Monday, March 19, 2012

DINNER WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA By Yvonne

President Obama signing The Tobacco Bill
Don't get excited,  I haven't been invited to the table, yet. However, I would note that he's left-handed and I should sit to his right so that we wouldn't knock elbows. I wouldn't tick off a list of other people I know who are left-handed to make small talk.  And if soft drinks were the only drinks, I wouldn't ask, "You have any liquor in the house?"

There, I'm ready to have dinner with the president. 

Sunday, March 11, 2012

PET PEEVES AND THE LOSS OF CIVILITY

In light of the huge show of the lack of civility in the political arena, we asked a few friends to share their pet peeves and thoughts on civility. 

Our friend, Terry Kidder, coined a new word for one of his, device-iveness, He defines it as a catatonic obsession with checking devices, holding devices and even caressing them in the hopes of staying connected while disconnecting from life’s real-time discourse and engagement. (These are his words and they’re spot on.)



He, Monte Mathews and Cliff Love all would like to hear “Thank you” more often. With textmania and emailing, expressing gratitude is so much easier. However, many still don’t get the significance of those two powerful words no matter how easy it is.

Monte is sick of hearing kids on public transportation and on the streets using the F-word as effortlessly and generously as Yes or No.

We’re in total agreement with Monte when it comes to tots taking an entire seat while an adult is standing. “If you’re little, sit on your parent’s lap but don’t take up a whole seat.” We often wonder if these same children as grown ups sit while someone, a pregnant woman, a senior citizen or physically challenged stands,  think nothing of getting comfy in a seat. But, what would they know; they’re too busy practicing device-iveness.

Pets are popular pet peeves. Not everyone loves them; ask before you visit a friend if man’s best friend is invited. We all would like to see a doo-doo free street but that’s up to the pet owners, who choose not to stoop down and pick up.

Body-crashing, when someone is so involved in a phone conversation they don’t see you coming their way, is at the top of Cliff’s list. He also mentions flatulence, he believes that not ‘fessing up is rude. We’ll leave that for another day.

Thanks, guys!