I Run These Towns

Contrary to popular belief I am not opposed to casual attire. When I'm done with work or socializing or errands or anything that has me in front of other humans, it's about 2.3 seconds before I'm in pajama pants, a t-shirt and my hair in a headband. I love to be scrubby around my house. I also think casual has its place in the world for casual events: lunch, running errands, hanging out with friends. Where I have problems is what casual means and why we've gotten to a place where people dress like total slobs in public. Stop the madness. Let's talk about one that should be easy: the casual workplace. I HATE the casual workplace, and the only reason I hate it is because humans can't be trusted to dress responsibly. (Please note I'm referring only to the corporate/business workplace. Obviously there are lots of jobs where one does not or should not dress in a suit.) A few weeks ago Forbes published an article titled "Why You Should Dress 25 Percent Bet...

I'm convinced that terrible things almost always happen on beautiful days. Obviously there are exceptions, but maybe when something awful happens and you walk outside into a beautiful day it hurts a little less. Maybe it makes one appreciate life a little more. I'm not sure. While watching 9/11 coverage last weekend I was reminded of how achingly perfect that morning was. A few years ago I blogged about a death in my dearest friend's family, again happening on a stunningly perfect day. It's been 11 months since I lost my dad. When he was in the hospital for a week before his surgery, the weather was flawless. The day of his surgery and days after were cold and rainy, but I don't really remember them. When I think back to that awful time nearly a year ago I think of those brilliant days before he had surgery. This photo of my dad and my son in his last healthy days makes me lose it every time.  I am a lot like my dad in many ways, and one of them is to not d...