A bit of history:
For awhile now, at work I felt that I was perhaps being less formal than I should be for a professional environment. Of course, there were challenges. I work in a hospital as a Environmental Services Supervisor. (think Custodial, then the one who is the supervisor for them) In the years I have been in this position i have had various times that I wore a long tie, and had several problems with it on those days. The challenge I have is that unlike some other supervisory positions, there are times that the need is such that I need to jump in and help do some of the work with my employees. Mopping a floor, or scrubbing a toilet is not conducive to wearing a long tie simply because you cannot simply bend over a toilet to clean it or put a rag in a disinfectant solution without the risk of your tie falling in the water as well. When you are picking up recycling bags and throwing them in a bin, it can get in the way, or get soiled. So what was the solution?
After some consideration, and thinking about it I decided that in order to dress more professionally, and to be functional (as much a consideration to me as anything else) that an easy solution would be to wear a bow tie. While at one time a source of respectability, it had for a time fallen into the realm of ridicule.To me it said a couple of things: I was willing to wear a tie, and dress more professionally, I am willing to do so in a way that despite some silliness stands out, and lastly I want to care more about my appearance and wearing a tie helps aide that.
All that said, on the morning of December 6th, I wore my first self tied bow tie. Although it was a bit frustrating at first to tie, now, 11 days later, I can do them pretty well. It has changed my life in a couple of ways, and now at this point, I am interested to see just how well I can keep it up. Ties, and specifically Bow Ties are a way to touch base with what it is to be an adult man. Just like shaving with a safety razor, or straight razor, it is a part of our heritage, and one that it is hard not to feel is being lost. Call it a practice that is being justified by a theoretical ideal if you must, but to me that is how it is.
So why self tied?
Anything else is cheating. Of course I have worn bow ties with a tuxedo, and never though anything bad about it, but there is something to tying it yourself, and having it look all the better for it. It takes some work, you have to learn a new skill, (as simple it is in retrospect) but to me there is pride in knowing that I did it, rather than having it on a string that you simply hook together.
So what have the results been?
In the last 11 days I have been called: the professor, as well as several people commenting on the fact that I am "dressed up" even though the only real change is the tie. I have noticed people being more friendly, though I suppose that could be tied to simply feeling better, so may or may not be directly tied. Now that the novelty of it has warn down some it is starting to become something that I simply do in the morning, rather than something new and cool, but I feel better about things since I started. This may turn into an annual thing wearing a bow tie every day for a time, all the next year. Who knows, but I do know that I like it, and to me, it is neat to e embarking on something a tad different.
