Metro Boy Scout’s Survival Guide
Take a cue from the Boy Scouts and always be prepared. Modern Manners Guy has a foolproof system to always look your best.
Richie Frieman
This past summer, I traveled from lovely Charm City (Baltimore) to the Big Apple (NYC) for a speaking engagement on manners and etiquette. This one-day event allowed me to be back home the same day I left, yet I still packed a carry-on suitcase that was small enough to easily tag along,
yet big enough to fit all the essentials I’d need for the day.
When I arrived at the Quick and Dirty Tips offices, my editor was surprised that for just one day, I brought a bag that most would use for the weekend. However, the carry-on made perfect sense to me. In it, I had a full change of clothes (pants, shirt, jacket), as well as my toiletries, a laptop, and chargers for all my electronics.
After all, my speaking engagement wasn’t until the early evening and what if I spilled something along the way? Or the insanely hot, humid weather of New York made me sweat like a marathoner and I reeked by the time I arrived at the event? These are the thoughts that went through my head as I planned for my day.
I take what I do seriously and when you are presenting yourself, you want to look your best. I don’t want someone to see my stained shirt from that Sloppy Joe lunch or the sweat-filled jacket from the walk over and get distracted (or worse, think that I don’t practice what I preach). Plus, pulling a carry-on with wheels is a lot easier than lugging around a laptop bag on my shoulder all day.
That’s why I devised what I like to call the “Metro Boy Scout’s Survival Guide.”
We all know the term metrosexual as it applies to the well-groomed urban men who always look impeccable. Now, I can’t say I fall into that category on a regular basis, but I do when it comes to professional situations. Granted, I don’t bring a carry-on to a networking event or a business meal, but I do have a similar system in my car. If you are going to be encountering people in a business setting, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t keep a back-up selection of clothing and basic toiletry needs in your car or office. You never know when a pen might explode and you’re going to need that extra shirt, pants, or even a jacket.
Just like the Boy Scouts, you should always be prepared.
So next time you head out for a big meeting or event, pack your Metro Boy Scout’s Survival Bag and feel confident that even if you spill that coffee on your sleeve while checking your iPhone, you always have a spare. Try it out. You’ll thank me later.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.