The power of one cap
The power of one cap.
Caps as part of our dresses are one of the most significant touches, because they not only complement and complete dressing, but they are also by nature some sort of signatures, given the human figure, and more likely seen quickly.
On a recent trip, I wore a cap associated with northern Nigeria, and, in most places, I got to, I got referred to as Mallam, Alfa, Aboki etc. By the way, I made a new friend who still refers to me as Alfa due to one such experience.
This experience was amusing as well as intriguing, because I am not from Northern Nigeria, although I have lived most my life around the North. I am comfortable with being called those names since I am used to it even among family.
However, I also noted that my dress was Yoruba with a contemporary Timberland shoe, yet it was my cap that made the difference. Can it then be said that I can be many things, yet only one thing creates a more lasting perception. If perception is truly reality, then what can we say — one cap is indeed powerful.
In one of those instances with my cap, due to the location, those who called me Mallam, Alfa, Aboki etc. were by and large uneducated or so I think because of the environment of our meeting. However, even seeming educated persons gave in to such façade as well when in a metropolitan city, I was mistaken for someone from the North. Thank God that I understand at least two (major) northern languages.
But as I conclude this brief musing, I realise that I can change people’s perception of me by wearing just one cap. If I can do it consistently for many days and it becomes a habit, no matter what or who I am, that cap will be my defining identity.
As my closing thought — one cap woven by one in a small community somewhere largely unknown redefined one’s identity in a cosmopolitan city. One can change many. One can make a difference.
Cap Credit: Workorlor.com
