How do you start your day?

I have a "family" doctor whom I've been seeing once a year since I was 23. Over the course of 30 years, he and I have become friendly. As he likes to say, "We grew up together."

One day, after a checkup, I sat in his office and he talked about the "semiotics" of our respective jobs. I get to wear jeans and have long hair--those are signs that say I'm creative. He must--similarly, for no real reason, wear a white lab coat and a tie. It says he's a doctor.

I started thinking about this as I packed my bag for work this morning with my laptop and power cord. Agencies have been great about training (or coercing) their workers to take their laptops home. They pay the extra money to supply us with laptops so we can check our mail before bed, do a little work after the kids fall asleep. What agencies don't do is give us extra power supplies.

So every morning, all over adland, there are oceans of people starting their workday on their knees, under their desk.

Semiotics.