Ties

I have a lot of ties! I have ties purchased in each of the last five decades. I just counted 36 ties hanging on my tie rack in my closet. The oldest tie I own is a tie I purchased on my mission. It has my mission crest on it. I hardly ever wear it but keep it for sentimental reasons. 

Almost all of my ties were given to me as gifts. Annette likes to give ties to me on my birthday (usually with a new shirt to match the tie). The kids have given me ties for Father's Day. My most unique tie is one given to me by Allyn that she bought in Mexico on her mission. It has a hand-stitched floral pattern. 

my tie rack

When I first started teaching classes as a PhD student at Florida State University, I decided to always wear a tie to class because I needed to look older than the students. I continued that tradition at the University of Oklahoma and at Texas A&M. At some point, I realized that I no longer needed to wear ties to make me look older than the students. As a result, I have not worn a tie on a teaching day in a few years. 

When I was a missionary, I discovered that some missionaries had ties with diagonal stripes that ran from their right shoulder diagonally down to their left side (the "American" way). We (the missionaries in my mission) said the stripes ran into our left shirt pocket. However, some missionaries had ties with diagonal stripes that ran from their left shoulder diagonally down to their right side (the "German" way). We said these stripes ran away from the pocket. 

My favorite tie is one that the kids gave me for Father's Day a few years ago. It is a custom-made tie that has a secret. The backing on the "inside" of the wide end of the tie has a family portrait. I love this tie and the thoughtfulness of my children in purchasing it for me. 

family portrait tie