Credit: Jesse Davis
monster shirts
Cool as your classic monster T-shirt is, it's probably not going to be appreciated by your toddler nephew.
My sister, brother-in-law, and three-year-old nephew moved to Memphis recently. Well, I say “recently,” but they’ve been in the Bluff City for a few months now. Long enough for more than a few dinners and game nights and walks along the Greenline. I’m still getting used to it, though.
One area that’s taken some adjusting is wardrobe. When I had to pack a bag to go visit them in Martin for a few days, I made sure to pick out appropriate things to wear. Now listen, it’s not that I’m wearing anything X-rated, but ever since I saw King Kong at The Orpheum’s Summer Movie Series when I was 6 years old, I’ve been a devout fan of old-school monster movies. That affinity is reflected in my T-shirt selection. There’s nothing gory, but even a hot pink and neon green depiction of Boris Karloff as the titular monster from The Mummy is a heavy trip to lay on a 3 year old. As I found out last week.
After I arrived ready for dinner, some picture book perusing, and maybe a rousing game of “we’re butterflies being chased by a spider” (don't ask me — I didn't make it up), my sister said something that brought me up short. The first words out of her mouth were: “Jesse, what the heck are you wearing?” To which I responded, “Boris Karloff as The Mummy, but it’s really bright and colorful, see? It’s not too scary is it?”
I paused before adding, “I changed out of my Creature from the Black Lagoon shirt.”
“You went from R to PG-13,” she said, “but he’s three.”
Whether thanks are owed to the brightly hued panels of the shirt in question or the natural distractedness of toddlers, I can’t say, but my nephew didn’t seem too frightened by my admittedly ill-chosen shirt. He did give it a few long, hard looks though.
This whole uncle thing is still pretty new to me. I’ve made some mistakes, but luckily wearing a monster-themed T-shirt and dramatically overestimating the distance a toddler can comfortably walk on the Greenline are the worst of them. It’s a nice reminder, though, that almost everything is still new to my nephew. Most games, experiences, and social interactions really are his first rodeo. Especially the latter, after more than a year of staying home or playing while masked and outdoors. So if he loses his grip over some new experience, how can I blame him? I remind myself that I’m 31 years older than him and still didn’t have the sense to go visit him without wearing bonafide nightmare fuel. It's a helpful reminder to be patient while he discovers how to navigate different situations.
In the meantime, if you need me, I’ll be shopping for some less-frightening shirts. Maybe something with a dinosaur on it?