My Favorite Shirt | Teen Ink

My Favorite Shirt MAG

January 19, 2008
By Anonymous

Love. It’s a simple but overused word. I love you. I love this song! I absolutely loved that movie! The word doesn’t mean much anymore, not to most. Some people scoff at it. We throw it around like a used shirt, wearing it because it’s comfortable, safe, and secure, but never truly understanding why we have it. We lend it out, forget about it, and years later, we think, “Hey, I really liked that shirt.”

But do we care? No. It’s probably gone now, thrown away because of a rip or sold for $3 at a garage sale. We forget; it doesn’t matter after that.

Then we see the world fall apart. From the safety of our living rooms we watch amateur video on the news or Internet, and sometimes we feel so helpless and alone we’re not sure what to do. We cry for the inhumanity, scream for the injustice, and wonder why the world is this way. We think we can change the world; we know we want to help those who need it most … then we remember that T-shirt we threw out years ago.

We want it back; we fight and scramble for it. We go out and buy new shirts, try them on, but none seems to fit. We’ve lost it – we’ve lost love. We are unnerved for a bit; we sit alone and beat ourselves up for letting it go. Then we just we shrug it off. We say, “I’ll do it later” or “I’m too busy.” I’m guilty of it too: “I don’t have the right resources” or “I’m too young” or “No one will care.” And it seems as if no one does. With high school students only bent on the next party or who’s dating whom, you wonder if, in the end, their shirts were ever worn.

Is my generation going to save the world? We try, a small group of us, but our shirts are faded among the bright colors of greed and the everyday and the wanting. We are pushed into the background. We try to push our way through the crowds, and we truly wonder: where has the love gone?

I don’t want my love to fade; though my shirt is tattered and worn, I wear it daily. I am honest and open, and when I say that simple, dead, four-letter word, I mean it. I know I’ve made mistakes with it in the past and I almost threw my shirt away; I carry it carefully now. It’s close to my heart, where it’s meant to be. I do lend it out every once in a while – I let those who need it try it on and feel the safety that I feel. I leave them pieces when I go, but my shirt never seems to tear. It stays just as simple as it ever was.

When the time comes, I will stand alone in this world and stare into the eyes of those with the shirts of greed and want and lust, and I will know that even though mine is not the most beautiful shirt in the crowd, it’s among the best.



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This article has 258 comments.


on Jun. 15 2012 at 6:26 pm
believe@faith BRONZE, RosharonTexas, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Time is like a river.
You cannot touch the same water twice,
because the flow that has passed will never pass again....
enjoy everyday of life"

Love has faded away..... Where is it?

on Jun. 15 2012 at 6:24 pm
believe@faith BRONZE, RosharonTexas, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Time is like a river.
You cannot touch the same water twice,
because the flow that has passed will never pass again....
enjoy everyday of life"

Love the symbolism, comparison, and imagery you use to compare "love" with a t- shirt :) nice

Therese GOLD said...
on May. 10 2012 at 10:34 am
Therese GOLD, Thayer, Missouri
16 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I cry a tear in the ocean. The day you find it will be the day i stop missing you."

That was amazing! I loved it!

on May. 9 2012 at 11:35 pm
writer@heart16, Henderson, Nevada
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about." "I'm the author of my life and unfortunately, I'm writing in pen." "Who would I be without myself?" "The rest is still unwritten..."

All I have to say: Wow. This was incredible. I especially liked this part: "Is my generation going to save the world? We try, a small group of us, but our shirts are faded among the bright colors of greed and the everyday and the wanting. We are pushed into the background. We try to push our way through the crowds, and we truly wonder: where has the love gone?" It really hit home with me. Please write more!!!

irishlass317 said...
on May. 1 2012 at 11:12 pm
irishlass317, Jefferson City, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 134 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I asked Jesus 'How much do you love me?' He answered 'This much.' And He streched out His arms and died."

Oh my goodness, this is amazing!!! You did such a beautiful job writing this, and i completely agree.  <3

on Apr. 29 2012 at 2:54 pm
AcrossTheUniverse BRONZE, Hondo, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 60 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Go confidentally in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've always imagined." -Thoreau

Well written, meaningful, and beautiful.

on Apr. 24 2012 at 11:50 pm
TheDoubtMachine BRONZE, Mumbai, Other
4 articles 1 photo 10 comments
Rightly said! "Love" is used very casually in today's age and by the end, it turns into a worn out fetter. Incapable of producing happiness or content in us.

on Apr. 18 2012 at 9:39 pm
Fran333 PLATINUM, Santa Ana, Other
26 articles 17 photos 93 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you're unwilling to be aware of the darkness, you cannot see the light."

I totally agree! ...but know although there may be few, there are other people who do care as much about love, there are others who too share the true knowledge of love. although you may feel like you are the only one, know, you will not stand alone <3

on Apr. 18 2012 at 7:19 pm
andie520 SILVER, Westminster, Colorado
7 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Anderson, don't talk outloud. You're lowering the IQ of the entire block."
-Sherlock

I REALLY enjoyed this article. I cant wait to read your next piece!! Write on!!

on Apr. 8 2012 at 6:54 pm
FlyByNight BRONZE, Spokane, Washington
3 articles 8 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be not foolish, O my soul, and do not let the tumult of your vanity deafen the ear of your heart. Be attentive, O sons of men, how long will you be so slow of heart? Even now, after Life itself has come down to you, will you not ascend and live?..."

I think this is AMAZING, but perhaps you could somehow define what real love is....

MellyBelly said...
on Mar. 23 2012 at 2:00 pm
MellyBelly, Winnipeg, Other
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life is short but not too short so make the most out of it.

This is really great!

Olliegh said...
on Mar. 13 2012 at 6:05 pm
I sent this article to my friends as soon as I was done reading it. Beautiful job, you could be a professional :) This may be the best article I have ever read on TeenInk

on Mar. 5 2012 at 7:40 pm
suzyqgirl777 GOLD, Dacula, Georgia
15 articles 6 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
I regret nothing.

this is so absolutely amazing. keep it up and write on!!

aakel BRONZE said...
on Mar. 5 2012 at 4:30 pm
aakel BRONZE, Mayfield, Ohio
3 articles 1 photo 10 comments
Absolutely amazing writing. You took an overworn idea and made it new. Simply extravagant. keep writing!

on Feb. 20 2012 at 1:25 pm
Hopelessinlove, Joplin, Missouri
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"We are all a little weird and life is a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Dr. Suess.

Wow I never thought of love like a worn shirt, I really liked it.

on Feb. 8 2012 at 11:11 pm
hanna.fofanna BRONZE, Wasilla, Alaska
1 article 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes str

Wow.... this was amazing! You'rea very talented writer and I love how you corrdinated a shirt with love... It's great!

Destiny2 said...
on Feb. 6 2012 at 9:16 am
Destiny2, Doha, Other
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new". Albert Einstein

This is literally amazing! I think you should totally continue writing!!! I love how you are clever to fit the concept "love" in overused things such as what you compared, a "shirt".

on Feb. 5 2012 at 12:40 pm
austenite77 GOLD, Appleton, Wisconsin
13 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
Die my dear? Why that's the last thing I'll do

This is beautiful, and clever. I can't say my t-shirts bright and beautiful, or that anyone's ever seen it before. I think I keep my t-shirt under a sweater, so no one can see it.

on Jan. 21 2012 at 7:06 pm
My shirt has only been worn once and didn't last very long. But after reading this, I'll know to always keep the next one I get. Beautiful.

EmmaRae26 said...
on Jan. 13 2012 at 3:30 pm
This Almsot Made Me Cry Cause I Just Went Threw A Bad Break Up, This Is So Amazingly Good, You Have A Future In Writing!