Attention Inventory: Gramicci lore, cowboy keychains, elite gifts

5 things I didn’t mean to notice this month

This month is… a bit of a mess. A late-July soup of restless energy and half-decided choices; I’m between cities, between commitments, and mostly unbothered by the lull. (Last night I laughed for a half hour, repeating, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business,” and honestly, that about sums it up.)

Lest my brain rot get the best of me, here’s a loose accounting of what’s been occupying the corners; 5 things I didn’t exactly mean to notice, but did anyway.

The original Gramicci clothing catalogues

1. Spiritual Swag

Michael’s worn these Gramicci pants for years. I’ve recently come around and have been wearing these repeatedly. On paper, yes they are for rock climbing. But actually…quite good!

I knew vaguely that the brand had roots in California climbing culture, but I fully submerged into its history as an extension of the Stonemasters: 1970s free climbers inflicted with New Age philosophy, worshipping Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee and LSD. They also had very different style from the gearheads of the time, wearing painter’s pants and headbands and generally just being cool; the name “Gramicci” was a fake Italian moniker for Mike Graham, one of the founders.

It led me to an oral history that I’ve been thinking about, especially this bit on what it means to belong to something: “The Stonemasters were a pretty gracious group. That’s not to say that we weren’t arrogant—because we were—but it wasn’t arrogant in reference to other people. It was just arrogant because you were part of something and it was cool.” – quoting John Long, who arrived at Yosemite in 1969 at age 16

a compelling title

2. Bring Books

An elite gift idea: a weird, used book from a thrift store or estate sale. The stranger and more specific, the better. Ideally from a library sale or in the free pile at the thrift store.

Four more I’d recommend: