Words of Wisdom from Grandma Letty: Jokes that fly over their heads

Words of Wisdom from Grandma Letty: Jokes that fly over their heads

directing people, not posting

Horrors, little ones. As a closet historian/sociologist, I have lots to say and nobody to see it. Oh well, what else is new.
Here for your edification is a sequence of 'transitional thought words." My construct. In the 1970's it was "uh." The word was so pervasive that even Toastmasters charged speakers a nickel for each "uh" uttered. Eventually, the word became anathema, if it was a word at all.
Next, in the 1980s and 1990s it was "You know." Caroline Kennedy established herself as an out-of-touch lightweight in the 2008 Presidential Campaign by slinging about the "you knows" till listeners were shrieking.
Now, kids, it's "but-uh." The noise (I won't dignify it by calling it a word) bridges all kinds of thoughts from one dumb idea to another. Guess what I think of the word/noise?
Sometime in there was "well, uh" That wasn't as bad as "but-uh" but was still majorly annoying.
The object of this post? Be aware of your unconscious transitional sounds. If possible, leave them out.

A Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot Moment

I adore my younger brother, and always have except when he got mad at me in the 40's and ripped my Van Johnson pictures to shreds. Van Johnson, it turned out, was something of a sap anyway. He married his best friend's wife.
The point of this blog is an email I sent about his new girlfriend, or old girlfriend depending on your point of view. I was aware they had been "dating" for several years. I knew they had gone to North Carolina (from Florida, not an odious trip) to visit my oldest and very classy daughter and her remarkable boys.
To make a long story short (I know, you haven't got all day, kids) said daughter remarked on the phone how sharp Anne, the girlfriend, is. Words she used were "capable, attractive," and I was "certain to like her." That was infofrmation I passed on to brother in my email.
To my glee, he answered immediately, with observations on his life and time and various weddings and, in the last paragraph, said "Anne and I married.'
Well, little ones, that was news. I thought I had a divorced, now bachelor, brother. WRONG. That's why I had a whiskey-tango-foxtrot moment. i was floored, not less so when the news was an appendage to an email.
Eventually, I pulled myself together and wished congratulations and good luck and all the things you way. And of course, I am happy for him. I just hope the nexr time he has whopper news he'll put it in the lead of the email.

The End of Sensitivity?

I'll never forget the reaction of one wag to the amor between Woody Allen and his stepdaughter of 18. The actor, whose 30-year relationship to a New York Psychiatrist was well-publicized, received a mix of scorn and derision.. I think it was David Letterman (himself problematic in that department, but isn't that always the way?) who said of Allen's therapist: "Good job."
Fast forward 20 years to a nation in a hurry and where sensibility is suspect and we have a Geico commercial (thank heaven with no gekko) in which a drill sergeant is a therpist. With scorn and derision, he shouts at a prone patient, throwing a box of tissues his way, and telling him to grow up.
It isn't kosher to be sad, or to hurt, or to grieve. No time. Suck it up. Duck when the box of tissues comes your way and smile bravely. Be ok at church and ok at work and just ok in general.
But some sensitivity can be a lifesaver. Just for a little while. Maybe the guy on the couch in the geico commercial had just lost his mother or worse, a child.
The other day we were driving and saw a man pushing an empty wheelchair with some possessions on it. We chuckled, until we realized he was homeless.
What happened to understanding and love? At the risk of breaking a heart, what happened to sensitivity?

Pooie! He's Doing Just Fine

"Obama is not passionate enough!@&&&%4; Obama is Dr. Spock! Barack is Carter! The Gulf is Obama's Katrina." David Korn is right. The press doesn't know what to do so they criticize the "optics."
Leave the poor guy alone. Cover a state house somewhere. Do something useful, for crying out loud.
Those of us who are still partisans are tired of fulminating, fatuous, fractious (I'm resisting the impulse to add "f@@@@%%&*s) who populate the Sunday talk shows.
My solution? Turn on Book TV. At least most of the guys there know what they're talking about.

Childish Fun

Dear Ones:
our attention was recently drawn to an old psychiatric theorist named Eric Berne. His goldmine was a book, I'm OK, You're OK which popularized his Transactional Psychology. In it, he described the three parts of every "transaction" (interaction between consenting adults) as emanating from their 'parent' or controlling, punitive manner; their 'adult" or pretty grown up manner, and their "child," or whiney, dependent, submissive manner.
Somebody hauled this old wheeze out to illustrate a point today, and we (grandma letty and husband john) had a flash of insight.
Berne's child may have been a rather unappealing person; John's "child" is a fun-loving, playful hoot. Therefore, when my punitive, controlling parent confronts his child, I laugh. Long and Hard. And we have what amounts to an adult-adult transaction which insists 'We're oK.
Now Berne may have postulated this funny child, but I certainly don't remember it. For years, people like the late Art Linkletter (before your time, little ones, but google him) had been making hay with funny, funny children. His early TV show included "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (has anyone put these on UTube?) and all America tuned in and guffawed. I tell you, as I remember Berne had a very dim view of children. Did I mention he was a psychiatrist? I think when God passed out funny bones, all the psychiatrsts were asleep on their couches.
Also, as an aside, kids, Rachel outdid herself tonight. Broadcasting in a snuggie, she celebrated my guys for "rolling out the couches" for an all-nighter on the Senate Floor, only to have McConnel and Co. fold their filibuster. Harry Reid may lose his election, it seems, but Chuck Shumer is on deck to lead the Senators and I betcha he'll "roll out the couches"at the drop of a Republican cliche. That's what it takes.

Jokes that fly over their heads

We oldsters often slide sly silly sayings past puzzled people. I have an example: On the commuter train, the Coater, I so often stood in line for the car's toilet that i finally told the next guy in line, "I have an antique bladder."

Back at the trailer park, they thought that was pretty funny.

The other day my hairdresser, a slip of a girl, called me "A foolish old woman." I was so pleased I promptly got a badge fabricated that said"Foolish Old Woman". I wear it on special occasions.

One day I was holding an open house for an owner who was addicted to Glen Beck. I was asked by more rational friends, "How do you stand it?"Simple, I told them. I just turn off my hearing aid. If the whole world did that, it would be a saner place. As a matter of fact, it's a durn shame that everyone doesn't have a hearing aid which could shut out Glen Beck.

My baby girl has a 47th birthday in a few days and I hope to send her a check. If the market behaves, I'll withdraw a bit and do that. But you know, the market is almost as quixotic as Glen Beck.

The other day, John McCain said he had never been a Maverick. Well, I'm his age so I think I'll declare I never have been a Socialist. Wanna fight?

But I bet he has an antique bladder.

Premature, but Right at Last

I was so bummed about the Senate I retired and read and helped my husband write the book of the century about Russian Opera. Now, I have glimmers of hope again.
I got a card for Christmas, which is better than nothing. My boy, Barak, will get a bill signed by Easter, I betcha. I can only hope.
I salute the Heavenly Trio, Harry, Pelosi, and Barak for toughing up.
My major concern is aging, anyway. I was bonked by a car while I was parked and I'm chronically dizzy. Some of my friends would say that is normal, but it feels like a different dizzzy to me. Naturally, I'm aging at a different rate from some of my friends; that is difficult.
I'm happy because our house is paid for and our taxes are minimal and we are better off than almost everyone. I'd celebrate, but I'm a bit too dizzy to do that!
Love to all the little ones. Jessica is getting married in October so we'll get a grandson in law. Hooray..