No grand resolutions for the new year? Then how about the goal of finding small pleasures in the 'physical' everyday for the coming twelve months? Here are just a few suggestions:
1) Wear a suit once or twice per week -- even if or when you don't HAVE to -- simply to enjoy the pleasure of tailored clothing. It makes no sense to leave items like these hanging in the closet except for the odd wedding, funeral, or, ahem, court date. And hey, even a sports jacket or navy blazer, when combined with a pair of odd pants a couple of times per week is a nice habit to cultivate. The point is, learn to wear and enjoy the nice things we have as part of the weekly routine.
2) Same thing with a fine necktie. Most of us do not necessarily have to wear one anymore, but most neckties are lovely things and will almost always garner favorable comments. And if your collar size and knot are done right, it's not uncomfortable.
3) Go the extra distance. Learn to tie and wear a bow tie once a week. Shock! Horror! Gasp! Yep, I said it. But you know what? I've never heard a negative thing said to me when I've done so. Quite the contrary in fact. Go on. It's actually kind of fun to put your best foot forward and present your best side to the rest of the world. And it certainly will have a positive effect on how strangers and acquaintances react to and interact with you.
4) Find quiet joy in the zen of pressing a dress shirt the evening before you'll wear it. It's an oddly relaxing and satisfying activity in which you are alone with your thoughts as you smooth out the wrinkles. And if you're lucky, your mind will go blank for a few minutes as you work, a welcome break from the constant barrage of pablum masquerading as so called "information" thrown at us in the 21st century.
5) Take pleasure in caring for your dress shoes by taking 30-60 minutes to moisturize and polish them. Another oddly peaceful activity that brings about quiet satisfaction as you restore the patina, luster, and shine to a pair. Don't see the point? Consider this. We occasionally repaint our houses, wash our cars, and take care of other domestic duties to keep things in presentable working order. You know. In the name of routine maintenance. Dress shoes too are an investment, so it makes good sense to apply the same practice to them. [And don't forget to dress the edges of your soles too!].
6) Pick up and read an actual book for 30 to 60 minutes before turning out the bedside lamp for the day. Print materials get short shrift these days, but there is something wonderful about the feel and aroma of a physical book in your hands. Doesn't matter if it's novel, non-fiction, a collection of poetry, or one of short stories. Our minds have the chance to slow down and work in a different way when we are not looking at a screen of some kind. I'd even argue that this is a necessary and good thing in the throes of the digital age. To borrow an idea from my parent's generation, maybe we should tune in, turn on, and drop out. . . From the steady diet of digitized drivel that counts for entertainment in 2024.
7) Try a new type of food. Variety is the spice of life after all, and it's nice to have something else now and again besides canned soup, frozen pizza, and microwavable meals. How about branching out and trying one new thing a week. And before anyone thinks I mean going out frequently to a restaurant, nothing could be further from the truth. You don't need to blow through your bank account balance and upset the household budget for the month through careless extravagance. But here's a radical idea to consider. How about learning to cook something besides chicken breasts, hamburgers, and steaks on an overly priced propane grill during the summer? Plan your menu(s) and purchase accordingly. Persian, Indian, or East African cuisines anyone? Typically healthy, incredibly tasty, and a feast for the eyes when presented well.
8) Take a daily walk around the neighborhood either solo, or with that someone special. Some of the nicest conversations can result, and you'll always notice plenty of things to remark on in the moment, or to bring up later. Birds you observe. Sounds you hear. People you meet. The delight of light mist of snow in your face, depending on climate and season. Or simply the pleasure of each other's company as you walk along in silence for a few minutes. Like ironing and shining one's shoes, a daily walk also clears the mind in a way that many other activities, so typical of 21st century life, do not.
9) Endeavor to learn something new each week. Doesn't matter what that might be, but the point is to keep your mind open, active, and develop yourself in the process as a matter of routine. Self-improvement does not necessarily need to come through formal education remember. Rather, there is a great deal we can learn and achieve through self-awareness and conscious intent. Ideally, that ongoing cultivation of self will turn into a lifelong pursuit, and help to make us more interesting, informed individuals in the process. And that's not a bad thing.
10) Stimulate your mind further by taking a up a new hobby. And I don't mean mindlessly surfing the internet or thumbing through Instagram on your newest iPhone. Again, the world, as small as it sometimes seems, is nevertheless still a vast and fascinating place. There are all kinds of positive activities to take up, learn, and perfect that were around long before the advent of the desktop PC, Apple, and the Internet. How about picking up that long dormant interest again, whatever it might be, after a long period of inactivity? Learn or resume playing a musical instrument. Learn a new language. Take a stab at some kind of creative endeavor (painting, sculpting, writing). Tie flies for fly-fishing. Become informed about and collect Chinese vases, Colonial (American) pewter pieces, or German coinage pre-unification (1871). The list of possibilities is endless.
With all of these, the overarching New Year's wish (suggestion?) for 2024 from Classic Style is for us to slow down, notice, and enjoy the little things that can introduce moments of joy into our lives, and which we might otherwise overlook during the crazy, out of control, and, in some instances, just downright unpleasant age in which we live. The small, quiet pleasures nevertheless remain all around us. We just just need to "see" them. Sound good?
-- Heinz-Ulrich
All excellent advice, Heinz-Ulrich. If readers follow your suggestions, they will present a relaxed, well read, and much better dressed face to the world. I wish a delightful 2024 to you and the entire population of the Grand Duchy.
ReplyDeleteThese are all excellent resolutions for the new year. I especially like the idea of reading a real book (not a Kindle, not social media) before bed. Besides the subject matter, I appreciate an old hardcover with signature bound pages, just something about holding a real book in my hands that's so special - although I once took that for granted because of how commonplace it was before the ubiquitous screens.
ReplyDeleteA blazer and a tie for church, and an OCBD and wool sweater, with loafers for errands around town rounds out the old school approach for me. That and actually producing something, such as artwork, in my spare time rather than being intravenously hooked up to social media all the time, as part of a resolution to work on my own projects and talents vs. following the Borg with wonder - to paraphrase an ancient text.