What We Will Still Learn

I wanted to write sooner, but family business has kept me busy.

Happy Father's Day!

Hope you enjoy the reissue of one of my first posts, and a slight expansion of thought below.

 What We Will Learn

I was blessed to go through an incredible line of public schools. My high school is admired for its academic and athletic accolades but has long been infamous for its snobbishness. The resentment is unfortunate, but I admit, some of it has been earned. We were always the rich and preppy kids, the true tale of the Preppy Handbook (though I hadn't heard if it at the time). If you've read my first post, you'll know I wasn't among the collar-popping masses.

I tried to be as time went on, but I never quite felt like them. I had no car, no trust fund, no membership at the country club and no lodge at the ski resort. My father always had that classic, traditional substance without the accompanying bank account. I learned it all from him and have continued to grow.

My friends, the ones I was formerly so envious of, have stopped growing. They play it safe. They stick to the daily - a Ralph Lauren polo and chinos/jeans and boat shoes. These guys haven't heard of Brooks Brothers, and they certainly haven't heard of Paul Stuart, Gant or J.Press. Their days consist of some school and a lot of sleeping and drinking.

Obviously, I'm a fan of Ralph but I go beyond that. And obviously life isn't about style, it's about substance - the substance that resonates from my father. From my father I learned what true class is.



 --------------

This is a photo from Christmas of 1993. Practically everything in my life has changed since that time. I've gained and lost many, many things. However, one thing to remain constant is my unceasing admiration for my father. The old post initially focuses on style, but of course there's so much more to life than that. With the passing of my great aunt and the occurrence of Father's Day, I'm reminded that the love and dedication of family comes before all else. And with such things come respect, loyalty, dignity, bravery, pride. Such things are the substance, the class emanating  from my father.

Again, happy Father's Day!

Sincerely,
Scott Alexander