The Blue Suit has been looking for meaning in his life. He has come to a place where, like the famous French philosophers of the 20th Century, he now understands that life is beautiful, that life is precious, but that life doesn’t add up to anything if it has no meaning.
In other words, he has come to an existential place in his life where he no longer wishes to do what he’s been doing, or going where he doesn’t want to go and failing to see what he wants to see and frankly, what exactly can a cloth suit do but be worn by someone else?
My late mother would have said to the Blue Suit: “You’re thinking too much about yourself. You’ve got to stop that or you’ll go crazy. You must never forget, you are a cloth suit and a cloth suit is just that, a cloth suit.”
The Blue Suit rejects such thinking. He thinks of himself as more than just a cloth suit – and he likes to think he has proven this to his many fans in this city since he first came into the Everett spot lite several years ago.
The Blue Suit loves the spot lite. When he travels around Everett and he is either applauded or asked for an autograph by virtual strangers meeting him for the first time he is always amazed and humbled.
I’ve never known a cloth suit with such a deep and abiding sense of humility and self-worth.
After all, what cloth suit in this entire nation is as well-known as Everett’s Blue Suit or wears his fame (no pun intended) better than him?
Maybe some of the clown like suits worn by Hollywood’s Harry Styles have a greater passing effect on millions of younger people following Hollywood stars but in Everett, more people know the Blue Suit than a star like Harry Styles.
The Blue Suit laments that so many people ask him so many questions he cannot answer or does not wish to talk about that it makes traversing the city difficult for him at times.
“Crowds of people stop me everywhere. I can’t walk through Everett Square anymore without being mobbed,” he explained. “For the most part I am a very happy cloth suit,” he told me. “Despite all the wear and tear I’ve experienced over the years, I’ve had a great run, quite unlike any other cloth suit ever stitched together in the history of off the rack clothing,” he said with pride to me Tuesday morning after picking him up on Elm Street.
Driving down Elm Street in my Lexus side by side with the Blue Suit we nearly always feel comfortable.
Both of us enjoy what is familiar. It is the unknown we have questions about. Everyone has questions, we believe, about the unknown.
Several new building projects, especially the Elm Street Market property have given the street a new bit of added luster.
“Pull over, please,” the Blue Suit commanded.
I stopped the car by a group of people leaving the Elm Street Market. Traffic had to go around us as there is nowhere to park on Elm Street on the market side of the street.
The Blue Suit exited my car.
Shoppers carrying their bags filled with groceries surrounded him immediately.
“Oh my God. It’s really him. What a thing to be meeting the Blue Suit,” an older woman exclaimed.
An older man placed his hand on the Blue Suit’s shoulder.
“I know how tough it has been for you at times. Being a cloth suit, an older cloth suit, is not an easy thing.”
The Blue suit nodded his head.
“Thank you my friends,” he replied to the handful of Everett residents surrounding him on the sidewalk on Elm Street.
Several drivers passing by blew their horns and gave hearty waves and shouts. One driver shot a stiff arm with a clenched fists out the window: “Hey, Blue Suit! Love you guy!” he said.
The Blue Suit gave him a wave and a clenched fist in the air in return.
“Life isn’t easy for any of us, is it?” he asked the small group of shoppers crowding around him.
“You’re right about that, brother,”a younger shopper named Buddy said to him.
“Can I have your autograph, please?” he asked the Blue Suit.
“Of course you can, my man. It is my pleasure. Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?” he asked.
The shopper handed the Blue Suit a pad and pen.
The Blue Suit wrote this to his admirer in perfect script, with a flair for writing in perfect script exhibited by the late, legendary Speaker of the House from Everett George Keverian who wrote with a Mont Blanc gold tipped pen in perfect cursive.
“Nothing pleases me more than to be surrounded by my admirers. It means a lot to me. With my best wishes, the Blue Suit.”
The kid looked at the message and the signature. He showed it to the shoppers standing around him.
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.
“The Blue Suit is good people. Where in this world can you find a cloth suit that signs autographs!” one of the older shoppers blurted out.
“Only in Everett!” he added.
The small group of shoppers disappeared from sight as we pulled away.
“You’re pretty pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” I asked the Blue Suit.
He responded with unpardonable pride.
“You better believe it, Josh,” he answered.
“No one’s asking you for your autograph, are they, Josh?”