Ties and choosing

I heard a great item on Radio 4's Today program yesterday. Wayne Hemingway, of Red Or Dead fame, and some other worthy were discussing tie wearing. Wayne - always given to the outre and unconventional when it comes to getting dressed, as any fule kno - is plainly vehemently tie-averse, while the other chap was quite relaxed about the whole issue. The latter ventured the opinion that, since his school never required ties, or indeed any uniform, to be worn, the whole thing was a complete non-issue for him and he was just as happy in a tie as out.

This all made me think about choice, particularly since the debate, while never acrimonious, did get pretty heated. Passions clearly abounded about school and neckwear. The thing is, doing the opposite of what you're told is just as narrow as doing exactly what you're told. Choice isn't about having to wear a tie at school and therefore refusing to do so for the rest of your life, just because you don't have to any more. If that's how it is, you still haven't left school. Choice is freedom - including the freedom to wear a tie, even though it's what someone else wants you to do.

I should mention, by the way, that I have a LEGENDARY collection of ties, many of which ended up in my wardrobe as a result of being banned from that of their former owners by some nameless third party.