The Clothes We Wear

A story keeps popping up on my Facebook page about a guy who wore a Polo shirt to a meeting that the President of the United States attended as well.

I am frequently upset at the ugliness blasted by various personages toward the office of the president. These people mean disrespect to the current office holder, but they are also disrespecting the office and the position when they do that.

President George W. Bush was not my favorite president, but I was never disrespectful in my comments toward him. Because no matter how much I may disagree with the holder of the office, the person is still the President of the United States. And while we have no monarchies and we're all supposed to be equal, let's face it - that office, the person holding the title, whomever he or she may be, deserves our respect and politeness.

The poor fellow in the Polo shirt thought he was going to an auditorium full of other people, apparently, and did not realize he was having a one-on-one meeting with the President of the United States.

What would I wear to meet the President of the United States in a one-on-one? Well, nothing in my closet. I would have to go out and purchase something, as I do not own anything I consider nice enough. I would, I think, want a nice business-suit like skirt and jacket, with a bit of a frilly blouse, perhaps, preferably in black. Hose, of course, and new shoes, too. Because of my terrible ankles and flat feet, I would have to go with some kind of nice dress flat, I suppose, as opposed to heels. Heels would be better, though.

My husband would wear either a business suit or perhaps his dress blues from the fire department. I love the look of his dress blues so I would probably encourage him to wear those. I think he has earned the right to wear those in front of someone important.

Of course, now if I were going to a big crowd of people to hear the President of the United States speak, then I have things in my closet that would be okay. Skirts and blouses, or even nice pantsuits. So I understand how the guy in the Polo shirt ended up underdressed in a meeting with the President of the United States since he thought he was going into a big auditorium and not having a one-on-one discussion.

What I don't understand is (a) why it matters so much that it keeps coming across my Facebook page and (b) if it does matter so much, then why are all of these other slights and disrespectful comments not as important as wearing a Polo shirt to a meeting.

Because frankly, I hear and read comments about the current President of the United States that are appalling. Ill-mannered doesn't even begin to cover it. They are beyond disrespectful - the comments are mean, hateful, bigoted, and racist. These people have turned the sanctity of the office into a farce, and I don't know how the next President of the United States, whoever that might be, can begin to bring the décor and honor back to the office title.

We are no longer a polite society, if we ever were one. I'm afraid we reached the pinnacle of the current incarnation of humans some time ago and we're on a downhill slope now, one that will end with our doom as we destroy ourselves. It begins with me, when I don't hold the door open for a little old lady (though I normally am a very polite person) and it ends with the push of a button that sends missiles and bombs raining down on nations.

I don't see it as a stretch, really, to go from a Polo shirt to total annihilation. I think we're almost there as it is.