Ladies and gentlemen, my sermon for the week will be on modesty- or should I say the lack there of.

I’ve always tried to be a modest person. It was drilled into mybeing from the time I was a little chap, thanks to my mom andgrandparents.

I’ve tried to implant that same notion into the heads of mychildren and grandchildren – but to no avail. Modesty just isn’t ontheir lists of priorities. The grandkids prefer to run around withthe least amount of clothes on as possible.

I’ve also noticed modesty isn’t at the top of many young folks’lists nowadays.

It seems for the past few years the hemlines of our young women’sskirts are getting shorter and shorter, and the heels on theirshoes are getting higher and higher. In my day, we nicknamed thosetypes of shoes hooker shoes, but I digress.

Young men on the other hand are wearing baggy- and saggy-lookingpants and half the time you can see what color underwear they’rewearing or their shirttails hanging out. No one wears a beltanymore.

I remember in high school belts were mandatory for young men – aswere tucked-in shirts and a neat hair cut. Not anymore.

I think part of the problem is the message that young celebritiesare sending our young people – especially when you have 12- and13-year-olds wearing styles that are reserved for those in their20s.

There isn’t a demure starlet in sight. The hip-hoppers are sayingit’s OK to wear your pants down around your thighs, while the youngactresses are wearing their dresses shorter and shorter.

Back on the home front, way back during the day when I was aphotographer I’d attend many a sports banquet where I’d inevitablyend up taking a group picture of young women who were receivingawards. It seems like I would always have to say to either thegirls themselves or a mother who was present to assist someone withthe way they were seated. The camera can see a lot – sometimes toomuch.

Over the past few years things haven’t changed too much. I’ve hadmale photographers ask me how do they politely tell a young womanto sit differently without appearing to be crude or rude.

A lot of our young people could definitely use a few classes onetiquette.

From the time my daughter was little I have made it a point toteach her about modesty. She knows all about it. I passed along theknowledge I had acquired over the years. Apparently, it’s like alot of things we’ve taught our young people – it goes in one earand out the other.

When I was younger I was taught when I wore a dress or skirt toalways wear a slip. It didn’t matter how thick or thin the dressappeared … I was expected to wear a slip. I’ve passed that along,too, for what it has been worth.

Of course, my definition of modest and someone else’s definition ofmodest may be polar opposites.

However, I will go on record as saying that Southern girls seem tobe much more modest than many of the young women I’ve seen in otherparts of the United States.

And how was your week?

Lifestyles Editor Tammie Brewer can be reached at The DAILY LEADERat (601) 833-6961 ext. 134, by e-mail at tbrewer@dailyleader.com oryou can write to her at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven MS 39602.