tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74835729783196083422024-03-08T06:13:58.582-08:00A Texas WriterI'm a writer, teacher, mother, daughter, sister, wife and friend.Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.comBlogger289125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-17852314679372358392015-09-24T17:57:00.003-07:002015-09-24T17:57:33.653-07:00The whole kit and caboodle about cliches<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I grew up on clichés. In fact, our family’s foundation is
based on clichés. Growing up, I didn’t know what those familiar sayings meant
but I heard them enough to know they carried significance. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As a
kid, whenever a grown up tried to teach me something, they’d say “this is as
easy as falling off a log.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I
saw logs in the river once after a flood. They were banging into each other,
crashing and smashing their way through raging waters. Nothing about that
looked easy to me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In
today’s cell-phone world, some of the clichés probably don’t make sense to
young people unless they can Google it on their phone and get Siri to explain the
trite saying. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We live in a Netflix and
cell-phone world, and the time has come to update, or at least explain, our clichés.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">For
instance, “kill two birds with one stone.” I’ve never seen anybody kill a bird
with one stone much less kill two with one stone. In fact, I don’t think it’s
physically possible to kill two birds with one stone unless you tie one bird
down, hit it with a huge rock and then get a second bird, tie it down and hit
it with the same rock. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then you’d face the wrath and ire of PETA and the vegans.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
there’s:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A rolling stone gathers no
moss. Thanks to the acres and acres of concrete all around us, I doubt most of
our young people have any idea what moss is. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Most
have never seen a rolling stone because our stones are rocks we import from the
gravel yard along Interstate 10 and they stay put in our manicured yards. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“All in a day’s work” is another one that
probably makes no sense because we work round the clock. If you’ve got a problem
with your computer or cell phone, you can talk to an operator in India or
Arkansas any time of the day or night. Those customer service reps never sleep.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">One
of my aunts loved saying “he has an axe to grind.” First of all, most of us
only remember axes if there was a lumberjack in the family or our grandparents
had one hanging in the shed. Grinding is something we yuppies do at night
because of all the stress we face during the day. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">They
make $1,200 mouth guards for that malady. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“A
baker’s dozen” only makes sense because we go to Panera Breads where you can
get 13 bagels and the sign tells you it’s a baker’s dozen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I’d
bet money that most people under the age of 25 don’t have a clue that a baker’s
dozen was when the baker slipped an extra cookie or doughnut in your white box to
thank you for your business. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
whole ball of wax” is another cliché that goes right over our heads. When we
think of wax, we think of Ripley’s Wax Museum where we can see life-sized wax
statues of movie stars. Or we think of ear wax, and to think of a whole ball
made out of that gunk is just gross. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Another
favorite was “like white on rice.” In these days of saffron rice, whole-wheat
rice and aromatic rice, that cliché doesn’t make sense any more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“Look
before you leap” still rings true, especially for this generation looking to
upgrade their computer’s operating system. Can we say “Windows 8?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We
still have to “wake up and smell the coffee,” but this generation would
probably understand “wake up and smell the espresso” better. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">And
that, as my mom would say, is the whole kit and caboodle about clichés. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="371">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:0in;
mso-para-margin-left:.25in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-68870268728177732422015-09-17T20:03:00.004-07:002015-09-17T20:03:42.356-07:00Two stamps = price for redemption<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="371">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:0in;
mso-para-margin-left:.25in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
pricey SUV pulled out in front of me even though there weren’t any cars behind
me. That selfish maneuver’s nothing new, but what the driver did next infuriated
me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">She
held her hand out the window and gave me a “finger wave,” the kind that says “ta-ta
– I’m ahead of you in my expensive car and I’m more important than you are.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I
saw red. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I pulled up behind her at the light, I mouthed a few choice words about her
heritage, her stupidity and her ignorance. She went ballistic, giving me a
one-finger wave instead of her frivolous finger wave. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I
turned into the parking lot of the store 15 minutes later, but the encounter
left me sad instead of angry. She didn’t see anything wrong in what she did,
but I reacted badly and made the situation worse. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As
I walked through the grocery store, I grew more troubled, wondering why I was
rude back to someone who didn’t deserve a second thought. I came around the
corner and found myself face to face with another shopper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">She
looked to be about my age, and she was alone. For some reason, I said I needed
to talk to somebody. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This
woman smiled and said “talk away.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">And
I did. I not only told her what happened, but I told her how stressed I was and
I felt I was chasing myself most of the time. I couldn’t remember the last time
I struck up a conversation with a stranger in the store, and that’s unlike me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Surrounded
by the specials of the week, I was spilling my guts to a stranger who listened to
everything I said. When I stopped talking, she smiled. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“You
sound like you don’t slow down very often,” she said. “What that woman did was
rude and it’s okay that you’re angry. It also sounds like maybe you’re angry about
a lot more than this one incident. “ </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Give yourself a break,” she added. “That
woman’s not worth it. Now go get some chocolate and you’ll feel better.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">We
laughed, and I thanked her for listening to a complete stranger vent. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
underlying emotion for my anger and frustration, I realized, was feeling disconnected
from other people. For the past few years, I’ve been so caught up in working,
housekeeping, chores and laundry that I’d let friendships and conversations
fall by the wayside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
next morning, I was in the post office, and there were about 10 people in front
of me. The last time I’d been in the post office, a mom was in front of me with
two young children. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">She
told the postal clerk she was new to the area. And even though I knew about fun
activities in the area, I didn’t say a word. I was busy, I told myself, but the
shame of not talking to her stayed with me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But
this time, I started talking to the woman in front of me. She was happy to have
someone to chat with and said she only needed two stamps. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
have those in my purse,” I told her, and pulled out the stamps. She started to
protest, but I told her I needed to do something nice for somebody. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In
that long line, I felt myself reconnecting to the human race, all because of a
chance encounter with a rude stranger and one with a kind heart. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I
drove away from the post office with a smile on my face, grateful that two
stamps was a small price to pay for admission to redemption. </span></div>
<br />
<i>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </i>Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-3730109289951863302015-09-10T20:08:00.001-07:002015-09-10T20:09:18.579-07:00Reading a map, old-school style<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> My phone stopped talking to me. I don’t know what I did
to make that electronic device so angry, but angry it was. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Without
warning, the phone’s navigation system clammed up on a recent trip, and I
didn’t know how to reach my destination. That electronic hissy fit cost me an
extra hour on the road.</span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> In
these days of cell phones that can do practically everything, I’d come to rely
on talking Google Maps, and as a result, got a bit lazy when it came to
planning a trip in advance. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But after this last silent treatment, I decided to give
my paper maps another shot. There’s a half dozen in the glove compartment of my
car and I hauled them out after turning off my phone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I can handle a map because my dad taught me how to read
one before he taught me how to drive a car. But I don’t think this current electronics-driven
generation has a clue how to read a road map that doesn’t talk to them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Using a paper map’s not as simple as typing in an address
and letting a voice tell you where to turn. Map readers have to learn about
grids and finding a street when it’s located at Q and 19 on the map. They have
to know why one road’s colored red and why another one is yellow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> The
hardest part about using a paper map is learning how to fold it back up the
exact same way it came from the state’s visitor’s center. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Those who don’t know how to read a paper map are missing
out on the adventure associated with a road trip. The challenge starts with spreading
a paper road map out over the kitchen table and looking at an entire state or
city in one glance. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Novice
map readers have to figure out where they’re starting and where they want to
end up and make decisions ahead of time about stops and alternate routes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> A
friend told me to write the directions down on an index card and tape the card
to the dashboard. That probably sounds ridiculously old fashioned to those
accustomed to a voice telling you to turn left in 500 feet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> But
there’s a sense of accomplishment when you take the big-picture view of personally
figuring out how to get where you want to go and then getting there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> Even
if you get lost, you can pull out the map – folded in a way so just your route
shows – and find a different way. Nobody’s the wiser because a paper map never
electronically sighs and tells you “rerouting.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll admit paper maps can become outdated, but major
roads and freeways seldom move. Besides, there’s a lot of excitement in taking
your finger and tracing routes from your house to your destination, dreaming
about all the sights you’ll see along the way. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> If
you’re lucky enough to get your hands on Rand McNally road atlas, the sky’s the
limit. You can trace a route all the way from Alaska to Texas and, best of all,
plan to see all the natural attractions along the way. Your phone can do the
same, but the cynical side of me says they only call out the sites that pay to
advertise their location. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A map and your finger lets you choose your own
adventures, and they’re there for you to discover if you know how to read a map
and aren’t afraid of some old-school fun. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Happy
paper trails. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-31407889236726197502015-09-05T05:50:00.002-07:002015-09-05T05:51:06.519-07:00Sometimes a warning is all we need<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first day of school is always an
exciting one. Teachers, like students, have a backpack filled with new supplies,
from pencils to glue sticks. There’s nothing like getting to school a little
early to catch up with people we haven’t seen all summer, and I’m no exception.
</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was so excited the first day that
I didn’t watch my speedometer on Airport Avenue. Until I saw the Rosenberg
police car and the blue and red lights started flashing. I was the only vehicle
on the road, so I knew the officer was after me. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I usually don’t speed for two
reasons:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>first, it’s unsafe and somebody
could get hurt. Second: I’m too cheap to pay a speeding ticket. The last time I
got a ticket was in Louisiana about 15 years ago, and that one set me back over
a hundred bucks. No telling what a speeding fine costs these days. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I came to a stop, my heart was
pounding, and I was beating myself up for not paying more attention to my speed.
When Officer Kraus came up to the window, he asked for my insurance card,
explaining I was exceeding the speed limit. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nervously, I tried to explain why I
was speeding but then stopped talking – I was guilty. As he ran my plates, I
wondered how I’d fit defensive driving into my week and how much my insurance
rates were going up because of my ticket. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Officer Kraus came back to the car
and said he was going to give me a warning. What? No ticket? I was
flabbergasted. He wished me a good day and told me to watch the speed limits,
especially in the mornings as youngsters were now on the road. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As I drove off, I was grateful yet
mindful of my speed. The warning was what I needed to get my mind back on driving
instead of my to-do list. But I couldn’t say I was as good to others as the
officer had been to me. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So many times, we’re quick to throw the book at someone. We
curse and swear at someone who pulls out in front of us and we honk and tailgate
someone who’s driving too slowly. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We question the IQ level of a co-worker because they lost an
important document or spell a few words wrong. We seldom give that person the
benefit of the doubt – perhaps they’re going through a tough time or lost their
concentration for a few minutes. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Instead of bringing the hammer down
on someone, maybe a warning is all we need to get us back on the right path. A
doctor’s visit that finds our cholesterol count is higher than it should be is enough
to get us into an exercise regimen where we’re counting calories and our
blessings. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A warning is often all we need to
make sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing; and because we get that
lucky break, we’re grateful and more careful as we move forward. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>With the recent horrific and
senseless tragedies against our police officers, I want to recognize Officer
Kraus for being one of the good guys. He’s not the only one out there. Day
after day, police officers in countless cities risk their lives every time they
put on their uniform. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you, Officer Kraus and the rest of the officers in our
midst who watch and protect us. The next time I see an officer get out of his
or her squad car, I’m going to keep an eye out for them and, if I see anything
suspicious, shout out a warning. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes, that’s what we need. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </i></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-48593557589461193492015-08-27T19:03:00.000-07:002015-08-27T19:03:14.963-07:00Dr. Shock title is deceiving<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>He’s
been scaring the bejesus out of me since I was a teenager. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Not the boogie man. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or the monster in the closet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Those nightmares are run-of-the-mill. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
one who haunts my dreams is Stephen King. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And I love it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first King book I read was “’Salem’s Lot.” The story line
is familiar for long-time “constant readers,” as King describes his fans. A
flawed hero joins forces with a young person to combat evil. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But
that’s like describing World War II as a back-yard snowball fight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of my favorite scenes in “’Salem’s Lot” is when a
young vampire, Danny Glick, comes to one of the heroes in the book, Mark
Petrie, and scratches at the window screen, wanting to come in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>King builds on Petrie’s curiosity and fear and his
sadness over seeing his former friend floating outside his second-story room
while never losing the terror about a hungry vampire scritch scratching at a screen,
hungrily whispering to come in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In all of his novels, King gets right to the point
without wasting time with boring passages about spring meadows, unnecessary
love triangles or people’s wardrobe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With
an economy of words, he quickly reaches into eye sockets, grabs the reader by
the eyeballs and never lets go. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “The Shining,” I remember being too afraid to turn the
page when young Danny Torrance opened the door to Room 237. I didn’t want to
turn the page because I was so scared, but I had to because my curiosity was
stronger than my fear. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My curiosity was answered when Danny found a dead woman in
the bathtub that comes after him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let’s not begin to mention those moving topiaries from “The
Shining.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The murdering clown from “It.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or, shudder, the return of toddler Gage from “Pet
Sematary.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By isolating those scenes, it’s easy to dismiss King as a
shock writer. If a reader looks deeper, though, they’ll find King is the ultimate
character writer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too
often, I’ve read books where the main characters accomplish unbelievable feats.
While wounded, they can kill the bad guy with one bullet while hanging onto a moving
train. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The women
are long legged with flowing hair who seduce a man in one scene and save the
world in the next, all the while keeping their make up in perfect order. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">King’s
characters are fleshed out as real people, with flaws and virtues, and that
includes the women. He artfully describes the battles they wage with inner
demons, from alcoholism to cowardice to a lack of identity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some of my favorite King characters are from “The Stand,”
his epic novel about the end of the world. Stu Redman is the main hero, and the
constant reader pictures him as a regular guy in a flannel shirt who’s called
on to save the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I also like the way Jack Torrance in “The Shining” is
written. The movie, starring Jack Nicholson was awful. In the book, though, we
see Torrance as a young father who wants to stop fighting his demons yet can’t
overcome alcohol’s stranglehold on his life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And in all of King’s writing, we eagerly go on a literary
journey with him. We might find a dead body in “The Stand,” see a sadistic
teenager get the tables switched in “Apt Pupil” or feel the anguish of John
Coffee – “like the drink, only not spelled the same” in “The Green Mile.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We come to understand hope when we read how Andy Dufresne
survives in “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When a writer makes us believe in redemption, that writer
is a true American treasure. And for me, that person is the prolific and
incredibly gifted novelist Stephen King. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-66437073435921248532015-08-20T16:55:00.004-07:002015-08-20T16:55:48.738-07:00Just call me "Chicken Little"
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When it comes to hitting the panic button, I’m your ace,
clean-up hitter. I go into Def-Con Mode 12 when I don’t know where my sons are or
bad weather’s on the way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My panic
overdrive comes into play when my mom’s involved, and my poor brother Joey is
the one I turn to in trying to turn the heat down on my nerves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He
was the one I called years ago when Mom answered the phone, dropped the receiver
and never came back. He ran to her house, covered in wet paint, and found she’d
forgotten about the phone when someone rang the doorbell. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Joey’s
also the one I call when Mom doesn’t answer her phone if I call late in the
evening or if there’s bad weather. He good-naturedly drives the few blocks over
to her house and checks on her. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even
though I have a “Joey parachute,” we the panic driven are uncomfortable when we
rocket into hyper-drive. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
tell ourselves to calm down and then the images go through our heads – a wreck
on the side of the road and no one discovers our loved ones for hours. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Their
getting robbed and left unconscious on the side of the road – the side of the
road figures quite prominently in our anxiety attacks – and even worse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With
my mother, she’s also diabetic and I’ve been with her when her blood sugar
dropped. To say that was terrifying is an understatement. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hence
the reason I gave her a carton – thank you Costco – of individual-sized packages
of peanuts <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to carry in her purse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Plus
my sensible sister and sisters-in-law make sure Mom has protein-rich snacks
available at all times and regularly restock her fridge and pantry with healthy
meals. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
– Mom I love you – but our mother isn’t the best driver. When we were toddlers,
we’d cry if we had to get in the car with her because she kept turning into the
ditch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She grew
up where there weren’t ditches and then came to Texas where the cars were as
big as freight trains. At only five feet tall, she couldn’t really see over the
steering wheel, and that’s why we landed in the ditch so often. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thinking
about ditches and picturing her stranded in one, I called Joey when Mom didn’t
answer the phone after dinner Friday night and missed our regular Saturday
morning phone call. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Have
you seen Mom,” I nonchalantly asked. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No,
didn’t she call you this morning?” he replied. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
realized she hadn’t talked to anybody in a while, so Joey said he’d go to her
house and check. She’d been there, but nobody knew where she’d gone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
smart sister discovered she’d played Candy Crush early in the morning and
posted on my niece’s Facebook page, but no word from her for over eight hours
and no answer on her cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By
that time, almost all the Hebert siblings were on alert, and we made calls to
where she volunteers and to a couple of friends. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
Mom came rolling into her driveway about 5 p.m., Joey and Debra were waiting on
her, and I know she felt like a teenager who’d been busted for missing curfew. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So
now Mom will make sure her phone’s not on vibrate – she’s disabling that
function – and she promised to carry it with her everywhere she goes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But
on this one, I’ll take the blame for pushing the panic button early on. It’s
what we panickers do, and until the sky really does fall, just call me Chicken
Little. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em>Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-22934328267101359982015-08-06T17:37:00.003-07:002015-08-06T17:37:28.704-07:00... and it's always the red Hawaiian Punch
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My wonderfully talented niece recently posted pictures of
the birthday party she created for her 1-year-old daughter. Amber chose the
theme of “Alice in Wonderland,” and every detail was covered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">She
had green grapes strung through skewers to resemble centipedes. There were lacy
sugar flowers and filigreed place cards featuring the whimsical sayings from
the Lewis Carroll classic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our
great-niece was outfitted in a dress worthy of any little girl wishing they
were Alice, and everybody was clean at the end of the celebration. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Looking at the pictures, I found myself thinking back to
the days when we had our sons’ birthday parties. I tried to talk my boys into
having a party with activities for both girls and boys, but they practically
threw themselves on top of their Transformers in horror. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First, no frilly dresses. Since most of our parties involved
playing ninja on the swing set, party clothes were cut-off jeans and a T-shirt.
I tried to slip a nice shirt over the birthday boy for the pictures, but that
was soon covered with frosting, crushed Chee-tohs and spilled Hawaiian Punch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always
the red Hawaiian Punch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead
of dainty sandwiches and confectionary roses, we had hot dogs roasted over a small
campfire in the back yard. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
tried using skewers once, but metal skewers aren’t meant for food – they’re
swords and the bearer of said skewer instantly turns into a dastardly pirate. That
was the last time we tried that one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No
back-yard hot dog is complete unless it’s covered with lots of catsup and
mustard that drips all over the fronts of their shirts or, in a really classy
move, smears all over the sleeve of their T-shirt because shirt sleeves are
handkerchiefs first, clothing second. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
tried using party hats as favors once, but that didn’t work. The boys punched
the pointed end out and pushed the hats up onto their arms to form a gauntlet,
aka Iron Man or Spider Man, who thinks he can jump off the top of the slide. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
it comes to cakes, we’ve had everything from a Superman cake to a Batman cake
to a Spiderman cake. If you think red Hawaiian Punch is difficult to remove
from a T-shirt, try removing red frosting from the front of that shirt. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or
blue. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or
red and blue frosting mixed with red Hawaiian Punch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
niece had matching napkins for her daughter’s party, and the white tablecloth
coordinated perfectly with the tiered plates and platters of finger foods. Both
she and her daughter wore beautiful dresses and were clean throughout the whole
event. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Forget
napkins at a boy party. All we needed was a water hose and boys willing to hold
their noses and cover their eyes while we hosed them down from their hair to
their sneakers at the end of the shenanigans. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
it came to decorating our house for the boys’ birthday parties, all we had to
do was make sure there was an ice chest on the patio filled with juice boxes and
frozen ice pops. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inside,
breakable items went on top of the fridge, and we rolled up the rugs because
red Hawaiian Punch and cupcakes that accidentally fall frosting side down into
the rug leave their mark forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Especially
red and blue Superman cupcakes that are then smashed into the rug by 5-year-old
boys running through your kitchen on the way to the bathroom to fill balloons
with water. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
it comes down to it, parents do the best they can to make milestone events
special for their children. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No
matter if it’s white petit-fours or red and blue Superman cupcakes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
always the red Hawaiian Punch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-86362911372214172812015-07-30T19:20:00.000-07:002015-07-30T19:20:13.515-07:00Finally, a dessert that takes the cake... literally...
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> We attended a family gathering this
past weekend where everybody always brings a side dish or a dessert to share. I’m
no different, but my dish usually gets pushed to the back behind the condiments
and napkins. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s not like I’m bringing
sauerkraut and onions, but my relatives are such fabulous cooks and bakers, my
paltry offerings just can’t measure up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I dream of offering the dish everyone raves
about, like my Aunt Claudia’s chocolate sheet cake. When we see that cake, covered
with shiny chocolate icing, everybody lines up to make sure they get a square. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The line is just as long for my sister
Diane’s scrumptious banana pudding. She shared her recipe with everyone, but
nobody comes close to making the dessert the exact way she does. It’s so
popular, there’s not even a drop left in the bottom of the bowl. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It’s the same with<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my sister-in-law’s desserts. Janet can take
chocolate chips, flour, sugar and butter and create cookies Mrs. Fields would
envy. Over the years, her desserts have always had center stage and rightly so.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My favorite Janet dessert is her “Striped
Delight.” She combines Cool Whip, cream cheese, chocolate pudding and graham
crackers together for a dessert I wanted to put into my purse and sneak out the
back door with. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">She also makes dynamite lemon squares –
moist on the top and the crust is flaky and never soggy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I’ve tried to recreate their desserts so
I wouldn’t have to wait for them at Christmas or Easter. My sheet cake looked
like Aunt Claudia’s but mine tasted like there was sand in the frosting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Tried to make the lemon squares, but my
crust was like cardboard and I spilled the confectionary sugar all over the floor
and counter. That’s when I decided to just wait for Janet’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I used the same kind of bowl my sister
used for her banana pudding, but all the bananas turned to mush and the vanilla
wafers disintegrated. There was plenty left in the bottom of my bowl at the end
of the meal. And the next day and the next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But I saw a recipe for Butterfinger Cake
and it looked delicious and easy. Start off by baking a yellow cake in a
13x9-inch pan. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes and then poke holes in
the top. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake, making sure to
fill the holes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Next pour a jar of caramel ice cream
topping on top of the cake, saturating the cake with fat and calories. Spread
Cool Whip on top of that and then sprinkle the top with crushed Butterfinger
candy bars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">What’s not to like? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Apparently<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nothing because my cake was the hit of the
afternoon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I stood by my cake with a smile on my
face as my cousins came back for seconds and thirds. I proudly declared that
dessert to be mine as I watched a young child run his finger along the edges to
get every last bit of that cake. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I came home and bragged to my husband
that finally something I baked was praised by all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Was Janet there?” my husband asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Janet caught a stomach virus the night
before the party and couldn’t come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ego balloon busted. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">But the competitor in me says the next
time there’s a family gathering and I know Janet and Diane’s desserts will be
there, my Butterfinger Cake will take its place at the starting line. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Let the best fat and calorie count win. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em>Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-69030565210774978282015-07-23T19:56:00.002-07:002015-07-23T19:56:11.879-07:00No soy at this joint<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was
leaving College Station at one of the heaviest traffic times of the day –
straight up noon – and Texas Avenue was bumper to bumper as far as I could see.
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I tried to think about the Aggie
landmarks I’d seen over the weekend to get my mind off my growling stomach. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was the newly renovated Kyle
Field featuring a huge bronze statue salute to the 12<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Man
tradition. The Memorial Student Center’s request to not walk on the grass
honored those who’d lost their lives in battle and it was impossible to walk
more than a few yards without seeing something Aggie maroon. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My brain was totally immersed in
“howdys” and “gig-ems” but my stomach was yelling “forget looking at Rudder
Tower – look for the Taco Bell tower.” </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seemed every fast-food joint was
clogged with long lines of frustrated drivers, so I kept going, thinking I’d
find something less crowded on my way home. I saw all the familiars, but I
wanted something more than a soy patty with a pre-measured squirt of mustard
and ketchup on a stale bun. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the time I got to Navasota, my
stomach was ready to mutiny, so I pulled off. I saw the fast food golden
arches, but I decided to check out the downtown area. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whenever we travel, we often bypass
the chains and look for an in-town eatery, and so I decided to give Navasota a
try. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wasn’t disappointed. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just minutes past the busy highway were
stately homes surrounded by sweeping green lawns and shaded by giant trees. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pretty soon I was in the downtown
area on Washington Avenue, and I saw a sign on the left-hand side in front of
The Filling Station advertising the “Hell Burger” and “The Dead Texan.” That
looked interesting, so I pulled in, my stomach thanking me. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A happy teenager welcomed me and
handed me a menu. While she finished checking out a customer, I looked around
at the diner that had once been a gas station. There was a homey feel inside, a
welcome relief from restaurants that all look the same. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few microphone stands and a set of
drums stood out of the way by one wall, and the scuffed concrete floors said
there’d been quite a few Texas two-steps danced in here. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I looked at the people in the
restaurant and noticed lots of cowboy hats and cammo hats. Two young boys
wearing baseball hats and cleats, their feet not quite touching the floor,
talked sports with their dad in one corner while a businessman read a newspaper
– not his phone – over a basket of chicken tenders. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When it was my turn to order, I
asked the waitress for a recommendation. She said I’d be happy with their
100-percent beef burger because they went to the butcher and market every day.
I took her up on her offer and got my burger and fries to go since I had a long
drive in front of me. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To say she was right about that
burger is an understatement. After a weekend of same-old, same-old cafeteria
food, that hot, well-seasoned hamburger hit the spot. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know the difference between soy
burgers and real burgers, and this one was genuine. The fries were crispy on
the outside and soft on the inside, and the veggies on th</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">e
burger were cold and crisp. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Something tells me I’ll be back to
this quiet gem just south of Aggie Land. I just hope The Filling Station’s got
a slice of from-scratch apple pie reserved for a weary traveler. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-25649609775015254042015-07-16T08:20:00.005-07:002015-07-16T08:20:59.169-07:00How many times can I hit that like button?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Intrigued, I read a column from a writer who decided to stop
hitting the “like” button on Facebook. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elan
Morgan said she didn’t want to help Facebook’s advertisers track her online
life. She wanted to know what would happen if she stopped liking posts and
instead added comments. In that way, she could reconnect with people through
words. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s a lot of merit in what she wrote, but frankly,
this world needs a lot more likes, and I don’t care if Facebook knows what I
like. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This is what they’ll find – I love desserts. If somebody
posts a recipe for a chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate icing,
I’m liking that bad boy from here to Tuesday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Likewise with any dessert that includes crushed candy
bars on top. I liked a recipe for one calling for a can of sweetened condensed
milk, a whole jar of caramel topping and Butterfinger candy bars and my hips
are still not speaking to me. I’m seeing a lot more recipes for desserts on my
Facebook feed, and all I can say is “bring it on.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I also “like” pictures people post of their family, and
if your son or daughter loses a tooth, catches a huge fish or wins a trophy,
I’ll immediately “like” that post because I know you’re a proud parent. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If
you post a picture of your grandbaby, I’ll “like” that picture a dozen times
over. That’s because I know what it’s like to be over-the-moon crazy about your
grandchildren. I’ll take it further and comment that her smile is gorgeous, his
rosy cheeks are adorable and she looks just like her mama. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
if Facebook wants to track that I love babies, then track away, social media
giant. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you post a YouTube video of the stupidest answers from
“Family Feud,” I will immediately “like” that post. In a world of apocalypse
endings, crooked politicians and global warming -- oh, I’m sorry, climate
change -- a laugh from the question “name something that comes after the word
pork” and the contestant’s answer is “cupine,” is exactly what I need. Track
away. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I won’t “like” your obscene or vulgar links on Facebook, and
I’ll admit to being a fuddy-duddy when I see photos of young girls in “hoochie-mama”
clothes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A
word of advice girls – don’t debase yourself by posting half naked selfies to
the world. Have more dignity and pride and remember that true beauty comes from
the inside. Not your bosom. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I also won’t “like” stupid human trick videos because
somebody’s always getting hurt, and I don’t find that humorous. I’ll watch your
smart dog tricks videos all evening long but politely skip over any video of a
cat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ll “like” your vacation pictures but I wish there was a
“green-with-envy” button. I laugh over the Maxine posers and the snarky e-cards
with comments like “I just wanted to lose weight by staying in bed, watching TV
and eating Girl Scout cookies. Is that really too much to ask?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For those with sad posts, such as the passing of a
relative or the loss of a pet, “liking” the post is surface sympathetic. If I
can, I’ll pull an old-fashioned move and give you a phone call because nothing
beats human contact. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While I think Morgan has valid points, I’ll not be stingy
with my “likes.” If that means Facebook knows I like dogs, ice cream and clips
from “The Office,” I’ll keep hitting that button and add to the positivity in
this world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even if, sigh, you post a video of your cat.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-87565117627103295212015-07-09T20:55:00.003-07:002015-07-09T20:55:32.692-07:00Bodies in Motion .. can we say 'hokey pokey?'
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> With a milestone birthday looming at the end of the
summer, I decided to follow the experts’ advice – eat healthier, get more sleep
and exercise. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A good first step in eating healthier is avoiding the
chips and salsa when we go to a restaurant. I tried asking our servers not to
bring the chips to the table, but I thought my boys were going to string me up
like a piñata. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I try to get more sleep, but between the dog and my
allergies, I’m up at 3 a.m. and then fighting a losing battle to get more shut
eye.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And that brings us to exercise. I know the health
benefits of exercise, and I know I’ll feel so much better if I get moving, but I
find all kinds of reasons to choose the couch over the cross trainers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>First, it’s too hot outside. When it’s 85 degrees before
7 in the morning and the humidity hovers at 99.9 percent, it’s tough for me to
put on cheerleading pom poms and hit the pavement. At night, the gnats and
mosquitoes are so vicious, not even Deep Woods Off does the job.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not
willing to pay $69.95 for an exercise video through Amazon, I jumped on YouTube
– telling myself that was not exercise – thinking all I had to lose was a
couple of chins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was amazed at the number of free exercise videos
offered. I first clicked on an aerobics fanatic <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in skin-tight cheetah leotards sweating,
jumping and barking orders at the camera. I was terrified just watching her. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So I searched for “exercises for older women.” I found a strange
lady with an exercise studio next to her hypnosis room. She pointed out the
rolls of fat on her abdomen, gave sex advice and would break into an Irish jig
from time to time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then there was the aerobics instructor with a ball cap on
sideways showing the audience how to punch and jab to get in shape. After he
viciously <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lunged at the camera for the
third time, I decided he was a bit too intense for me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There was a video for those who simply want to walk. This
instructor pretty much stayed in one place, stepping in place like a wooden
soldier. The work out wasn’t too intense as judged by her dog that slept next
to her the entire video. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I found one with two women who promised an
easy-to-understand workout for beginners. I decided to jump in with these two,
and I did all the arm waves, the jumps and winged my way through the dance
steps. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I thought I was doing quite well until I caught a glimpse
of myself in the mirror. The sight of my arms flailing and fat jiggling while
trying to maintain straight posture wasn’t pretty and I was grateful nobody had
a camera capturing my work-out moves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then I remembered years ago when I used to watch “Gilead –
Bodies in Motion” exercise videos on television. I’d come home from work, fix
my son a snack, and then I’d do the exercises that gorgeous hunk was showing
his audience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thirty years later, Gil is still around, still gorgeous,
and still for free but now he’s also on the Internet. I put on a pair of
shorts, cranked up the computer speakers and started following along. After 10
minutes, I was out of breath and my legs were cramping. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My last stop is seeing if anybody’s come up with an
exercise video to the hokey pokey. I believe I can master that one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You put your right foot in…” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-11452048463209669702015-07-02T19:20:00.000-07:002015-07-02T19:20:07.361-07:00Freedoms of the Fourth
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This Saturday is the Fourth of July, a day when we
celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in America. Sometimes the real reason for the
Fourth gets buried underneath watermelon rinds and hot dog buns, but the majority
of Americans appreciate the high price so many men and women paid for liberty. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The list of those freedoms is long, but there are a few
that jump to the top of the list. First, the right to disagree. Over the past
few weeks, we’ve engaged in heated arguments about sensitive political topics. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No
matter what side of the issue you’re on, the fact that you can freely voice
that opinion is one of the building blocks of our country. And even though
there are those who want to silence the voices that disagree with them, that’s
not the way the hand is played in the United States. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
once worked for a man who’d immigrated to America from Hungary under mysterious
circumstances. One day, I casually asked how he came to this country and he stated
talking. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In his
country, people could talk about politics in public places but they didn’t. If
you were overheard disagreeing with the politicians in power, the police would
come knocking at your door, and you’d be hauled off for questioning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wanting better, in the middle of the night, he went to an
unfenced spot on the border and waited for the guard to pass. When the guard
was far enough away, this guy took off running. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He said he could hear the guard yelling at him to stop,
but he kept going with just the clothes on his back and the little money he’d
saved. A week later, someone was shot crossing the border at that exact spot. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The right to speak your mind without worrying the police
will come pounding at your door at three in the morning is something I’m
extremely thankful for in this country. Sure we get hate emails or nasty looks
when we do speak our mind, but with freedom comes the risk you’ll offend
someone.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m thankful
we can travel all over this country’s 3 million square miles without anyone
stopping us at the state line, demanding a passport or official papers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not
only can we follow the wide-open roads, we can follow our dreams, from anchoring
a set of bull horns to the front grill of our old caddy to starting our own
business and watching our ideas become reality. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take
a look at NASA –engineers believed we could land on the moon, and they accomplished
that feat. Because we dreamed we could explore the universe, we know what the
surface of Mars looks like and our satellites continue to find new planets and
stars. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More
than anything, Americans are willing to take a chance. Here in Fort Bend
County, we brought in community and technical colleges as well as a major university,
hoping enough people would want to further their education. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thousands
have filled those classrooms, believing an education is their best shot at
achieving the American dream. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That
dream is different for all of us. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about his
vision for America. So did Bobby Kennedy, Oscar De La Hoya, Steve Jobs, Oprah
Winfrey and the family that runs the store on the corner. Thousands of people have
followed their gut and made their dream a reality. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Americans
put into action what we imagine in our heads because we have the freedom to pursue
our dreams. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So
when those fireworks go off this Fourth of July, I’ll be giving thanks for the
freedoms we enjoy and to the brave people who paid the price for those
freedoms. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-7686143462077034912015-06-25T06:24:00.000-07:002015-06-25T06:24:10.460-07:00The undercurrent of prejudice
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Growing
up in New York state, I seldom saw a person of color, but my Lebanese family probably
qualified as the official immigrants in the city. We were darker skinned than people
with last names like Anderson and Clark. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We did our best to fit in – we loved potato salad and fried
chicken, but we ate food our “American” friends couldn’t pronounce – kibbee,
tabooley and fataya. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our
grandparents spoke Arabic to each other instead of English, even though the
first order of business my grandfather performed at his store each and every
morning was to post the American flag. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When my family moved to Louisiana, I was in middle school
and definitely the outsider. Trying to fit into the established culture of
Louisiana in the late 1960s wasn’t easy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I spoke with a pronounced Northern accent and, worse than
any other social mistake, I was a “Yankee.” The prejudice toward people
different than those who grew up in that town was subtle but it was there. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It
was in the way elderly people of color deferred to the white people. It was in
the way older whites spoke to people of color, the superior tone in their
voices conveying a flawed belief that they were better because of the lightness
of their skin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the aisles of the Winn Dixie, I heard quiet talk of
the Ku Klux Klan, and whispers of Klan meetings in our Louisiana town. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But I came to see black people differently through a
classmate, Gerald. He was smart, funny and had a constant smile. He was the
first friend I had who was not white, and he made me see that just because
people are a different color on the outside doesn’t mean we’re different on the
inside. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But he still couldn’t come to our houses, nor we to his, and
that wall was one we didn’t think we could ever tear down because prejudice was
part of the Southern fabric of life in those days. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not
only that, but people were scared. No one wanted a cross burned in their yard,
and there were whispered stories of families who’d had that happen because they
were supportive of civil rights. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Confederate flag was flown openly and proudly and no one questioned why we flew
the flag of slavery and prejudice at the same level as the American flag that
stood for equality and freedom. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That’s because the Confederate flag – like offensive
bumper stickers and racist and homosexual jokes at parties – are seen and heard
so often that society becomes desensitized to just how hurtful and damaging
those signs are. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the time for overlooking is over. The heart-breaking
and horrible hate crime that took place in Charleston S.C. is a wake-up call to
the undercurrents of prejudice in this country. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A despicable
white man sat down in a historic African-American church and listened to members
talk about the word of God for over an hour. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then he pulled out a gun and killed them, face to face,
in cold blood. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The word “monster” doesn’t come close. Evil, twisted and
doomed to hell are more appropriate. He won’t get the “mentally ill” or “terrorist”
pass from me. I won’t repeat his name because to do so would give him even more
publicity. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The names I will repeat, with respect, sadness and sorrow
are those who lost their lives that day: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depayne Middleton Doctor, Cynthia Hurd, Susie
Jackson, Ethel Lance, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, the Rev. Dr.
Daniel Simmons Sr., Sharonda Coleman-Singleton and Myra Thompson. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We can help them rest in peace by no longer ignoring subtle
prejudices. Take down those Confederate flags, and scrape them off truck
windows. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stop
judging a person by the color of their skin. Don’t listen to the racial jokes
or look the other way when you see injustice. Stop excusing cruel behavior
because they’re “good ole boys.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And remember what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression
and cruelty of the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-41373498340815934742015-06-11T13:46:00.002-07:002015-06-11T13:46:46.162-07:00The woes of waxing and looking like your Uncle Eli
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span> There’s two family reunions this summer, and my to-do
list for the first one is pretty short – print my boarding pass, load up books for
my Kindle and get my face waxed. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My heritage is half Lebanese and half Cajun. Although I’m
not sure what side passed on the abundant hair gene, I do know that for all of
my life, I’ve dealt with hairy arms, hairy legs and a hairy face. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
I was a teenager, my older cousin, Sylvia, took me under her wing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She showed me a green and white box, “Jolen Crème Bleach,”
and told me the paste inside would hide my moustache. The directions said the crème
would turn dark hair into soft light hair. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since
I had more hair on my upper lip than my Uncle Eli, I took her advice and used
the bleach. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To my inexperienced eyes, the hair disappeared. What I’m
sure it looked like was this clueless<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dark-skinned
girl with dark hair walking around with a blonde moustache, fooling no one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I was in my 20’s, I was having a free facial. The
lady told me two things – I should have two eyebrows, not one, and electrolysis
was the solution for the hair on my lip. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Talk about a double burn. It’s not enough that I walked
around with a hairy lip, now I had to contend with my uni-brow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My
Lebanese/Cajun eyebrow went from one side of my face to the other side. That
woman told me to buy a good pair of tweezers and start plucking. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
took her advice to heart and got after that uni-brow. So much, in fact, that my
eyebrows would have to cross the width of the Mississippi River to touch again.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But tweezing and electrolysis hurts. So when my pain
threshold and checkbook both started screaming in pain, I told myself to live
with the hair. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
became adept at talking with my finger over my upper lip and I learned how to
position my hand in just the right way under my nose so people thought I was
deep in thought, not trying to hide something. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then a friend suggested waxing. It was much cheaper than
electrolysis, she said, and not as expensive. All I had to lose was some hair,
so I went with my sister and sisters-in-law to a salon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s
the conversation from that visit:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I’d like to get my upper lip waxed, please.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The lady looks closer. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Oh, you need your brows done too,” she says. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So when I get in the room, she takes out a magnifying glass
and says I need my chin, the sides of my face, my eyebrows and along the
hairline all waxed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In other words, the whole face. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To the non-informed, waxing consists of going into a softly
lit room with gentle music playing. Then a quiet woman with tiny hands comes
into the room and assures you everything will be okay. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She takes a wooden stick and dips it in a pot. She tells
you the mixture will be warm on your face, which it is, and you begin to relax.
Then this nice woman puts a piece of cotton gauze over the warm wax and gently
rubs it over the wax. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The tender
woman instantly mutates into Magilla Gorilla who, with one mighty tug, rips the
wax and gauze off your face along with every hair follicle in its way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You want to dunk your head in a bucket of ice water to
stop the stinging. But then Magilla’s applying that nice warm wax to another
hairy spot and you realize the truth – your hair, your problem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So at the family reunions this summer, I know how to
figure out who’s related to me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The girls who look like my Uncle Eli. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-88540114097652026202015-06-04T17:55:00.002-07:002015-06-04T17:56:31.083-07:00No advice for Class of 2015, just a few suggestions... <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Parents
are biting their knuckles as they watch their sons and daughters packing for a
new life in a dormitory or apartment. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
kids think they have life all figured out. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mom
and Dad know differently. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Internet is filled with graduate advice and life
lessons, and family members feel it’s their duty to make sure they impart the
wisdom they’ve learned over the years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But
teenagers ignore any speech that starts with “let me give you a little advice”
because they know everything. Let’s be honest – they do know everything because
what they don’t have in their heads, they can find on their phone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Suggestions and bits of folksy advice don’t work. So,
Class of 2015, here’s some “get ‘er done” words: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t look like an
idiot</b>. Your phone’s pretty smart, but there are some things you need to
know to impress those over the age of 35. Why? Unless you’re working at a
fast-food joint, those are the people signing your paycheck. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You
should know the names of the Beatles. They’re John, George, Ringo and Paul.
Chuck Berry was the first true rock-and-roll legend, even though Elvis is the
king. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nobody can replace Marilyn Monroe when it comes to sex
appeal, James Brown is the godfather of soul and Karen Carpenter had the voice
of an angel. If you don’t know who these artists were, fire up Google. And
commit that to memory. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Learn some manners</b>.
Chew with your mouth closed, open the door for others, hold your fork like an
eating utensil, not a shovel, and put your dirty clothes in the hamper. Don’t
drop them on the floor like a snake shedding its skin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thank others on a
regular basis</b>. This order comes courtesy of Terry High Football Coach Tim
Teykl. People like to be acknowledged for what they do, and they are seldom
recognized. Be the one that rights that oversight. But not through a text. Show
some class – write them a note. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quit driving like
a maniac</b>. Obey the speed limits. Quit changing lanes like you’re playing
hop-scotch. Use the signals more than your horn. Don’t tailgate and keep at
least a half tank of gas in your vehicle at all times. You never know when an
emergency’s coming up. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stop texting and
driving</b>. The most important direct order you’ll ever get because the life
you save may be yours or your mother’s or your sister’s. No life is worth
driving 80 miles per hour because you want to show off or get there faster. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be nice to people.</b>
This is basic kindergarten advice, graduates. Not only is being nice the right
thing to do, but you never know when that person you told off is going to be
your boss. Vent to your dog. He’ll never repeat what you said and he’s much
more forgiving than people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Save your money</b>.
It’s so tempting to get the latest phone upgrade, order more movies from
NetFlix or buy those new shoes. Quit buying fad items and put that money in a
sock in your drawer until you regain your senses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Find something
good in every person you meet</b>. Most people have good inside them. Look
until you find it. But know when to stop wasting your time because it’s most
people, not all people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And there you have it, Class of 2015, some suggestions
for life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t thank me – I’m simply
telling you the same thing your parents and grandparents have been telling you
all your life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So
do what they say. You’ll be glad you did. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.</em></span></o:p></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-70445571667391629952015-05-28T19:38:00.002-07:002015-05-28T19:39:07.776-07:00Learning to dance in the rain<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
lightning show was incredible. Throughout the night, my living room lit up as
if I’d flipped a giant light switch on and off and there were a thousand
sparklers in the room. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A
second later, the skies rumbled and roared so forcefully, the house shuddered.
The rain pounded on the side of the house so hard, I thought it would take the
paint off. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s tough to look at the pictures of flooded highways in
Houston and not feel sorry for all those who lost property or were scared
during the rampage. Not to offend those affected by the flooding, people in
California, farmers or gardeners, but oh, there are times I miss the drought. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the past five years, most of Texas didn’t see a drop
of rain. This year, the drought ended, and we’re getting the rain we prayed
for. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But
there are things about the drought I found myself missing as our dog sat across
my lap in the middle of the night, shaking with fear from the storm outside. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mosquitoes</b>.
When we were in the middle of the drought, we went to an outdoor concert, and it
never occurred to me to bring mosquito repellent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now with the rains, I can’t walk to my mailbox without
spraying myself with “Off.” Coming home, I opened the car door to get the
newspaper at the end of the driveway, and, not thinking, left the door open. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By
the time I closed the door, there were 10 hungry mosquitoes buzzing around in
my car. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Umbrellas</b>. For
five years, I never wondered where I’d left my umbrella. When the drought
ended, I had to search all over the house for one. The umbrella I did find was dry
rotted from lack of use and I had to throw it away. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Outside parties</b>.
We never had to wonder if we’d have to cancel an outdoor event during the long,
dry spell. We knew it wasn’t going to rain for weeks. Swim party? Any day from
May through September was just fine. Not only no rain but no mosquitoes –
double bonus. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No surprises</b>.
The weather forecast for 2010-2014 was – hot, hotter, hotter than Hades. Every
single day. At the time, it was miserable, but with all these rains, flooded
streets and never knowing if the skies are going to open up and drench
everything in sight, a little dry spell would be welcome. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fire ants</b>.
These vicious little critters are the scourge of the earth, worse than locusts
and stinging caterpillars. During the drought, they escaped deep underground
and weren’t as much of a problem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now that it’s raining, it’s as if they signaled each hibernating
colony to rise up and build mega-cities across our lawn. The company that
discovers a way to eradicate these beasts, short of a flame thrower, should win
every science prize ever invented. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To be fair, there are things I missed during the drought –
a sky filled with fluffy white clouds, rainbows after a late-afternoon shower,
splashing through water puddles and the sounds of light rain on the roof. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But after seeing a sky filled with ominous black clouds,
late-afternoon showers that last for days, water puddles that turn into raging
rivers and rain on the roof that sounds as if angry aliens are starting an
invasion, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for dusty roads. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I suppose we’ll have to take what Mother Nature dishes
out, get out our boots and dance in the rain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </span><o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-65507615550049070202015-05-21T20:33:00.002-07:002015-05-21T20:33:17.253-07:0076 trombones... and not a bit of color
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of the most beautiful Houston venues is The Hobby
Center for Performing Arts where Theatre Under the Stars, TUTS, stages
productions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last
week, I had the chance to see “The Music Man” with a group of teens, most of
whom had never been to the center. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They were amazed at the majesty of the theater, and we
were all holding our breath when the curtain went up for the first scene. “The
Music Man” opens with a group of fast-talking traveling salesmen. The dialogue
is rapid fire, the stage car set was beautiful and the costumes were spot on. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
then I noticed it – all the salesmen were White. In fact, there wasn’t a person
of color in the entire cast. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know “The Music Man” takes place in Iowa in 1912. Back
then, people of color, if they were even included in a show, were either chauffeurs
or maids. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure when Meredith Wilson
wrote the musical in the 1950s, he didn’t think about including different races.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I
sat there, squirming a little in my seat, I wondered why TUTS was staging a
musical with an all-white cast in a city as diverse as Houston. It could be for
the money as “The Music Man” is a well-known play and brings in the bucks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps they think we shouldn’t tamper with the original
script or change the writer’s vision or words. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rubbish.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Theater
and music are nothing if not creative and cutting edge. True artists push the
envelope for society and, as a result, works of art are often adapted to reach a
modern audience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of the most popular modern musicals is “West Side
Story.” It was written in the 1960s as an updated Romeo and Juliet love story.
I don’t remember Shakespeare reciting “When you’re a shark,” in his works, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but the new story line stayed true to
Shakespeare’s words while still reflecting prejudices between families, races
and cultures. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I flipped through the playbook to see what TUTS is
offering the rest of the season, and here’s a list of their upcoming shows:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Matilda The Musical,” “A Christmas Story, “Bridges
of Madison County, “Mary Poppins,” “Oliver” and “A Gentleman’s Guide.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All
White people. To be fair, two productions, “The Little Mermaid” and “Cinderella”
feature one or two cast members who are different ethnicities. “Hairspray” has
a strong message about the Civil Rights movement. But it’s not being staged in
The Hobby Centre. We’ll have to sit outside to see that one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During
intermission, I asked some of the teens if they were enjoying the show. They
gushed about the beautiful surroundings and the quality of the performers and
the orchestra. Then I asked if they noticed anything about the cast. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One Black
girl said she noticed there wasn’t a face of color in the cast but said that’s
just the way it is. A young man standing nearby said he noticed the same thing
and came to the same conclusion. White teens noticed the same omission and said
it was a bit uncomfortable to be sitting next to students of different races
and not seeing anybody like their friends on the stage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That
the White students noticed the slight gave me hope. But the students of color
who said “that’s just the way it is” saddened me more than the lack of
diversity on the stage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our
high schools don’t have a problem mixing races and cultures when casting plays,
and the audience, the players and our communities are richer for that decision.
Those directors understand that talent trumps ethnicity and race every single
time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too
bad the “professionals” don’t get it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em>Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-48881012036825609452015-05-15T20:01:00.003-07:002015-05-15T20:01:54.397-07:00Coming full circle -- in my car
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The first thing I did on my 15<sup>th</sup>
birthday was stand in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Baker, La. so
I could earn my driver’s license. I was there before the office opened because
I couldn’t wait to start driving legally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I always wanted to drive, and I begged
to sit next to my dad on long car trips. He’d explain how to keep up with
traffic, how to merge and how to conquer the interstate. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">In town, I practiced in our old Ford
sedan. I don’t remember much about that car except it was a standard with the
stick shift on the steering column and it was fast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I was a senior in high school, my
dad gave me his old Pontiac Executive. That car was a lumbering tank, and five
could sit across the back seat with no problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The car had a few issues – I had to
pump the brakes to stop and mornings required my holding the choke valve closed
so my brother could crank it up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the car was mine, and it was a sad
day when we sold that Pontiac. After that came a few junkers until I bought my
very first car – a white 1980 Honda that was just right as it was usually just
me and our eldest son. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But as much as I liked that little
car, eventually we had to get a bigger vehicle for our growing family, and we
became owners of a minivan, the suburban parents’ go-to vehicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Although some people turn their noses
up at minivans, I loved ours. In fact, I loved our minivans so much, we owned two
back to back to accommodate bats, bikes and boys. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I pushed our last van a little too
far, though. I didn’t want to put 600 miles on a new vehicle, so I took our aging
minivan to Louisiana one last time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That was a huge mistake as it kept
overheating. I finally called my husband to rescue us in Beaumont, and that was
the last time I saw our minivan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By this time, though, our boys were
grown, and it was time to downsize. I bought a sedan and came to enjoy a
smaller car. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">When my father passed away, I cried almost
every afternoon in that car, missing my dad so much, I thought my heart would
break. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One afternoon, somebody rear ended me
and bent the frame. When I saw the car in the junk yard, I thought I’d be happy
to see that sad car out of my life, but I stood there and cried one last time
for the loss of my safe place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Two more sedans followed; but as our
grandchildren now number four, we decided to move back up to a larger vehicle
to accommodate the youngsters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It might seem odd to upsize, but the right
car’s been in my life at the right time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">A huge Pontiac Executive kept a
know-it-all teenager safe and sound. That little white Honda was sporty and
economical, just like my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The minivans suited our family
perfectly; and when I transitioned from a baseball mom to a working woman,
sedans fit the bill. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Now I’ve moved into needing a vehicle
that will keep our grandchildren safe and sound. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because I’m hoping one day my
granddaughter will sit in the front and we can talk about the rules of the road
and the joy of driving. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And come full circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-88816089441200743432015-05-07T18:33:00.000-07:002015-05-07T18:33:33.111-07:00What moms really want. Hint, it's not a bathrobe<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mother’s Day is a tough holiday. While it’s a day to
celebrate Mom, my heart aches as there are so many people who’ve lost their
mother to illness or an accident. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then
there are those whose mothers are alive but were never invested in their child’s
life. The adult child has no reason to shower flowers and bathrobes on a woman
who never seemed to care. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s
the moms who weren’t born into that role but gladly took on mom
responsibilities and love their children with all their heart. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
let’s not forget dads who step in for moms due to circumstances beyond their
control. They learn to braid hair, console a broken heart and find out the best
place to get a mani or pedi when their girl’s having a tough week. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Throughout
the ages, women have struggled to be the perfect mom. Many moms of the 1970s
and 1980s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tried to balance the home
front and an out-of-the-house job. Most of the time, we succeeded, but there
were quite a few fast-food dinners at the ball park<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we probably regret. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moms
of the 1990s bought into the theory that we could have a pre-dawn exercise
routine, hold down high-powered jobs, enroll 2.5 children on every soccer,
baseball, softball, yoga and swimming team within 50 miles of our house and still
get our exhausted family in the minivan for a happy ride into the sunset. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some
moms of the 2000’s are trying to be like Beyonce or Princess Kate, both of whom
seemed to drop the baby weight like we drop a Hot Pocket snagged out of the
microwave. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
still haven’t grasped the reality that the best moms have their own style. They
rear their offspring with a firm hand and a loving heart. They’re always a mom,
whether they’re wearing designer jeans, sweat pants, on crutches, in a
wheelchair or washing your dirty laundry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moms
never eat the last piece of pizza or the last scoop of vanilla ice cream. In
fact, the word “last” figures high in their vocabulary – they’re the last ones to
turn off the lights in a child’s bedroom and the last one out of the kitchen at
night. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So
what do moms want on Mother’s Day? To hear their child’s voice, whether they’re
5 or 60 years old. Remember, this is the voice that called out to them in the
middle of the night and yelled in triumph after catching a lizard in the flower
bed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This
is the voice that telephoned for rides after they missed the bus, asked a
thousand times if they had any clean underwear and, at least a million times,
asked if there was anything to eat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There
are moms who would give anything to hear their child’s voice just one more
time, and every person’s heart breaks for that parent. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
there are “those voices,” the whiney ones that swore their lives were ruined
because we were too strict or wouldn’t let them wear makeup or short skirts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids,
I’ll tell you a secret. Moms will tell you they don’t remember that voice. They
only remember the way your voice sounded when they tucked you in at night and
you whispered “Sleep next to me, mommy, so I feel safe.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On
this Mother’s Day, remember it’s not the expensive gifts, lunch at a fancy
restaurant or a new bathrobe that’ll make your mother happy. It’s your voice she
wants to hear. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So call,
just to say you love her, and remind her that, at this point in time, you’ll be
the one to keep her safe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<em>This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-8644213325247319122015-04-23T17:25:00.002-07:002015-04-23T17:25:57.051-07:00A good education begins in the home<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The expression
“blue-collar” worker doesn’t resonate like it used to, but I understand the term
because I grew up in a blue-collar town. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our
parents didn’t drive new cars nor did we. We were expected to use our manners and
to respect the older people in our community. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
worst offense we could commit was having a teacher call home to report we’d
misbehaved in class. Not only did you get in trouble from your mom, but your
grandparents, aunts and cousins joined in because you brought shame to the
family. Let’s not even talk about when dad got home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It
didn’t matter your race, creed, color or religion – parents expected their
children to behave and the kids who didn’t listen were the minority. They did,
however, keep us entertained while we finished our work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids
today are still entertained by the class clown, but instead of getting in
trouble with the school and then at home, troublemakers get a slap on the wrist
and society makes excuses for their poor behavior. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
that’s when the trouble really starts. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When
out-of-control students are allowed to have their way, good educators fear for
their safety and decide to leave before they lose their desire to teach. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually
mediocre ones take their place, and students who want to learn are forced to do
so on their own amidst disrespect, chaos and boorish behavior. Worse than that,
they are left behind because no one’s there to encourage them in the classroom.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are hundreds of theories about how to change
behavior, but one theory is absolutely true -- the reality of dollars and
cents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If
you run off good educators, you’re stuck with ones who are in the classroom for
the paycheck. Students only learn the basics, if that, and graduate from high
school at the bottom of the educational ladder. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They try and get a good job but they can’t because they
don’t have the basics. Remember, the bullies ran the good teachers off. These
students are left to scrape by all their lives at jobs they hate because they
didn’t get an education during their formative years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the flip side, at schools where parents teach their
children to respect teachers, respect each other and respect themselves,
learning takes place. The household paycheck has nothing to do with the ability
to learn respect. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Good
manners are the responsibility of the parent to teach the child and then hold
that child accountable. It should not be the school’s job to teach your child
to sit in their seat, stop talking and learn something. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mom
and dad, that’s your job. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Parents, put down the remote and the cell phone. Teach
your children at every opportunity. Have conversations at the dinner table,
even if that’s over take-out burgers. Teach them to wait their turn, to use
words instead of fists and to have a thirst for knowledge. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Teach them to respect their elders and, if they don’t
like the rules, learn effective ways to change them. Until then, respect the
law, respect society and respect themselves enough to know they need a good
education to get ahead in life. The class clowns and thugs are robbing them of
the most important intangible they’ll ever have access to – an education. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No matter the color of your skin, your home address or
your ethnicity, having high expectations and constantly reaching for them is what
separates the educated from the ignorant. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If
you want the best chance for your child to be successful, tell them that the
only sure-fire way out of a situation they don’t like is an education. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
that education begins at home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></span></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-79898681501911193292015-04-16T18:40:00.000-07:002015-04-16T18:40:52.914-07:00Stand up - it's an honorable way to live<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve had a variety of jobs, starting with babysitting
when I was 12 years old. The eldest of seven children, I had a lot of on-the-job
experience and landed an after-school job watching two boys when I was in high
school. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the weekends, I worked at a movie theater. I’ve filled
more bags of popcorn than I can count and sold hundreds of boxes of Jujubees. I
was just a face behind the counter, not worth much respect, but the job helped
me put gas in my car and pay my insurance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I worked as a temporary office worker for Kelly Girl to
pay my college tuition. Because we were temps, nobody in the office bothered to
learn our names or invite us to lunch. Up to that point, jobs were a way to
earn money, nothing more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then started the most satisfying and lowest-paying job of
my life – mom. I went through all the stereotypical situations stay-at-home
moms experience and learn to surface laugh about. That included having nothing
to talk about at parties except the plot lines on “Sesame Street.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When the boys were in school all day, I started working
part-time at this newspaper. The arrangement was a great fit because I could be
home with my sons but contribute to society as a feature writer. I was
fortunate to interview and write about the best people in our county. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Somewhere
along the way, though, reporters got blamed for biased reporting and the
profession I came to love was vilified because of a few bad apples. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I went back to college to earn my bachelor’s degree and a
teaching position opened up. For eight years now, I’ve been teaching high
school journalism, passing on my love and passion for not only writing but for
showing young journalists they can change the world in a positive way with
their words. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And once again, the profession I’ve chosen has come under
attack. People want to blame all of society’s woes on teachers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s
a nasty and misleading bill before the Texas House of Representatives, SB893,
that not only slashes teacher salaries but will quickly drive out dedicated
teachers who believe in education but realistically have to feed their
families. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve called and written my representatives opposing this
bill, and I urge others to do the same. And not just in support of educators
but for any bill that’s written for special interest groups and not society as
a whole. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m
tired of being the scapegoat in my chosen profession. Instead of giving up, I’m
fighting for respect, and it’s time to give credit where credit is due. Moms, your
job is the basic building block of society, whether you’re working outside the
home or in the home. Don’t let anyone belittle what you do.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teachers,
your job is to educate and enlighten. Fight for what’s right and show your
students that when good people sit back and do nothing, the bad guys win. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And
reporters – your job is to keep watch and report. We’re counting on you to make
sure justice prevails and to keep digging until you find the truth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No matter what career path you follow, make your voice
heard when you see legislation going up for a vote that’s on the side of
special interest groups, not the common guy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Standing
up publicly for what you believe is an honorable way to live. And, if I pay
attention to what my parents, my teachers and my editors told me, it’s the only
way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<em><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </span></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-65748779652236174352015-04-09T18:30:00.001-07:002015-04-09T18:30:45.774-07:00Lessons learned from my mom
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> One of the downsides of living in the country and working
in the city is the commute time. I’m grateful I don’t have to drive through
rush-hour traffic or battle the “spaghetti bowls” of Houston. But an hour
commute each day does have its perks. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The main advantage is I talk with my mom every day on my
way home. She always wants to know how I’m doing and then there’s my standard
questions about her blood sugar and what she did that day. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Her days are filled with more activities than someone a
third her age. She volunteers at the local hospital’s gift shop, she helps
count the money at church and she makes refreshments for the people in my
brother’s religious education class. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There’s lots of laughter in our conversations and most of
the time, our talks center around the present. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today’s conversation started with talking about our
getting a bigger vehicle so we can transport our grandchildren from their new
house back to ours for weekend visits. That led into when our family moved from
New York to Louisiana. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was going into the seventh grade, and the story I was
told was that my dad wanted us in his home state, Louisiana, because he couldn’t
stand shoveling snow any more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We had to sell our toys, our furniture and most of our
belongings and move into a house a third the size of what we had up north.
Worse, we were moving away from my mom’s entire family.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually
we made friends, but those first few years weren’t easy. My mom made sure we
all attended Mass and ate Sunday dinner together and she established holiday
traditions we’ve carried over in our own extended families. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What I didn’t realize until our conversation today was
that my Dad left because he’d failed at every business opportunity he had up
there and was desperate. That left my Mom with six children to take care of, so
she went back to school and got a job. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She wasn’t sure he would come back, but when my Dad returned
with a U-Haul, Mom made the decision to leave her parents and move to Louisiana
with a broken husband and six young children. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
asked how she came to that decision and she said the answer was simple – they’d
promised each other in church to raise a family together, and they weren’t
going to break that promise until they’d given their life another chance. And
just as important, she wanted her family together. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So she put what she thought her children needed in place
of what was easy for her. She doesn’t judge single mothers – she stood by me 35
years ago when I found myself in that situation – and she’s supportive of all
the decisions her children have made because she wants us to be happy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not
a conversation goes by where my Mom isn’t telling me how much she loves all of
us and how wonderful and special she believes all of her children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Your children are everything,” she said. “They are your precious
gift from God and they come first.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Even when they’re all grown up?” I said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Forever,” she replied. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I held the phone away so she wouldn’t hear the catch in
my voice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Mom, if I haven’t told you lately, you’re my hero,” I
finally said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No,” she replied. “I’m just your mom.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In my book, that’s a hero. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This article was originally published in The Fort Bend
Herald. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-64168336457092990552015-04-02T16:47:00.003-07:002015-04-02T16:47:26.356-07:00Seeing the world through a different lens
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Whenever I’m online, I always grow impatient for those “skip
this ad in 4 seconds” prompt to activate. I know those commercials are the
reason I’m seeing videos for free, but I still tap my finger on the mouse until
they disappear. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last week, I was looking for a dropped paper clip and
didn’t get a chance to escape the mandatory ad, and I’m glad I watched. The
four-minute video was from Valspar and is entitled “Color for the Colorblind.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Together with EnChroma, Valspar developed glasses for color-blind
people. They’ve never seen the subtle hues of a rainbow, the differences in Crayola
colors nor have they seen the vibrant yellows and oranges of a sunset. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The video is amazing. People describe how the world looks
gray without the glasses and then how they’re almost speechless when seeing
colors for the first time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They knew they weren’t seeing all the colors, but they
grew accustomed to the world as they were seeing it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All
of us compensate in some way – we squint to bring the newspaper into focus, order
glasses to correct the issue or give up trying to read the small print. If we
can’t see it, then the problem must not be there. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Whether or not these glasses, or others like them, worked
wasn’t what I was thinking about after the video. What stayed with me, besides
watching people see color for the first time, was one line from a physicist – “We
don’t all see the world the same way.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He’s absolutely right. We can look at a crowded room and
either see a place where we’d love to hang out or a room they’d have to drag us
in kicking and screaming. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We can see the world as a vicious, terrifying place,
filled with shadows and violence, or see a world of possibilities and beauty,
even when that beauty isn’t textbook castles and fluffy clouds. Our point of
view depends on the lens with which we choose to see the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After watching the video, I read quite a few articles about
glasses for the color blind. For some, the glasses didn’t work, including one disappointed
reporter who was bitter and angry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s
a scientific reason Valspar posted as to why the glasses don’t work for all
colorblind people, but for that writer, new glasses didn’t change his outlook.
In fact, not seeing what the glasses delivered to others made him bitterly
angry. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I can’t say I blame him, but I don’t think he stopped to
think that whenever we decide to look at the world in a different light, we’ve
already changed our perspective no matter what our eyes tell us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Someone
with worn clothes usually gets judged as untrustworthy. But most of us have
seen someone we pre-judged as beneath us carry the groceries for an elderly
person or pick up litter from the street. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We’ve all thought well of the person in the expensive
suit and thought that person had it made. And we’ve all experienced seeing that
same guy walk right past a needy person, cut us off in traffic and snag our
place in the grocery line because he thinks he’s entitled. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But when we decide to put on different lenses, we see
people and the world in a different light, not through a pre-conceived filter
of how we think life is supposed to be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I wish a manufacturer could make glasses to allow us to
see different points of view without judgment. Maybe then we’d really see the
colors in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </span></em>Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-37180469052665440922015-03-26T18:06:00.002-07:002015-03-26T18:06:40.419-07:00Jury duty more than an aggravating afternoon
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I looked at the mail and my heart sank. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A jury summons addressed to me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My first words were not “oh joy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every
time I looked at that letter, I’d grit my teeth in frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was to report to the Fort Bend County Courthouse at
12:30 p.m.; and as I maneuvered down Golfview, which is a construction nightmare,
I became even more aggravated. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I pulled into the parking lot of the Fort Bend County
Justice Center, though, and was quite impressed. The graceful building fronts a
spacious parking area and the entrance is grand and modern. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The line to get into the building never slowed, thanks to
deputies who politely moved us along to the jury waiting area. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I expected
to wait in a cramped room with metal folding chairs, but I was pleasantly
surprised to find a comfortable waiting area with plenty of padded chairs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Playing
on a big television screen was a video of what to expect from jury duty. The film
featured judges and lawyers who explained most of the questions jurors might
have. The room filled quickly, and soon the judge came in and asked anyone who
couldn’t serve to see him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After
the last person had their excuse signed, the judge thanked everyone for their time.
An easy-going clerk explained the afternoon’s process to us, traded a few jokes
and made the waiting time pass quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Soon a deputy began calling names with instructions to
line up in the waiting area. I think everyone in that room was silently praying
“please don’t call my name.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then my name was called, so I sighed, picked up my purse
and got in the line. When we entered a courtroom, five well-dressed people were
silently facing us – two prosecutors and two attorneys flanking a nervous young
man. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>No one spoke a word as we took our seats and listened to another
set of instructions from the judge. As the attorneys visually sized us up, I
glanced at the people sitting around me. They came from all walks of life –
young, old, middle-aged – and all had a similar look of trepidation on their
faces. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The prosecutors went first, showing us a PowerPoint to
explain voire dire, the process by which jurors are selected. People were
encouraged to speak freely to questions I’m sure had been carefully chosen. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then the defense team took the podium, asking if we could
honestly say the person at the defendant’s table was innocent until proven
guilty. I looked at that man and wondered what he was thinking. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He
was putting his fate in the hands of six people he’d never met before, and I
realized it was true what the first judge had told us – jury duty is not a
chore to be taken lightly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A
juror decides whether or not a person goes to jail that day or walks out into
the sunshine a free man or woman. At that moment, I realized the seriousness of
what we’d been asked to do. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later
that afternoon while heading back to my car, I noticed a walking path to a
covered swing. I wondered if jurors who are charged with determining the fate
of defendants sit there and mentally prepare for what they’re being asked to do.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After what I’d heard that afternoon, I believed the six
strangers I saw in that courtroom would come together as a team and justice
would be served. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> A word to the wise: Do </span></o:p></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">not wear a T-shirt, jeans or a
warm-up suit to serve as a juror. Give the court the honor and respect she, and
the people seeking justice in her courtroom, deserves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">This article was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7483572978319608342.post-82408029893912074862015-03-19T19:25:00.002-07:002015-03-19T19:26:27.332-07:00A pooch for a shrink<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nothing gets our family dog more
excited than seeing us take the leash from the top shelf of the front closet.
She knows that means it’s walking time and she’s going out. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most of the time, walking Channell
is my husband’s job because he likes walking, he’s in better shape than I am
and he’ll take the dog out when the weather’s hot, cold, rainy or mild. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
the hubby’s not home, walking the dog falls to me, and I’ll admit to being a
poor substitute because I won’t go if it’s too hot, too cold or raining. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also our walks aren’t nearly as
long as when Channell goes with the man, but our dog seems just as excited to
head out with me as she does with him. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Channell,
to her credit, does not call me a slacker. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
adventure starts with trying to clip her leash to her collar. Even though Channell
knows the drill, it’s sometimes hard to attach the leash because she’s so
excited. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But she’s a smart dog, so when I stamp
my foot and say “we’re not going,” she lays down and lets me hook her up. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Heading
out the door, I know to hang on to the leash with all my might. She’s revved up
like a tornado when she sees the road stretching out before her. But first, we
have to stop at the end of the driveway so she can smell the ground around the
mailbox. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I know
she’s checking out other dogs who’ve marked their territory, so I let her take
her time. Then we’re off down the street. The next-door dog fiercely guards his
territory and barks ferociously the whole time we’re in front of his house. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Channell
ignores him and keeps her eyes out for her sworn mortal enemy, the squirrel.
Because there’s pecan trees along our route, she knows there will be aggravated
squirrels chattering at us from the safety of the high branches. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After
we pass those pecan trees, I start to relax and enjoy the nightly stroll. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Unless I think I hear a bat
overhead, the mosquitoes are biting or it’s cold. Then all I do is complain to
Channell about how much I hate the cold, how much I hate bugs and if a bat gets
in my hair, I’m dropping the leash and running for cover. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Channell
does not tell me to stop being a baby. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
she does quite well, though, is listen. A few months ago, a good friend
suggested I try positive self talk. He said that instead of criticizing myself,
I should tell myself nice things. I should take advantage of walking the dog to
practice positive self talk, he advised. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So one
night, I tried it out with Channell as my sounding board. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She
listened to my entire soliloquy without interrupting, unless you count stopping
to sniff an ant pile or marking a lone daisy interrupting. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our walks, Channell’s helped me through
a variety of problems and issues. Sometimes her advice is to nod her head in
agreement, other times to ignore my really mean remarks, and sometimes to simply
listen. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At the
end of the walk, Channell knows which one’s our driveway and she always turns
in, leading me home. She walks a lot slower back up the driveway than she did 20
minutes earlier, but her tail is wagging. I know I feel better for having
gotten what’s bothering me off my chest. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Channell
does not tell me “I told you so.” </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald. </em></span></o:p></div>
Denisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11687342508453441902noreply@blogger.com0