Ties

I used to wear a tie every day to work.

Back when I worked at McDonald's in college as a manager, a tie was part of the uniform. Every day I tied it before my shift and took it off when the day was done.

Years later, when I became a school administrator, the tie returned. Once again, it was part of the role. I had multiple ties, multiple dress shirts, and regular trips to the dry cleaner. It wasn't terrible, but it was work.

Then something changed.

The expectations changed. The culture changed. My role changed. Suddenly, I didn't have to wear a tie every day anymore.

And you know what?

I didn't miss it.

Not because ties are bad. They're fine. But wearing a tie every day requires a certain level of commitment. You need the wardrobe. You need the maintenance. You need the routine.

Today, I probably wear a tie only once or twice a year.

A funeral.

A memorial service.

Graduation day.

Days that feel significant.

This morning, as I put on a tie for graduation, I realized this isn't really a story about neckties.

It's a story about change.

There are seasons in our lives and careers when certain things are required of us. We wear the tie because that's what the moment calls for. We follow the expectations. We play the role. We do what needs to be done.

Then life changes.

Sometimes the change is gradual. Sometimes it happens all at once.

And one day, you discover that you don't have to wear the tie anymore.

The beautiful thing is that after enough growth, enough experience, and enough change, we often gain something valuable:

Choice.

We get to decide what we wear.

We get to decide how we work.

We get to decide what matters.

The tie isn't gone forever. It's still hanging in the closet. But now I wear it because I choose to, not because I have to.

Maybe that's one of the hidden rewards of experience.

Not freedom from responsibility, but freedom to choose how we carry it.

Today, I get to wear a tie because it's graduation day.

And perhaps my favorite part of all is this:

I get to pick the color.

What change have you noticed in your life over the years?