Beats Me

Last week, or rather the week before spring break, I got a note home from one of Cody's teachers. Seems he has been violating the school's dress code. Some of the jeans he has been wearing to school have small holes in the knees. His knee skin was exposed. She taped the hole up that day, but if he continued to wear those jeans, she would have to refer him to the office.

But he can wear shorts to school and it's no problem. HUH? Maybe it's just me, but shorts expose a whole lot more skin than a quarter sized hole in his jeans. What a wacky world we live in.

Continuing in the same vein, my little man finished the essay I had assigned him. It was good. It was very good. It was so good, I'd like to share it with you. Here it is in its entirety.

Respect, as defined by Funk and Wagnells, is a deferential regard, or esteem, for someone. Respect is important in many ways and places. Respect is not just to be shown to authority figures, though. Respect is also to be shown to yourself and other people. Respect is to be shown to the snakes and the birds and the cats and the dogs. Respect is to be shown to your belongings. Respect is to be shown to other people's belongings. Respect is to be shown to the father, and respect is to be shown to the mother. Respect has a great impact on what other people think of you. Respect has a great impact on how you think of yourself. Respect is for well-known heroes. Respect is for the common, unsung hero as well. Respect is to be shown to those who die to keep the United States a free country to all its legal inhabitants. Respect is to be shown to those who support our troops. Respect is to be shown to those with strong moral values, and stand by them. One must show respect to one's colleagues, and one must show respect to one's boss. Self respect is an important factor in one's first impression of you. Many parts of your personality is defined by your respect. Your respect also has an impact on your attitude. Your respect also has an impact on how people treat you. Respect is an important factor in modern society and public relations today.

Courtesy is a genuine and habitual politeness. Courtesy is doing what is decent and right. Courtesy is another factor that will make people think better of you. One should be courteous every day in every way. Courtesy is a major part of one's first impression of you. One should be courteous to everyone they meet. If one is courteous, people would probably like to be around him. One should be courteous, not because people will like him, but because it is the right thing to do. Courtesy is being kind to people, and doing what you should do. Courtesy is helping people because you care, not for a reward. Courtesy is giving to the many people who have nothing of their own to support themselves.

Funk and Wagnell's dictionary describes manners as "polite behavior". Manners will affect every one's opinion of you. Without proper manners, one would become the outcast of any social event. Manners are being polite and proper. Once again, your manners will effect people's first impression of you. There are many types of manners. They range from not talking with your mouth full, to telling someone where you are going. Someone exhibiting bad behaviors only makes himself look like a fool. Manners should be exhibited everywhere you go. Manners often make someone look smarter, richer, or brought up in a better family or area. Manners can help make people thing much, much better of you. Manners are a very very important part of society in these modern times.

Pretty good, huh?