THE HATS IN 2001: A LINE IN THE SAND

Written: August 30, 2026

There is one thing a person can say that makes it hard to ever see them
the same way again. It’s sad, really. There shouldn’t be anything someone
can say that can never be taken back, but there are such words.

Words of hate. Words of ignorance. Words that reveal such a profound break
with reality that everyone around that person is suddenly forced to make
some very difficult decisions, possibly even cutting them out of their
lives forever.

When I hear something that crosses that line, I usually just close my eyes,
say a little prayer, and try to move on without thinking too much about
what was just lost. Maybe I revisit those emotions in a couple of months,
after time has begun to heal the wound.

But for me, there is one line in the sand that simply cannot be uncrossed.

If we are watching *2001: A Space Odyssey* and you look at the flight
attendants and ask, “What’s up with those hats?” I’m sorry, but we’re
done.

Those are not hats. Women had long hair in 1968. Hair floats in zero
gravity. If you cannot remember the existence of hair while watching
*2001*, then you and I have fundamentally incompatible worldviews and need
to begin separating our lives immediately.

I wish you nothing but the best.