Sunday, September 19, 2010

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Glenn Rezabek - Professional

As I recall, Glenn had a career change a little later in life so he was a first-year teacher when he became our Chemistry teacher. He was absolutely committed to what science was all about and every day was wearing the same lab coat he is shown wearing in the yearbook.

But Glenn was not a fashion fob, and when you look at the narrow ties being worn on Mad Men I recall the very wide ties that he wore daily. At some point during the year somebody got the bright idea that we should all wear wide ties to school, obviously to mock his own collection. I won't forget the funny look on his face when we walked in, but it was only a one-day event and then we moved on.

We should forget the ties. He was a pro, and loved what he was doing. I'm not sure any other teacher had any greater commitment.

More "Mad Men" - 1965

Each new show that I watch makes me smile. I don't know where they get the office furniture but it is so 1960. The clothing - men and women - is a flashback. I won't make comment on what the women are wearing but it is certainly historically accurate. And the men?

The lead character, Don Draper, is normally smoking, drinking in the office, AND wearing or carrying a fedora hat whenever he comes into or leaves the office or home. And I have heard the style is coming back. Sure enough, one day recently I was walking through our local Target store, and there they were, the Don Draper Fedora Hat. A big display of them. Turned up sides and rear, and down in front.

My folks wanted me to wear a hat because they were convinced that it would keep me from catching a cold. Even though modern science has debunked that theory and has instead determined that colds are caused by viruses, we weren't smart enough to know it at that time, so I wound up with a hat. Normally it sat on a shelf and I avoided wearing it, and finally they decided it wasn't worth arguing about. Pick your battles. They chose others. But if I had only known Don Draper, you can bet I would have worn it everywhere!