The sound of a bell begins it all. The screaming children, the rustling papers, the smell of inspiration, the temptation of the fire alarm--school has begun for another year. And yet despite my tireless preparation within my classroom and mind for the coming months of baldness-inducing stress and turmoil, I have surrendered to the fact that I am as ready (and as unready) as I will ever be.
However, I must confess that such preparation has been an unbelievably eye-opening experience for me in the realm of essentials. It seems every day of preparation must inevitably end with yet another paper filled with "must get"'s and "desperately need"'s. And while my mind now consistently aches at the constant listing of possible supplies for every conceivable scenario, my absolute favorite part of this ordeal has been the acquisition of my own personal desk in my classroom. To be honest...it's beautiful, with drawers and holders, and even a CEO chair that tilts back and swivles--an utterly meaningless and disdainfully self-important feature that I would never have missed but now seem to find it incomprehensible to ever be without. It has everything. Or so I thought. You see over the past few days I've had the opportunity to recollect all I've ever been told to always have handy at the office (or classroom) in your desk. Of these epiphanies, I've narrowed it down to the three I believe to be the most commonly forgotten and overlooked essentials for every gentleman's desk drawer:
I've observed this little piece of advice everywhere from GQ to MadMen, and it makes so much sense the great apes have been at it for years. Keep a spare dress shirt in your desk for those Tuesday Sloppy Joe lunches or that hellishly scorching July afternoon when your air conditioning goes out minutes before a meeting.
Senile Boss? Narcissistic cubicle mate? Parent-Teacher Conference? Keep the tea or coffee along with a giant value sized bottle of aspirin in close range. It might be the sole savior of your career.
To be honest, until recently I'd have given myself a deliberate paper cut for suggesting such a notion. Thank you notes? As a gentleman? The idea seemed absolutely dripping with juvenile femininity. And yet upon finding some unbelievably refined stationary left over in my desk this week from my predecessor, I decided to skip the standard and lifeless e-mail option and opt for a more traditional, hand written approach. I loved it. And upon further research into the idea, I stumbled upon several sites for refined men that unashamedly condoned and encouraged the nearly extinct art of a hand-written thank you. A true gentleman understands the science of appreciation should be done in the same refined manner as everything else and should keep the tools for doing so close at hand. And I mean, as long as they're in my desk, I might as well use them...
I always believe in a good thank you card. I talk about it non-stop, and I´m certainly glad to see another advocate!
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