I had kickboxing this morning and, per usual, brought work clothes along in a bag. Also as per usual, I forgot my shoes. Actually, it isn’t always shoes – more often, I’ve left out a tie or belt, or I’m one sock short. The root of the problem, essentially, is that I pack my work clothes earlier the same morning, and I have about five minutes from the buzzer to dress, pack and make it out the door. Sure, I could load up the bag the evening before, or even set my alarm clock five minutes earlier for a more leisurely pace. But the night before each training session, I’m convinced there’s no need; this will be the one where I finally remember everything.

None the less, I therefore was forced to wear sneakers to work. Nike cross-trainers, largely used indoors, and still fairly new. In short, fluorescent. There are few things that look worse than a guy in a suit wearing sneakers, except, perhaps, a guy in a suit wearing brilliantly white sneakers. And, of course, I had picked this very morning to schedule a number of important meetings and a business lunch. Helpful tip: Wearing sneakers with your suit into pricey Japanese restaurants is a surefire way to get hidden away in a back room at the really bad tables.