HER HIGHNESS

I knew something was up when she slithered her tiny body through the small opening by the sliding glass door leading out to my office.

Looking up from the floor, employing her over-developed neck muscles from constantly having to look up at us humans, I sensed one more rerun of our constant bickering.

Her: "I've decided that today there will be no pees and poos."

Me: "Is that for us or you? If the former we're really going to have to make other arrangements. We would appreciate some advance notice".

Her: "Get serious! I truly don't give a p---!"

Me: "Hold it. That's quite enough! You've been warned about the potty mouth before. Sometimes I have the feeling you were elevated to royalty during the night and nobody bothered to keep us informed."

Her: "At your age it's probably more a case of hearing deficit."

Me: "What IS your problem?"

Her: "Fugeddabout it! You get upset when I recite the many reasons why Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation clearly didn't apply to dogs."

Me: "You've got to knock off watching the History channel. It's truly a bad influence on Chihuahuas."

Her: "You, who bought me as a slave at the Red Barn flea market - and then took me immediately to the vet to make sure I could not enjoy conjugal relief?"

Me: "We've been all through this. I sense there is a deeper problem today."

Her: "Yeah! How would you like to to be led around on a leash?"

Me: "I am. It's called marriage - and I agreed to it. Besides, I think Monty Python tried your human leash suggestion with mixed results."

She: "One more example of your poor decision making skills?"

Me: "What? Marriage or watching Monty Python?"

Her; "Take your pick. You're the one who's supposed to have the power of rational thinking."

Me: "Forget it. Marriage is fine. I will reluctantly admit I need some leadership now and then. How about you?"

Her: "I seem to get much too much of that already. How would you like me to lead you around the back yard and then stand by to watch you doing your business?"

Me: "Trust me. It's not that much of a thrill - particularly when it's pouring down rain."

Her: "Yeah, but you're the one holding the umbrella and that's a huge circumference you're chosen to protect first. I'm sort of a second thought."

Me: "Have you ever thought about walking in a straight line?"

Her: "I might say the same thing about you. Might want to cut back a little on the Pinot Grigio imbibing down at Geckos restaurant."

Me: "You don't seem to mind when they bring you your own small samples of their french fries out to the patio."

Her: "Actually, I've been meaning to tell them to try a little less salt - it makes me have to pee."

Me: "You do have attitude - don't you?" Besides, at my age, it's not the amount of wine that inhibits my walking. It's more about cramping up when I sit for a long time."

Her: "I rest my case!"

Me: "Don't you have something to do - some place to go?". Maybe it's time to send you back to your own country."

Her: "You guys are so quick to want to deport us but love the cheap labor. Besides, I was born in this country and you know how that goes."

Me: "Cheap labor? In addition to your new found peerage - you finally got a job?"

Her: "Yeah, actually I've had that since day one. It's called making you guys feel important.

You really think I like all the kids poking me and the adults asking me what my name is? H-E-L-L-O! They think I'm going to reply?"

You guys need to get a grip! I put up with that so the two of you can preen and smile at all the compliments about your 'cute little doggie'. The truth is, nobody would talk to you if it weren't for me."

Me: "Sorry, pal. It's a dog's life."

She: "Well, someday we dogs are going to rule the world!"

Me: "I'm not sure that isn't ancient history.

Go bug somebody else, 'your highness'!"

Her: "Don't forget to push button #2, Senor."

RUSH TO JUDGMENT

You are walking down "your" street in "your" suburban neighborhood.

You stop after noticing a stamped envelope lying on the sidewalk in front of you. A collection mail box is 15 feet down the street.

You pick up the envelope and observe it is sealed and has the return address of a next door neighbor.

What do you do?

This is only one of many questions I occasionally asked of folks who were in their initial interview for a claim representative position with my former employer.

I need to stress that their answer was not the sole determinant nor primary factor in deciding whether the applicant got the job. It may not have even influenced our final conclusion as we looked at many factors.

I honestly cannot recall any individual who was turned down based upon their answer.

Then, "why ask the question?" you may have wondered.

The purpose of this type of question was to attempt to determine whether or not the individual being interviewed "might" be inclined to "rush to judgment" - without considering other alternative actions.

Most frequently, the applicant replied that their decision would be to put the envelope in the mailbox; a response that probably many of us would have given.

It's also possible that some of the interviewees may have responded as they did based upon their conclusion that in the hiring process we were just looking for Good Samaritans. Who knows?

Frequently, I would add more information to the scenario to see if the interviewee might wish to reconsider their original answer.

My favorite addendum was that the neighbor had a check in the envelope to pay an important bill. Before placing it in the mail box he realized he had insufficient funds in his checking account.

Thus, he did not mail the check. However, in rushing back home to make other arrangements, he inadvertently dropped the envelope on the sidewalk.

The quality of the scenario and lack of a scientific basis could be argued forever if it were the sole determinant of whether or not the person being interviewed eventually got the job.

Again, it wasn't.

My conclusion after conducting many interviews was that we needed to find people who were capable of "thinking on their feet" (or in their chair) - as opposed to merely regurgitating what they had read in a book.

If eventually selected for the job, a failure to thoroughly investigate an accident, and explore each of the many possible alternatives could result in a conclusion that was harmful to the participants - whether they be our insured or the claimant driver.

Regardless of what you hear in the television attorney ads with which we are all constantly bombarded, we, as representatives of the insurance company, truly wanted to know who was at fault and act responsibly following that determination.

But, that's for another blog.

The actions taken or threatened, and conclusions arrived at by many, following the matter of the neighborhood watch captain and the black teenager in Sanford, Florida are not only irresponsible.

They are reprehensible.

If people have decided to hold rallys, marches, etc; let it be to
draw attention to previous examples of injustice against members of the black community but not a rush to judgment in the individual situation.

While what is known at this juncture most assuredly has reminded many people of similar horrible scenarios - and was the source of their anger - I believe we, as rational human beings, simply do not have enough information to make that determination here.

More information is being discovered each day.

Until "all" the facts in the Sanford matter can reasonaby be examined and weighed by independent fact finders, no fair and equitable conclusion can be reached.

What is also needed is a thorough examination of Florida's "stand your ground" law by qualified individuals and then applied to this case and possibly others that have preceded it.

One important question remains: "Was the law and it's application accurately determined by the initial investigative authorities?"

To fail to wait for the results of these investigations before threatening or pursuing knee jerk responses based upon what may well be inaccurate conclusions could promote even more tragic results down the road.

Just as with the interview scenario - a rush to judgment need not be harmful. There are countless stories when a quick decision by an individual may be responsible for saving a life.

There are also too many examples in our past when a rush to judgment has had the opposite result.

What happened to that 17 year old black youth may have been one of those times - but, we simply do not have enough information to accurately make that judgment.

COMFORT LEVEL

Living in Florida provides several comfort bonuses. My enjoyment of our new residence comes quite often from just sitting on the back porch.

There, I secretly keep busy making pictures out of the raw material provided to us in those Florida ever-changing "huffy-puffy" clouds.

Also satisfying is listening and observing the various species of birds attracted to our red blossom Bottle Brush tree. This is complemented by the peaceful and comforting sound of the fountain located in our side yard island.

All of these activities are sure to increase anybody's comfort level.

For a guy who has always enjoyed the sight and sound of water, whether it's source be fountain, stream, creek, river, ocean or the Gulf, I am in "Hog Heaven". Actually, the only water I rule out is that stemming from a faulty overflow system in the toilet.

Several of our favorite restaurants are near or on the water and have good plumbing.

Still, Florida is not perfect. It's different.

It's also relaxing, "most" of the time. When questioned as to whether we miss family and old friends, we readily admit we do. However, we're adding new friends.

Besides, at last check, starting a new family at our age is perhaps a little too ambitious for us. Phyl's two sons are definitely doing their part in this endeavor as they add to my nine grandchildren and Phyl's one.

We truly miss old friends whether due to distance or death.

Fortunately, as reported in an earlier blog, I have acquired NBF's -"New Best Friends". Let me share my discovery.

Just this morning I received an offer to enjoy the use of a Jet, 24hours a day. Nothing was mentioned as to whether or not bags fly free - so I failed to explore the offer any further.

There were also invites today to "Review and rate pretty women's profiles" or even "Have a great date with an Asian single."

I resisted both. I enjoy my wife's profile and in the latter case am clueless as to whatever happened to WW II propaganda expert, Tokyo Rose.

Some offers leave me befuddled. Part of that is due to my poor reading habits and a misapplication of my Evelyn Woods speedreading training.

I sometimes misread the letters in caps that are included in the offers. Some I do not see and others I add to.

I quickly deleted these two: "A great BMW deal in your area" and "Find courses to prepare you for your PMP certificate."

My bowel habits are manageable and I'm much too old to try to organize and supervise a string of "ho's"

Still - my BNF's persist. They wish me to further my education - but; I lack the energy.

Therefore, I'm reluctant to "Learn a new language in 10 days", "Study to become a nurse practioner" - or "Defuse bombs easily" should the latter invitation become available.

Even the constant invite to "Secretly spy on your kids" no longer is of interest now that I've acquired OoVoo - which admittedly, I have yet to totally figure out.

Still, the fact that I have been singled out to receive such gifts from my NBF's is tempting at times - except perhaps for that one announcing:"Grab all the lint that passes your lint screen."

Again, it's "Thanks - but no Thanks" and, "Thank you for thinking of me".

I've learned to live with lint. Failing vision makes that less of a problem since my retirement.

My compromised eyesight also contributed to my decision not to follow up on: "Smooth new skin in just 10 days."

Let's be honest here. Who, among our aging friends, would notice the change? Definitely not Phyl nor myself.

But, again, what a blessing to have so many "new" friends concerned for my welfare. More importantly, they're just a few keystrokes away.

"Methinks, I'll be content to lift an occasional glass of Pinot Grigio with our newly acquired "real" friends and revisit "my magic kingdom in the backyard" on a regular basis in order to reach my ultimate "comfort level".

Might be worth a try for you as well. It doesn't have to be in Florida.

If the backyard exercise doesn't work for you, Pinot Grigio is available almost anywhere these days - and also may enhance your "comfort level."

SIGNIFICANT EMOTIONAL EVENTS

Like fellow blogger and friend Harry, the editorial pages hold a real interest for me.

Harry goes one step further by submitting, and having had published in the newspaper, his interesting observations.

My interests and process for reading the paper have changed drastically since my approach when a much younger guy back in Pittsburgh.

Then, it was first, the sports pages, second, the comics, and third the entertainment section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was as an afterthought that the editorial/opinion section was opened.

Sometimes even that didn't take place until reading and laughing at my daily horoscope and the prediction that my birth sign guaranteed a balanced approach to life.

Why the change in my reading habits?

Perhaps, it's because the USA Today - my current newspaper of choice doesn't contain comics.

That is unless you conclude the musings of Christine Brennan, Dewayne Wickham, and former publisher Al Neuharth may apply. That dynamic trio are often the source of some controversial opinions regarding current topics of interest - some possibly more worthwhile than others.

The fact their opinion was often 180 degrees in the opposite direction from my own did not keep me from sometimes finding each of the writers conclusions fascinating.

It was also my belief that many of those views, if placed under a microscope, might not stand up to careful inspection and were based upon what appeared to me to qualify as faulty logic.

Yes, the opinions of the above appeared to be a little extreme at times; but does that make them any different than those of readers like you and me?

Many of us - not unlike those three individuals - hold views that may or may not be based upon our life experiences.

It is my opinion - and just an opinion -the conclusions expressed by the editorial staff of the USA Today, as well as the views of readers who respond to Opinion Page articles, might possibly be traced back to significant emotional events (S.E.E.'s) in their life.

We've all had them. Sources are varied. It could be nothing more complex than strong parental convictions that may still influence us to this day. Perhaps, They're based on conclusions that our parents weren't always wrong.

Some other S.E.E's include having been a member of a truly dysfunctional family, birth order, being the victim of child abuse, having been bullied in school,or maybe, having suffered the loss of a loved one.

Even more common are those S.E.E's related to raising a family and our puzzling decision to impart each and every one to our kids who have their own progeny to raise.

Other S.E.E's?, Possibly our physical appearance, our perception of self, our religious teachings, or having had an unexpected injury that required us to make difficult choices in sports or life.

Additional S.E.E influences include being fired from a job, and/or losing our- you know what- in the market. Some are no doubt based on our work or career choices and experiences, perhaps either as a member or leader of a union or a management team.

So called experts often suggest the Union work involvement causes us to forge an alliance with the Democratic party and the latter leads to an overwhelming strong affiliation with the G.O.P. - a premise that obviously lacks universal application or acceptance.

The awareness of the above S.E.E's often causes me to pause as an avid reader of the editorial pages or even as a participant in a conversation.

If the former, questions arise like: "Is that the way this guy really feels or is he just a conveniently appointed shill for some political, business, religious, or environmental group that is currently under attack?"

If the conviction and passion of the responding letters appear to accurately adhere to the writers true beliefs - there is a certain fascination-not withstanding considerable questions of my own.

The same applies to some of the conversations in which I have participated: I ask myself, "Why is it so important to this guy or gal that they be perceived as having the only "right" answer"?

Prior blogs have contained references to my amazement as to how, as a co-editor of a column on insurance Ethics, the views and opinions of the contributors to the monthly piece differed so drastically as to their position on the Ethics question posed in the previous month's issue.

But, that's exactly what made the column one of the favorites in that publication. We all are attracted to controversy -sometimes more so - as our life circumstances dictate.

S.E.E's are not indifferent to the shaping of our views and writings. They can be a major influence - but are not without some malleability potential.

Certainly Al Neuharths business acumen - his S.E.E's and his guts in founding his USA Today newspaper- influence his short weekly column.

"Growing up a Brooklyn Jew" - as often alluded to by writer and interview host Larry King - no doubt had influence on his views.

One can also wonder at the life experiences of being black or female - as are the other two USA Today writers - and how much that influences their views.

Comparisons can also be made with the insignificant output of this (sometimes) humble Irish blogger as to how the S.E.E's of his life -some of which are referenced above- may have shaped my writings.

It is not the views of those published responding opinion writers - many of whom appear much more informed and erudite than myself - that causes me grief.

Instead, my primary concern is the suspected intolerance of so many of us who fail to recognize or try to respect and/or understand the basis for those views.

Too often we ignore the S.E.E's that have shaped our own lives, our beliefs, and opinions; but still expect others to be more compassionate than us - as we too insist our conclusions are the only ones having value.

Someone very close recently wrote to inform me of some of the changes he was making that may impact both the quality and quantity of his life.

Taking a few moments to examine why we feel as we do - might be time well spent - whether or not we decide to make a change as a result of that introspection.