So It Is Written

Throughout the decades, as life has changed, so has handwriting. We all know the flowery look of The Declaration Of Independence, but has anyone really noticed the changes from 1920 until now? As a test, I lined up some greeting cards that were sent to me from my parents, sister and children. You can clearly see how the patterns have shifted. In the 1930, cursive (or script) was painstakingly taught in elementary school. The "r"'s had just a bit of a scroll on the top. So did most of the capital letters. Printing was never used in any type of formal letter writing. If we stop to think about it, most of our parents have never used print to write a letter or sign a greeting card. Then came the 1960's, when I went to school. An equal importance was placed on print and script. When my generation writes a letter, we mix the two writing styles, so there is a more bold look. Sort of print-script. Now we come to my children's generation. The 1980's. By then, it seemed that the education system had almost given up. I am not even sure if my children or their friends even know how to write in script, as no one ever does. Most of them only print. Today, computers do our writing. The beauty of the written word has vanished.

Good Enough

I am a high achiever, by nature.When I have a project to do, I research it out to it's fullest extent. I used to think that being that way, was best for me. As I get older, I am rethinking that theory. I seem to be the only one that has such high expectations for myself. When I do a project and there is a flaw, I am the only person that notices it. No one's eye will find the problem. As I get older, I am getting tired. I am slowly learning that nothing is perfect. Sometimes good enough is great. I am also learning not to expect too much of other people. If you have low expectations you will always be delighted with the results. Bad is better than nothing, ok is better than bad, good enough is a plus and good is nirvana.

The Roundabout Way

I always try to be diplomatic. I find the best way to approach a subject. The other day, I had to put this to the test. For the past few months, a woman has been walking her dog up and down my block. She allows him to "go" on the front strip of everyone's lawn. The grass on my front strip now has yellow polka dots on it from the burn marks of the acid. This is inconsiderate. I pay a gardener to keep my lawn green and beautiful and I do not appreciate this woman's dog ruining it. So, here was my dilemma. How do you approach a stranger and reprimand her, for destroying your property? This is what I did. The other day I stalked her. When she got to the front of my house, I walked outside to "throw out my garbage". I told her that I was on the lookout for her. I introduced myself and told her that her dog was so cute. I then added that my gardener was going to put poison on the lawn and I was concerned that her puppy might hurt his tiny paws if he walked on it. Even worse, he might eat a bit of poisoned grass and become ill. She was so thankful that I told her this and she said that she would never have her dog walk on my lawn again. I patted the little puppy on his head and went inside. The next day I stood at the window when she walked by. She raced past my house and would not let her dog stop for a moment. I took care of the problem in a roundabout way and she was none the wiser.

Solicitors

I dislike solicitors. The unwanted people who call you at all hours of the day and night. I had my telephone number on the "no call list". For some reason, lately, I am getting calls again. I think I need to update. Yesterday, in work, I get a call from a solicitor. As usual, the number comes in as Private, on the caller ID. He sounded like a young man, maybe in his late twenties. He asked me if I was "the person he spoke to on Friday, about the copy machine toner". I said that I had never spoken to him and that we do not order toner. He then said that he was going to send out a toner via UPS. I told him he better not send any product to me, that I did not order. He demanded to speak to the manager. I informed him that I was the manager. He then said "no you are not, and I think you need to mind your own business"! Then he slammed the phone down. I stood there and laughed. I waited for him to call back, but he did not. I do not think that this young man will get very far with is attitude. How can I mind my own business, if he called me?

Re Gifting

We have all done it, at one point in our lives. We have re-gifted. Sometimes you get a gift and although it is nice, you just do not need it. If you do not have the receipt, you cannot take it back to the store, so you hold onto it, until there is an occasion to re-gift. When I got engaged, I received a package from UPS. It was a gift from a distant relative. When I took the tray out of the box, I saw a beautiful greeting card. It said "Dear Ellen and Steven, Congratulations on your wedding". The only problem was that I am neither Ellen nor Steven. This was re-gifting at it's worst. If you re gift you have to be careful. The best re-gift was from my mother in law. When I gave birth to my first son, she came to the hospital with a lovely night gown. It was beautiful and in the best of taste. I know this, because I bought it for her, for Mother's Day, the previous year. Again, re-gifting at it's worst. If you plan on becoming a re-gifter, get a log book and do it right.

The Novelty

I am always the first one in my family to buy new products. I remember buying my first portable telephone. I took it outside and made a phone call to see how far I could walk with it. Of course, those were the pre cell phone days. It was so cool to be able to walk outside with the phone and call people, without being attached to a wire. I could walk as far as my next door neighbor's house. My family said, "why do you need to be talking outside"? A month later they bought portable phones. Next came the answering machine. After I got it, I asked people to call me just to hear my message. My family said, "why do you need an answering machine? If you are not home, people will call back". A month later, they bought answering machines. Next was the microwave. After I bought it, I could not wait to make popcorn, in 2 minutes. My family said "why do you need popcorn in 2 minutes? Are you that busy"? A month later, they had microwaves. Next was the cell phone. Who can forget repeating "can you hear me now"? My family asked "who is so important, that they cannot wait until you get home, to talk to you"? A month later, they bought cell phones. I love being the trend setter, especially when my family follows me.

Not Guilty?

I have a problem with people pleading "not guilty" to a crime that we all know they did. Just this week, a man stole a car in a neighboring town, led the police on a chase, drove the car into an elementary school, got out and tried to run into the school, while carrying a 9mm gun. The police apprehended him and took him to jail. The following day, the court system allowed him to plead "not guilty". Huh? Not guilty? We all saw you do the crime. What kind of nonsense is pleading not guilty? Is our judicial system that dumb? He should have been made to plead guilty and then have a trial to see why he did the crime, so the court can determine the proper punishment. Our court system has limited itself by not having enough options. We need the options of "guilty", "not guilty", "no contest" and "you all saw me do it". I am big on efficiency. Let's cut to the chase. If we saw you do it, let's bypass the trial. I have no time for coddling criminals.