Lana Maryé Morelli

It’s summertime, the days are longer, the weather is warmer and the clothing is scarce.    Part of this can’t be avoided, when its 90 degrees outside it’s impossible to not be in anything beside shorts and a tank top.   Truth is, if you were walking around with a hat, scarf and gloves, people would think that you’re nuts. So, there is a skimpiness to summer that is undeniably acceptable.  Hey, I will be the first person to trade in boots for flip-flops, a jacket for a tank top or pants for shorts … and it’s only a certain time of year, a small window of time, where you can wear a bikini and sheer cover up to a beach restaurant/bar and still be considered “ dressed .” So the clothing is minimal and for the most part, this notion is socially acceptable. But, then there are the trends that push this acceptance.  The skirts that are “ cheeky ” or the tops that push you up, out, and cause you to spill over.  This sleazy-push appears to be coming from the...

“Children should be seen and not heard” -----that’s the age-old saying. I think it’s supposed to imply that kids should observe, speak when spoken to, not talk back and give respect to their elders (that mean anyone older than them--so us 20 something’s fall into that category too!) I am a 20something. It isn’t THAT long ago that I was a kid. I remember hearing and being offended by this little cliché saying. I found it insulting and stifling. Now as an adult, I see the logic behind it. It’s not supposed to imply that children should not have a thought or an opinion or a voice. It means that children should observe, learn how to make appropriate comments and how to interact socially. I think somewhere along the line this idea became skewed. Children are not quieted to learn and observe, but are silenced by technology and lack of parenting. Let me explain… I walked into a restaurant the other night and I saw a little boy; he must have been 7 or 8, slumped over in a chair wit...