TWO OBSERVANT FRIENDS

A growing trend today is the increasing number of writers found guilty of plagiarism - using words from someone else as if they were their own? There would appear to be enough words to go around.

After all, if we can make up thousands of songs out of FACE & EGBDF and variations of about 8 basic notes, why would we have to stoop to stealing words?

Despite this I am about to PLAGIARIZE using the words from one of my favorite blog writers, Harry Pierson http://harry2335.blogspot.com/

Harry is a fellow senior with similar observations as myself, but fortunately for Harry and his readers,it takes him much fewer words to let you know what they are.

We also both have different writing styles, but even with advancing age, we easily recall the lessons taught by family, school, church, and our life experiences. We may not remember where we put our car keys but refuse to forget those teachings.

As a result, one of us anyway, is contemplating acquiring a forehead tattoo similar to those used in ancient times to identify the crude and lewd. My tat will simply be that of a question mark (?) and not just to emphasize the hairline that keeps rising.

I think it is not out of line to conclude that much of what my friend and I are observing just does not make sense to us. Take cellphones and social media in general as an example.

Here are just a few questions I plagiarize from a recent blog by Harry entitled: WHY?:

Why do people think we like to hear them talking on a cell phone?
Why are 50% of the people coming and going from stores on a cell?
Why do most people talk loud on their cell phones?
Why do they have to talk on their cell phones while shopping?

And, perhaps my favorite question: Why is the first person in line at a light always texting when the light changes?

We are baffled at what we see as a strange dysfunctional compulsion to always be in communication with another? I threw up my hands - (and part of my breakfast) the other day when I heard this well dressed woman on her cellphone at Publix advising her doggie it was time to go to the potty.

OK, I made that up. Maybe it was Walmart.

But, I am sure she had Rover on speed dial.

Why is it so important to be able to demonstrate how many friends one has on Facebook?

How many will lend you money in a pinch - bring over food when you or one of your loved ones is ill - pull your weeds if you are a snowbird - brush the snow off your garage roof  back home while you are gone -send you a thank you CARD - or be upfront with you when you are acting like a damn fool?

How many of your FRIENDS will De-FRIEND you at the slightest hint that you might have dissed them or wrote something with which they disagree?

I used to think the measure of knowing you had friends was simply by observing the number of smiles on the faces of people when you walked into a room.

Later I learned to temper that observation by immediately checking to see if I had remembered to fully employ my zipper and/or remove any trailing toilet paper from my shoe.

So, if you also choose to adopt my self-made FRIEND recognition tool, do not stop at the restroom immediately before entering.

If you do however, you may be surprised to observe the amazing number of YOUR FRIENDS who immediately pick up their cellphones to update THEIR FRIENDS.