in conversation at work, which I hadn't encountered before.

I did some digging, and it turns out Dylan’s coat was a true Buffalo Check plaid. I wanted to share a bit about the history of this pattern, which is characterized by its balanced grid of large, two-tone squares.

The story begins with various North American tribes, including the Cree and the Anishinaabe. To my understanding, natural dyes and woven techniques to craft the design were initially meant for blankets and some clothing. The pattern was practical because it made it easy to identify and mend any damage in the garment.

Eventually, in the 1850s, Woolrich Woolen Mill began producing buffalo-plaid shirts. Some legends online credit the name to the mill’s designer at the time owning a herd of buffalo.

Today, the versatility of the pattern allows it to be adapted into various colors and scales. While it may have originally been seen as a pattern with rustic charm it’s now a dominant fashion plaid used frequently - especially during the holiday season.

Sources: 1) The Timeless History and Creation of Buffalo Check: A Tale of Tradition and Style; 2) A Brief History of Buffalo Plaid