I wrote this some years ago

America's Demise Rests on a Pair of Sweats

For many, Edward Gibbons’ classic opus "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" has served as a warning of the fallacies of placing greater emphasis on power than on the needs and concerns of the general populace.
Gibbons wrote that Rome fell due to a combination of its own barbaric and self-serving practices and the emergence of the Christian faith that spoke to the persecuted masses.

It has been felt that our own nation is on the verge of collapse dues in part to a variety of factors such as increased crime, marital infidelity, moral and ethical decay, the globalization of industries, and an apparent decline in church attendance.

I agree that some of these are contributing to America’s slow decent, but I feel that a greater threat is not coming from some foreign power or the dollar’s devaluation on the world market. We need look at Madison Avenue and our changing attitudes about how we dress as a sign that our days are surely numbered.

We are “dressing down” too much!!!

Blue jeans were once considered to be the clothes of the “working man.” Sneakers were worn on basketball courts and the playgrounds of America. Stocking caps did not leave the confines of one’s bedroom. And one’s choice of boxer shorts was a private matter between the wearer and the pants that covered the underwear.

Not any more. Ever since Brooke Shields has us wondering what “came between her and her Calvins back in the early 80’s, this country has been obsessed with the look and fit of jeans. With big-name athletes touting their signature “shoes,” everyone wants to wear what Mike, Shaq, or Allen wears.

Usher and other contemporary pop stars have made it acceptable to wear a stocking cap as a complement to one’s ensemble. And actor Mark Walhberg opened the world’s eyes to the endless possibilities of “undies” as a fashion statement.

Although much of the marketing strategies have been geared toward impressionable youth, it is the more mature individuals who are also jumping on the “dress down” bandwagon. Major retailers carry clothes for those days when the boss lets you “hang loose.” National publications are filled with “cool” fashion ads from the likes of Ralph Lauren, Fubu, Karl Kani, and, Phatt Pharm, making it unhip to be seen in traditional wear.

Just the other day, I saw one of my contemporaries walking down the street in a sweat suit. It was not the outfit the bothered; it was how she was wearing it. She concurred that is was “chic” to have one leg rolled up like popular rapper L.L. Cool J. Maybe she wanted to be like her teenaged kids, but in reality, she looked ridiculous.

I do not desire to wear a pair of pants with the name of some multimillionaire fashion designer embellished on my hindquarters. I have secret wish to be attired in any oversized outfit larch enough for the front line of the Denver Broncos and myself.

I am a realist when it comes to the impression given by the clothing we wear, especially on the job.

One cannot deny that the suit and tie is the standard of the professional image. It conveys status, breading, and education. Another message sent by the suit and tie is innocence. If this were not the case, then lawyers would not have their “guilty” clients dress in such a manner for the benefit of the jury.

These views may seem to be a bit elitist, but it is the truth.

CEO’s of major corporations do not wear baggy jeans or shoes with basketball players’ names on them!

It must be noted that when I use the word “suit,” I am speaking in the general sense. Women wear suits, also; therefore, their image is also enhanced by the appropriate workplace attire.

If anyone, regardless of gender, wants to forge ahead on his or her job, he or she must be "dressed for success."

By continuing this dress down mentality, the powerbrokers are making sure that the rest of us never make it out of the stockroom. We are allowed to be "casual" so as not to be a threat to their position of power. We are even told that they envy our "freedom' to not be bound by the restrictions of fashion.

And therein lays the eventual demise of America as we know her.

When we "fall into The Gap," we are creating a wider chasm between the haves and the have nots.

I seriously doubt that Tommy wears his own clothing!

Today's announcement

Well, the time has finally come. After closing in on thirty-two years, I have decided to throw in the proverbial towel and bring my daily teaching career to a close.
Yes, I am retiring at the end of the school year. Though I'm still at the ripe, YOUNG age of fifty-three, I think that I have reached my wits end with a endless paperwork and students that lack direction or focus.
Perhaps I can use my talents in other areas and I will be pursuing those in the very near future.
Wish me luck.

A Simple Appeal for Cameron

To the World’s Honorable Heads of State:

To the right is a picture of my great nephew Cameron. He’s quite handsome, don’t you think? Of course, I am slightly biased based on my kinship with him and that is understandable. But, I just wanted you to know the reason behind this communiqué.

Some time ago, while watching CNN, I saw two political and world analysts debating the state of the planet at the moment. Both were saying that World War III is inevitable and that conditions are favorable, especially in the Middle East, China, and North Korea that such an event is likely to occur within the very, very near future.

Of course, the world has been on the brink since the end of World War II, with countries all vying to get their perceived “piece of the pie,” all the name of national pride.

Well, I cannot just idly sit by and see the world that Cameron, and all the other Cameron’s, will inherit go up in flames before he gets a chance to experience life...and what an experience I want him to have.

I want him to be able to go hang-gliding off the Northern California coast. I want him to be able to go scuba-diving in the Great Barrier Reef. If he chooses, I want him to be able to climb to the top of The Great Pyramid of Giza. I want him to have the chance to run a partial expanse of The Great Wall of China. I want him to be able to see Nairobi, London, Beijing, Paris, Tokyo, and all the beautiful cities of the world.

I want him to have a work career that he loves, find a soul mate with which he can spend eternity, produce a couple of great, great nieces or nephews (for yours truly), and live to be a ripe, old age.
I want him to be able to live in a world where nature is valued and animals flourish in their natural habitats, free from man’s intervention.

If I could, I would gladly give him my fifty-three years to insure that he has at least that time to experience life with all its highs and lows.
I just want him to have that chance.

However you came to power (be it democratic election, inheritance, or military coup), I beseech you, as your country’s chosen representatives, to consider what is at stake, as we continue this path that I fear may prove the end for us all. Put these political differences aside or come to some compromises that can be agreeable to all.

Most of us on this planet are more concerned with the every day tasks of maintaining a day-to-day existence: caring for our families, doing our jobs, paying our bills, taking care of our households, and trying to live an honest and respectful life than we are in world domination or control.

We pray and worship and hope that our efforts will be pleasing to that “Supreme Being” that we hold dear to our hearts.

As Heads of State, I want you to ask whatever Deity you worship for Divine Guidance, consider your constituents, think of your own children, and, please, think of Cameron.

He has so much ahead of him and I, selfishly, want nothing to prevent him from LIVING!

Yours truly,
Reginald D. Garrard