Mighty Morphin' Power...Andrew

While working for dad today, I observed the difference that attire and hairstyle can make to how people treat you.

Today, I wandered into Macca's with my dad for lunch. I was dressed in a faded old orange Reebok t-shirt and my artistic paint-encrusted track pants, and not wearing my customary watch. Oh, and I was wearing my old sneakers with the bottom falling off. Not that the girl serving us at the counter would've seen that.

Or maybe she did as we were walking in. She looked like she had an attitude problem anyway. We ordered, and she looked as though she didn't want to even look at us. Understandable, which is the point I was trying to make. It kind of didn't help that my hands had grime all over them.

We then went to the house of my dad's next client. Their daughters pretty looked down their noses at us. Even after we helped them with the door and luggage and all that, which is so not part of our job description. Also, I believe it may also have to do with the fact that I was virtually mute there. I think they were very surprised when they heard me speak, and found out that I actually spoke literate English.

I'm not suggesting that I'm the most alluring male on Earth. God no. Far from it. But I'm sure that if I were wearing something half-decent, and didn't have my hands covered in a substance resembling sewer gunk, I'd have at least gotten a smile, or something similar. Well, I usually do in similar situations anyway, if I'm not wearing my tradie clothes.

Yes, when I'm all casual, or semi-formal, people treat me almost normally. However, when I'm in a suit, it goes to a whole new level. Ah, then, I start getting more - as they say about websites - 'hits'. People take more notice. And, for some strange reason, I'm more likely to be called 'sir'. Or maybe that has more to do with the places that I go when I'm in a suit. Speaking of which, I should probably take my sleeves up on my suit.

I'm not suggesting that everyone is as vain as I paint them to be. Some people actually understand why I'm dressed the way I am, and may not take me for an illiterate person just because I'm not speaking. But most people form a lot of their opinions on appearances. I think we all do to a certain extent. But I think a lot you good people tone it down a bit.

On a side note, the first client that we visited today said I had a tinge of an American accent in my English. Not 'typically Australian' English, apparently. I think it may be because I was speaking in my 'polite' accent. I do it subconsciously, in an attempt to sound less bogan. But I'm not unused to this. I've been told that I sound like a wog, sound like someone with a permanently sore throat, sound like my dad. The whole gammut. I don't know about you, but I think I sound like me.

Word of the Day: Tradie