Clothing and Appearance

Clothing and Appearance

Sometimes, the way we dress and present ourselves leads others to judge us, even though such judgments are not always accurate.

It was the early 1990s, and I was searching for a job to make ends meet. But not knowing the language posed a major challenge and made effective communication almost impossible.

I visited many places, but had no luck finding work.

Then one day, while walking down a street in Turkey, I noticed a sign in a shop window looking for a worker. I went in, introduced myself, and said I was looking for a job. The shop owner immediately said, “No.” Then he added, “With those glasses and clothes, you don’t look like someone ready to work.”

The truth was, my clothes were perfectly ordinary — I just made an effort to keep them clean and neat.

Using gestures and whatever communication I could manage, I told him I was willing to work the first day without pay. Eventually, he agreed. I started working, between 12 to 16 hours a day.

By the second day, his opinion changed. A good relationship gradually formed between us, and it lasted until the day I left Turkey.
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About the photo: A view of a small town in Turkey where I once lived. / Photo from the internet.