How exactly do you lend an ear to someone?

In response to last week’s question," How exactly do you lend an ear to someone?", my dad's beach buddy Bob challenged, " You just can't....It is unheard of."

My game-making friend Dov recalled this is what was "said to Squanto by William Bradford, Plymouth Mass 1620."

My birthday bud Jon thought the whole question is "an eerie thought."

My lawyer friend Mary Rich and cycling friend Ted wrote, "I think it’s something that Vincent Van Gogh didn’t quite know how to do either." To this, my woodcarving friend Doug added, "Van Gogh didn't really pay much attention to questions anyway - he was usually only half listening." And my writing and sailing friend Rich asked, "did Van Gogh had ever read Julius Caesar?"

My friend Tracey observed that her son Elliott, who will be bar mitzvahed this weekend, "does it all the time. He listens and never asks any questions. He's going to make a great therapist some day."

My sailing friend Kate responded, "I'm not sure, but it sounds a lot better than having someone chew your ear off."

My Parrothead friend Sam concluded, "Mr. Potato Head does it just right. Pop one ear out and hand it to a friend... Hmmm... that might get a little messy, but at least your buddy knows you are serious about listening!" Luckily, my linguistics friend Eileen shared the Mr. Potato Head history (see bottom of email).

Or there's the opinion of my organizational behaviorist friend Marya, who suggested, "You do it with a hug, a smile, and a kind heart (no knives ok?)."

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

If you can have a cousin once removed, can it be taken back? heard at the WV Vidalia Gathering

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

From my friend Eileen: Don't you know we descended from the line of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head? The Potato Head family communicated important news and gossip to other Potato families through an complex cross-interchange of ears (in addition to other body parts). Funny enough, the ear was the one body part that their species was ashamed of. Research indicates that this may be due to their racist tendencies towards the overpopulating Corn family (get it?). When the economy tanked, everyone started stealing everyone else's Potato parts and selling them in the black market. However, they were superstitious and there was never a market for ear. Thus only "lend me your ear" survived throughout the ages because it's the only body part no one wanted to keep!

When people say 'Excuse my French', what word are they excusing?

In response to last week’s question," When people say 'Excuse my French', what word are they excusing?", my writing and sailing buddy Rich quickly responded, "Stupid American - What an ignorant question - Sorry, had a French moment there." My dad's beach buddy Bob explained it is when, "they are clumsy and incompetent in their ability to proceed."

While my birthday bud Jon could only write, " Je ne sais pas ," my friend Richard suggested, "Presumably any word that leaves someone tongue-tied. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)" My friend Royce noted, "Most of the time it's due to the fact the speaker can't speak English or French."

My friend Chris proposed, "Well the French are dirty, so it goes without saying that it's probably a dirty word." My cable TV friend Cheryl expounded, " A dirty word that would have gotten soap in my mouth as a child." My cousin Wes provided more detail, "it includes but is not limited to S*%&, F@#*^$#, F@#^, D@##, M)(*&^ #$&*%$, S%^ of a @%$!, etc. I am using Beetle Bailey spelling so as to avoid the need to apologize for my French. "

My dad, known for not resorting to using foul language, responded "If I told you, I would have to follow it with "excuse my French" and then it would go on and on. "

My comedic friend Bruce wrote, "In America, “Excuse my French” excuses a curse word. In France, “Excuse my English” excuses a friendly word."

Leave it to my organizational behavior friend Marya to explain, "I say 'excuse my French' when I'm about to plant a big ole' kiss on someone; it's less of a surprise!" Along that line of thinking, my former colleague Swany responded, "I thought it was spoken just before a surprise tongue attack when affectionately greeting a friend. If you get slapped, consider it your “Waterloo.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

How exactly do you lend an ear to someone? from my fundraising friend Sherri

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Do egotists talk about other people?

In response to last week’s question, "Do egotists talk about other people?", my politically astute friend Kevin said, "Yes. Example: Rush Limbaugh."

My friend Tracey observed, "Yes, but only in relation to themselves. Have a conversation with my mother someday. You'll see how it works."

My dog rescuing friend Kate replied, " Yes, but not nicely....I should know!" My cousin Wes echoed Kate, "Of course we do, We have to talk about the lesser beings in order to compare and define our greatness."

My Ph.D. friend Richard observed that other than Kate and Wes, "They aren’t even aware that anyone else exists. They can’t see them due to a persistent “I” problem."

My dad's beach buddy Bob agreed that they talk "only in a derogatory manner." My birthday bud Jon noted that it is " in negative comparison to themselves." And my college roomie John observed, " only if the other people are stroking their ego."

My sailing friend Scott and friend Royce concluded that this happens "only when they also have multiple personality disorder or schizophrenia."

My former colleague Chris was reminder of the saying about the minds of people which I think holds true even today. " 'Small minds talk about people, Average minds talk about events and Great minds talk about ideas.' If that is true then most egotists would be small minded whether they are talking about someone else or themselves. So if they are small minded then it really doesn't matter if they talk about other people. Of course that is just my opinion, I could be wrong."

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

When people say 'Excuse my French', what word are they excusing?

Live well...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

In response to last week’s question, " Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?", my sailing friend Kurt figured out that lightning that didn't zigzag would "be slower since it is already taking the path of least resistance, sort of like me."

However, my dad's beach buddy Bob argued that it would be "much faster and straight to the point." My birthday bud Jon and college roomie John want to agree, writing "Hate to sound like one of your scientific or engineering buddies, but the speed would be same. It would just get there sooner."

"You know, we rush everything these days" noted by Parrothead friend Sam, who just earned her PhD. "Maybe lightning is just taking the time to smell the stars and sky? We don't need to know how much faster the lightning is - just enjoy the ride with it - and avoid the last zag!"

My friend Royce safely answered, "Very fast" as my friend Steve recalled, "I can only think of the AFLAC duck going 'huh!' " My former colleague Chris observed, " It would still be the speed of light, but at least now when I turn on the light switch it would be more "instantaneous" and we could officially call it "IOL - (Instant On Lighting)." "

My former colleague Swany reported that "according to Michael Jackson, lightening takes about 21 years. (Think skin.)" My sailing and writing friend Rich asked "would Zorro be a more effective injustice fighter if didn't waste his time leaving zig zag graffiti on bad guys? "

And my neighbor Dick then asked, "Is 'greased lightning' even faster?"

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

Do egotists talk about other people?

Live wll...laugh often and heartily….be happy, have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!

Hal

Swany also shared that "Zig-zag always reminds me of this… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN1WxSITwWw . "