Punchy Protagonist

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. I was talking to a fellow teacher friend of mine recently and we were reflecting on the past school year. The craziness, some funny stories, and the sheer chaos of it all. We discussed teacher shortages and how disrespectful students can be. I repeated something to her that I have said to other family and friends of mine, "when I was in high school, I would not DARE talk to a teacher the way some of these kids talk to me." My friend agreed.  She, I, and many others that I know have come to a conclusion that I am sure is not new...so many of the adolescent attitudes we are seeing, whether good or bad, stem from what they see outside of school and, more importantly, what their home lives teach them.  From what I can tell, we have a society of children, adolescents, and adults that need to listen to a little bit more Aretha Franklin. Maybe on repeat. Our pastor gave a sermon a few Sundays ago about resetting different things in our lives. One was our mouth. I defi...

I recently went on a trip with my fabulous mother, the point of which was attending a festival in honor of her favorite playwright. Part of this was the showing of a movie based on one of his plays starring the great Paul Newman. The screen, of course, was huge and I watched Paul's extremely blue eyes flit with emotion, dramatic and vulnerable at times, all while remaining rugged and statuesque, with a jaw line that could cut a pizza and eyes that will maybe any woman a puddle on the floor...and have I mentioned that smile? I digress. My thoughts drifted to other roles I had seen Mr. Newman in, and it posed this question: Why don't they make men like Paul Newman anymore? I know he's an actor that plays parts, but like any good artist, there's a little of himself in all his characters, whether good or bad. He delivered his lines almost like a poet, and with such ease. He was not only handsome, but talented with an ere of sophistication and charm coupled with a bright...