Good teachers, parents and others sometimes deliver tough love

It is the first day of school, and I'm stopped behind a bright yellow bus on a beautiful September morning. Watching loving parents hand over their most precious possession to relative strangers. Out of the loving comfort of home to a place where they'll spend most of their coming daytime hours.

Patiently waiting, my mind wandered. I began to think how important the teaching profession is and how we hand our children over to professionals for much of their formative years.

Teaching today isn't what it used to be. When I was a child, teachers were revered, feared and well respected. In my house, if you were in trouble with a teacher, my dad put a stop to it real fast. He didn't call the school to complain of how some terrible injustice was done to poor Tony. He set poor Tony straight, and I mean real fast. The trouble went away, and Tony's behavior changed "immediately if not sooner" — a phrase often used by teachers back then.

I remember back in my St. Catherine's grade school years. We wore uniforms: white shirt, blue tie, and I liked them enough. Being a rebel, I decided to spice things up a bit and put cleats on the heels of my shoes. I thought I'd be the new James Dean. It all seemed great until the Mother Superior heard me clicking down the hallway. That led to a march into her office and a call to my dad. You heard the term "knock your socks off?" Well, my dad knocked the cleats off my shoes in record time. That was the end of my two days of being a rebel with a cause.

I was not a great student, but boy, did I love school. I loved gym class, the beginning of year pep rallies, the rockin' football and basketball games, my classmates, and the delicious lunchtime food, at least from a teenage boy's perspective. This may give you an idea of what was important upon my daily arrival. Unfortunately, little had to do with academics and a lot about fun.

For my days at Allen High School, I'd throw on my letter sweater, slip on my loafers, and jump into my very used MGB sports car. It was high school heaven until I decided in my junior year that I would let my hair grow much longer, buy some pleated bell-bottoms, add a pair of platform shoes and start hanging out with the "wrong crowd."

Once again, I was redirected by Coach Fritz Halfacre. He called me to his office, read me the riot act, and threatened to boot me off the football team. The next day, I was back to all-American Tony — letter sweater and all. I was once again saved by a boundary keeper.

One of my favorites was the mandatory tryouts for choir. My friend and I decided that we would sing in our worst voices possible to ensure that we wouldn't be chosen. As the Rev. Della Picca hit the note on the piano, I let out the worst froggy bellow imaginable. With a loving tap to my face and a forceful command to sing, in a second, I became Pavarotti. That placed me on what became one of the most beautifully sounding choirs I could've ever imagined. It was hard work, but I loved every minute of it.

Today, there's much emphasis on self-love, positivity and encouragement. The absolute right for everyone to be fulfilled and their every goal achieved. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for fulfillment. I'm a Chamber of Commerce guy; I do positivity for a living.

But please keep a close eye out for those redirectors. Those people whose tough words and tough love just might save you from yourself. Oh, they are more than likely going to push your buttons and even make you mad, but if you park your ego and take an honest look in the mirror, more often than not, they'll put you back on a path well worth taking.

So, here's to all the order keepers in my life. To the nuns at St. Catherine's who redirected me often. To the police officers that took me aside on rare occasion and made sure I got back on the straight and narrow. To my dad who gave us a lot of leeway until we crossed that line.

Hats off to the sporting officials who call games in today's less than kind athletic universe. To the lifeguards at our many pools around the Valley who are determined to keep them safe and under control. Lastly, to the police officers who, in today's world, come when you call them, throw themselves into dire situations, and are many times rigidly judged with 20/20 hindsight.

Yeah, I've had plenty of great mentors in my life. People who put me in amazing situations and encouraged me all the way. In retrospect, so did those redirectors. I'd kind of forgotten them because, typically, the encounters weren't always positive, but the outcomes sure were. They clearly saved me from my formative self.

I was a diamond in the rough, and clearly, the pounding and cutting of those who cared enough to set my boundaries helped me develop into who I am today. I'm still a work in progress, but thanks to so many who cared enough to invest energy in me, I'm far more than I ever imagined. I'm so thankful for the incredible role they played in my life.

Tony Iannelli is the president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at