All dressed for the office of days gone by.
We have only been lightly confined for a few weeks relatively speaking, so it seems almost incomprehensible when I see and hear in the news people of various ages and stripes complaining about one thing or another connected with self-quarantines, stay-at-home orders, or social distancing. How entitled and soft we have become in the decades since The Great Depression and WWII, when so many people around the world had to make do with far less for much longer and often under far worse circumstances. And that’s not even taking into consideration the sheer number of injuries and deaths endured by so many military personnel and civilians around the world between 1939-1945.
Oh, I get it. We’re disappointed if prom and graduation have been cancelled. We’re scared. We’re frustrated. In some instances, we disguise (we kid ourselves) our great anxiety behind politically charged bluster. We may have lost our jobs, or been furloughed. We may have already lost loved ones to Covid-19. There is a lot we don’t know and cannot predict with any certainty in the coming months.
But, if we are not already sick and fighting the virus in bed, we can control how well we are personally turned out each day even in the privacy of home and family. We can choose to exercise our respect for self and those around us. Little things like brushing our hair first thing in the morning, cleaning our teeth, shaving (if we don’t cultivate a beard and ‘stache), and tucking in our damn shirts might, just might work wonders for how we feel about ourselves, the world around us, and the stark choices now confronting us daily if we pay any attention to the news outside our front doors.
So, how about putting on some actual clothes before you come downstairs every morning? While I don't mean a suit and necktie necessarily, how about something a little higher up the evolutionary scale than sweats, flip-flops, cargo shorts, or those grubby boxers or sleep shorts that are almost transparent now because they're so old and well worn? You never know. Your nearest and dearest might appreciate not having to look at a walking, talking dirty laundry hamper from across the breakfast table as you shovel Cornflakes into your maw and barely stifle burps or worse.
If you're with me on this, how about donning a non-wrinkled dress shirt and sports jacket for that next Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting, hmmm? I can guarantee that your coworkers will enjoy NOT having to look at your bedhead, last night's sleepy dirt still in the corners of you eyes, or remaining egg residue from breakfast still on your face during that 3-4pm meeting.
A little self-respect and respect for others go a long way, guys. Two sides of the same coin, they help grease the wheels of life.
-- Heinz-Ulrich
Well said, Heinz-Ulrich. I could not agree more. While not everyone would want to wear a coat and tie every day, which I usually do, it costs nothing to make one's bed, shower and shave, comb one's hair, iron a shirt and tuck it in, etc. and it shows not only respect for others, but for oneself. Today I am actually in the office, and while there are only a couple of other people about, I'm wearing a navy blazer, Tattersall shirt, striped repp tie, gray flannels, argyle socks and cordovan penny loafers. Necessary? Of course not, but I feel better and at least it makes a change from the boring sea of T-shirts, denim and puffy athletic shoes I see everywhere.
ReplyDeleteGod bless, you Charlottesville! One cannot go wrong with a navy blazer and gray flannels.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
H-U