It Makes You Think

In the business pages of The Dominion Post this week I came across a photo used to illustrate an article about the Wellington Gold Awards for business. The image was of three men from a web company.

They’d clearly set out to be attention-getters. One wore a Star Trek uniform. Another had a plant painted on his nose, forehead and bald scalp, along with embellishments. Adding to that, he wore a jacket with a double row of outsize buttons. The third had spectacles with triple XL frames and a silver tie.

I responded as a writer to seeing it, pondering the lengths to which you have to go in order to get news media attention.

Once I was over my teenage years, though that was slow, I knew it was no longer in my nature to dress outlandishly. The nearest I’ve come since was wearing a bowtie to work quite often. Being more of an introvert than an extrovert, that took stepping outside my comfort zone.

I acted on stage a few times in my youth but, for the sake of selling my books, I can’t imagine putting on any performance or outrageous behaviour now.

There’s a lot to be said for accepting your comfort zone, for peace of mind, or not going too far outside it. Not that everyone will agree.