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The Long And Short Of It
S
ome comic aficionados
remember “Mutt and
Jeff;” they represented
the long and short of it. Some
music buffs may recall “Long,
Tall Sally.” Aspiring marathon-
ers know the immediacy of
shortness of breath. And so, we
find the omnipresent and mul- Sy Manello
tifaceted uses of long and short Editorial Assistant
in our everyday talk.
If you are subject to illness,
then you may desire the effectiveness of long-
acting medicines. You hope, therefore, that
your malaise will be short and sweet rather
than long and drawn out.
If you are engaged by Game of Thrones and
stories of that ilk, then you recognize one
weapon of choice as the longbow. The big chal-
lenge in its use was not to have the missile fall
short of its target. Nor would you wish to have
your supply of arrows run short.
Never having been a good math student, I
detested long division. Every effort was made
to make short work of that homework. When I
could not, I tended to pull a long face, admit
my shortcoming and struggle as best I could.
Back then, I was not a long hair (intellectual);
nor am I today, being “follicle-ly” challenged.
I have learned that a suggested shortcut
while I’m driving will prove frustrating to me
and may set my short fuse alight.
Are you among those who are mourning
the passing of personal letters? Few young
people today know how to write in longhand;
cursive writing is not even taught anymore so
it is no wonder that young folks can’t read it.
I have been corrected on a reference I have
been wont to use on occasion: “old friend.” It
seems that it is more PC to refer to the person
as a friend of longstanding. Considering that
my long-term memory is a bit more certain,
such acquaintances must be long suffering and
not give in to the temptation to cut me short
as I reminisce. They must wish sometimes that
I would experience a short circuit rather than
continue to be so long winded.
Though when it comes to puns and jokes, I
never seem to run short. That is when they may
long for the short of it.
Do You need a POA for
Your College Student?
*
nostalgia
The Problem With ‘No Problem’
C
an’t remember exactly
at the cookie, I tried to decide if
when it happened. Maybe
I should eat it then and there or
shortly after I learned
start a collection in one of the used
to flush the toilet. Maybe shortly
Hudson’s gift boxes we had in our
after I learned to tie my shoelaces.
house. Mother’s sudden presence
Not sure.
at my side interrupted my delib-
Not sure when it happened, but
erations.
I’m quite sure I remember where.
“What do you say?”
At Leshman’s Bakery on Dexter
“Oh. Thank you.” It was what I’d
Norman Prady
between Webb and Tuxedo. What
recently learned I should say.
happened? I learned about please
And with a pat on the head
and thank you. Oh, and you’re welcome.
from the bakery lady, as if the queen were
I’d been standing in front of a glass case
dubbing me “Sir Child,” I said thank you
containing several million cookies sorted by and turned to see my mother’s smile, then
type onto dull silver trays. Which hundred
quickly gave my attention back to the cook-
of them would I choose? The bakery lady
ie, hoping that its chocolate coating had not
came to the side of the case and spoke to
melted. Then, affirmation came from the
me in magic.
bakery lady,
“Would you like a cookie?”
“Oh, you’re welcome, sweetheart.”
The “yes” got caught in the back of my
Her “You’re welcome” came to me like
excited throat, but I finally got it out. As she the soaring crescendo of Rhapsody in
stepped back behind the case and slid the
Blue, affirming my position as a deserving
door open I wondered if she’d pick up one
citizen. It was the burst of fireworks cel-
of my favorites. But the odds were with me. ebrating my soul with confirmation of my
They all were my favorites.
entitlement to the blessings of liberty. It was
As she walked toward me, my hand
reassurance of my being deserving.
instinctively lunged forward for placement
But time has passed and taken with it the
there of a small boy’s prize equal to the
significance of one person doing something
Hope Diamond or a pet turtle. Looking
for another. No longer am I a worthy citi-
zen, now I’m no more than not an annoy-
ance, not an interruption in someone’s life
or activities.
“Thank you for helping me change my
flat tire,” I tell the stranger who stopped
near my disabled car.
But instead of being told that I’m wel-
come, I hear that I didn’t interfere with his
agenda. “No problem,” he says, instantly
dismissing me as a human being who
needed something, reducing me to nothing
more than non-interruptive status in his
own life.
I don’t want to hear that I didn’t inconve-
nience him. I want to hear that he saw my
need and was pleased that he could come to
my aid. I don’t want to hear that whatever
he did was easy for him to do, I want to
hear that regardless of the task’s difficulty
he was pleased that he could help me. I
don’t want to hear that helping me with my
problem didn’t make a problem for him.
Some might say that the difference I see
between “Thank you” and “No problem” is
nothing more than trivial semantics. Is that
the difference between “I love you” and “I
don’t hate you”?
Maybe think about it. As long as it’s no
problem for you.
The kids are entering and returning
to the college campuses. An often
overlooked but important health/
safety device is the need for a college
student to have a valid Health Care
Power of Attorney and Durable Power
of Attorney appointing a parent as
his or her authorized agent. The
documents are important if your
child is in an accident or suffers a
serious illness – and even more so if
it is occurring away at school. The
documents are easy to prepare – but
too often, this is overlooked. Similarly,
a surprising high percentage of adults
with minor and grown children –
don’t have an up to date Estate Plan.
Without a guardianship designation
in your will, if both parents should
perish, the decision to raise your
minor children is left to the Probate
Court. As fall approaches – it’s time
to take inventory of those things you
have allowed to slip by – and to correct
them. If you have yet to address
these issues – Call us. Estate Plans
are affordable and essential to proper
planning. Be sure to mention the
Jewish News when you call for a
special discount!
THAV GROSS has been solving
problems since 1982. Be sure to tune
in to Law and Reality – Sunday
mornings at 11 AM on TV20.
*
Norman Prady, 82, is a journalist and author living
in Berkley.
thavgross.com lawandreality.com
30150 Telegraph, Suite 444
Bingham Farms, MI 48025
September 8 • 2016
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