I had an interesting conversation with a young colleague of mine today and thought I’d share it with you. The topic was handkerchiefs and his, undoubtedly correct, view that they are unhygienic versus my view that they still have a valuable role to play in modern society.
To set the scene, I am currently stuffed up with cold. My nose is either dribbling or my sinuses are blocked and my head is aching – the change from one state to the other is quick and unpredictable.
To add to the joy, there’s been the sneezing, the coughing, the phlegm and the sore throat. The end of my nose is now pink and sore and my voice sounds decidedly nasally. To be honest I am not feeling great, although at least I feel better than I did yesterday (when I felt really lousy).
Yesterday was a three handkerchief day and today, so far, is two. Just in case you aren’t sure what I was getting at with that last point, let me make it clear – gruesomely clear!
My body is producing snot at such a prodigious rate that yesterday two handkerchiefs were sodden with mucus and needed to be retired in order that a third could be pressed to the end of my hooter.
Yuck eh! I hope you’re not eating whilst reading this post.
The thing about a damp snot rag is that there gets to be a critical point where you don’t want to put it back in your pocket because it will start to make your trouser pocket damp too. Double yuck!
Back to my young colleague’s reservations - he is as good as half my age and perhaps slightly squeamish. He has not grown up in the world where dads and granddads routinely produced a handkerchief from their pockets on any occasion as a mop for any bodily fluid or spillage.
In my day, one’s authority figures could fashion handkerchiefs into impromptu bandages or could tie knots to turn them into useful head wear. My view; the old snot rag is a multi-purpose and essential accessory for the man about town – it’s not like you can a use Swiss army knife to blow your nose or keep the sun off your bald patch!
My colleague has a view that wiping your new snot from your face in the older snot you produced earlier is grim, and when I write it like that, I get where he is coming from.
I have no idea if his views are shared by his peers as there aren’t many junior twentysomethings in my social circle. Maybe handkerchiefs are for just for old people these days and not the young and trendy types.
In discussing the value of the lowly cotton square, I reflected that handkerchiefs had resided in my pockets from the point when I was old enough to have pockets of my own.
In the Baldwin world, I am relied upon to produce a handkerchief at a moment’s notice and the wife and kids have been known to express real dissatisfaction on the few occasions when I have failed to meet expectations.
Handkerchiefs have been a staple gift option throughout my life. I’ll admit that when I was young, I saw them as a rubbish present but for years now I have been of the age where I’ll receive them with gratitude.
Handkerchiefs are practical, reusable and they don’t cause trees to be cut down either so are good for the environment – on the downside, I acknowledge they may well spread germs.
Me; I’ll stick with them. My young colleague was snot swayed by my promotional arguments.
You are of course entitled to your own opinion – feel free to share it if you like.
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To set the scene, I am currently stuffed up with cold. My nose is either dribbling or my sinuses are blocked and my head is aching – the change from one state to the other is quick and unpredictable.
To add to the joy, there’s been the sneezing, the coughing, the phlegm and the sore throat. The end of my nose is now pink and sore and my voice sounds decidedly nasally. To be honest I am not feeling great, although at least I feel better than I did yesterday (when I felt really lousy).
Yesterday was a three handkerchief day and today, so far, is two. Just in case you aren’t sure what I was getting at with that last point, let me make it clear – gruesomely clear!
My body is producing snot at such a prodigious rate that yesterday two handkerchiefs were sodden with mucus and needed to be retired in order that a third could be pressed to the end of my hooter.
Yuck eh! I hope you’re not eating whilst reading this post.
The thing about a damp snot rag is that there gets to be a critical point where you don’t want to put it back in your pocket because it will start to make your trouser pocket damp too. Double yuck!
Back to my young colleague’s reservations - he is as good as half my age and perhaps slightly squeamish. He has not grown up in the world where dads and granddads routinely produced a handkerchief from their pockets on any occasion as a mop for any bodily fluid or spillage.
In my day, one’s authority figures could fashion handkerchiefs into impromptu bandages or could tie knots to turn them into useful head wear. My view; the old snot rag is a multi-purpose and essential accessory for the man about town – it’s not like you can a use Swiss army knife to blow your nose or keep the sun off your bald patch!
My colleague has a view that wiping your new snot from your face in the older snot you produced earlier is grim, and when I write it like that, I get where he is coming from.
I have no idea if his views are shared by his peers as there aren’t many junior twentysomethings in my social circle. Maybe handkerchiefs are for just for old people these days and not the young and trendy types.
In discussing the value of the lowly cotton square, I reflected that handkerchiefs had resided in my pockets from the point when I was old enough to have pockets of my own.
In the Baldwin world, I am relied upon to produce a handkerchief at a moment’s notice and the wife and kids have been known to express real dissatisfaction on the few occasions when I have failed to meet expectations.
Handkerchiefs have been a staple gift option throughout my life. I’ll admit that when I was young, I saw them as a rubbish present but for years now I have been of the age where I’ll receive them with gratitude.
Handkerchiefs are practical, reusable and they don’t cause trees to be cut down either so are good for the environment – on the downside, I acknowledge they may well spread germs.
Me; I’ll stick with them. My young colleague was snot swayed by my promotional arguments.
You are of course entitled to your own opinion – feel free to share it if you like.
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