Loud Tie o’ the Day is doing a pretty good job of seeing me through what I consider to be a traumatic whirlwind o’ recent bow tie change. I know this bow tie business move isn’t traumatic to anyone else, but to me and my gaggle of bow ties, it’s a bigly deal: Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont, the company that is my biggest and most favoritest maker o’ handmade bow ties, has been sold! New owner. Newly renovated website. No more t-shirts, pint glasses, coffee mugs, hats, Christmas ornaments, or other do-dads covered in bow ties for sale! It’s making me dizzy to think that the Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont water bottle I have will now have to last me the entire rest of my life. That’s a scary thought. How much should I insure my Beau Ties water bottle for in case it gets damaged, stolen, or lost– even though it can’t be replaced? That precious light blue, bow tie-emblazoned water bottle just got bigly more valuable to my heart.
I am a bit offended Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont didn’t consult me and my TIE O’ THE DAY operation before selling the biz. I mean– they sort of know me. When I first discovered them about four years ago, I ordered some “butterfly jumbo” style bow ties from their factory. I liked the style so well that I didn’t order any other style for my first few purchases. A few months into my online customer-hood with them, I ordered a bow tie made in a “slimline standard” style. A few hours after I hit the return key and sent that order, one of the good folks at Beau Ties gave me a call. A few of them remembered I had never ordered a “slimline standard” style of bow tie before, and they were calling me to make sure I hadn’t ordered the “slimline standard” by mistake. They knew me and my orders almost from the start. By now, they know I order all the styles they offer. The sad thing about them knowing my neckwear likes and dislikes, though, is that we don’t have a need to chat on the phone anymore. But still… They could have checked in with me before selling the company.
It’ll probably be just fine. The company’s name remains the same. The Beau Ties seamstresses remain the same. The bow ties will still be handmade. But I guess I won’t be able to order any more Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont t-shirts and mugs. I do hope the new owner decides to offer those kinds of things again. I like to order bow tie stuff I don’t need. How else am I gonna clutter-up the house?
I am not against change. I am against that period of time you have to go through between the moment you find out the change happened and that moment when you finally know exactly what the change is really going to mean for you. And by “you,” I mean “me.” How is the change going to affect me, me, me? And I don’t think I’m the only “me” who feels that way about change.