I was thrilled when some of my son's big burly friends got interested in choir, and since their Mascot name is The Irish, they sang Irish songs. They even did a fund raiser and brought their singing group to Ireland. I think one of them still has my Dublinaires songbook, but that's O.K. During backyard barbeques we serenade the neighborhood, and my son sings "Dear Boss," in the shower. Singing old songs and putting on these musicals seems to me like a great show of respect for the generations that have gone before. I forgot to mention their final dress rehearsal is always performed for the senior citizens of several local retirement centers, free of charge.

Some people claim our society is lacking in respect, but with these young people I see just the opposite. It's as though they realize the best way to counteract the negative influences the media concentrates on is to commit to something positive.