Ties

There is a debate in my office around the applicability, value-add, sense, morality and use of a tie. A neck-tie to be precise...

To me, it is the only bastion of male fashion differentiation left on this planet. Let's face it, every suit is the same - blue or black mainly, but some grey ones out there. Shirts are fairly standard unless you want to attract a swarm of bees (or worse - birds) on your lunch break walk. And who looks at your shoes... really?!?

To some, the tie exudes a sense of professionalism, decency and a working attitude. Professionals wear ties. They convey that you are trustworthy, upstanding and worthy of respect. Why? I am not sure, but I know that there aren't many people who are the opposite of that wearing ties. Not to say that absence of evidence implies truth, that would be a foolhardy error to make. After all... bankers and lawyers wear ties.

To others, ties are a ball and chain. A sign of oppression by a manager over a worker - like school uniform - a way to be told that you are just like everyone else. It may be that ties are uncomfortable to some people, however it is rare that a tie is uncomfortable... people just need bigger shirt collars. Ties are also a link to the past. A past of Taylorist managers and workers - metrics, accountants and the world of non-creatives... juxtaposed against the 21st century world of the twitterati with foursquare and facebook - ties seem so last millenium.

Ties are also appropriate in certain scenarios (weddings, funerals and the like) where a lack of a tie may be disrespectful. Ties bring a sense of decorum perhaps, solemnity and dignity to an occasion or event.

Consider perhaps that the tie, in this most modern of times, has been devalued for the wrong reasons: School children who have to master quadratics but cannot master a Windsor knot; weddings and corporate black tie events that often turn into late night revellry for some, boring hand-shaking for others and embarrassment for a hopefully smaller portion (P45's for a few too!); interviews and sales meetings only bring feelings of anxiety, nervousness and sweaty palms. And I needn't mention emotions and funerals.

I don't think the tie is dead. I think it is alive and well - just surviving quietly. It's fallen out of favour, like the fashion item that it is... but likely all fashion items (including neon leg-warmers and puffer jackets) it will make a return. Maybe not like it exists now... but after all what started as a cravat, gained popularity as a tie.

Progress of life without a smartphone

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Life without a smartphone?

An interesting thing happened to me, well several interesting things happened actually, that have made me think about mobile connectivity, my life and mobile connectivity's intrusion into my life. Like most things, it took an observation of someone else's life for me to realise my own behaviours and habits were becoming quite anti-social to say the least.

Firstly, I observed a middle aged couple board the train to Gatwick on Christmas Eve 2010. After boarding the train and him taking out both BlackBerry and iPhone, a "conversation" ensued something like the following:

Him [whilst face in smartphone]: Jeff says the heating is broken...

Her: Tell him to call and get it fixed. He's a handyman isn't he?

Him [whilst face in smartphone]: I will email him instead... [starts email]

Him [whilst face in smartphone]: It's easier, the connection may drop on the train...

... [a short time passes] ...

Her: Shoot, I know what I forgot...

Him [whilst face in smartphone]: What's that?

Her: My iPod touch, oh well.

Him [whilst face in smartphone]: You only have some music on there, what else to do need it for?

Her: There are some games, it's just something to do when you are ignoring me.

Wow. Just wow. Well summarised Mrs 11:47AM Southern Service from CLJ to LGW.

The second such observation, this time with a friend of mine - has been bugging me for a while, but seeing as though it is such "normal" behaviour, I suppose I tolerated, in fact even copied... but he is constantly engrossed in his iPhone. Morning, noon and night. I enjoyed conversations with him - now he's here, but not here. Where? I don't know.

But I find myself doing the same... it pains me.

So on Friday, I sent myself to the Vodafone store... and bought a new non-smartphone. Here goes life without a smartphone.