Manners and More: Paper Towel Wisdom [04/28/2007]

By Christine Kurtz-White

As president of her college class, a questionable distinction, which becomes even more so as each year passes(i.e., How many classmates are left?), M&M receives all the good news and the sad news about her classmates who are still alive or, at least were, at last reports. This year, it seems as though the saddest news focuses on the deaths. After all, this is the Class of 1950 (57 years ago? oh, my gosh!). The most recent death notification sent to her from the college alumni office included a copy of the alumnas local newspaper obituary. As a result of reading and digesting this latest sad news, M&M has reached a momentous decision: She is going to compose her own death notice!So, what in this latest sad news prompted her to arrive at what may seem like an egotistical point of view? And what difference will it make for her seeing as how she wont be here to enjoy it? Well, and with due respect to those who prefer the more traditional obit format, its because this loyal alumna had a remarkable sense of humor. In other words, she did not want to be credited with a brave and arduous fight to escape from the clutches of some evil disease that neither she, nor modern medicine, could have averted. Instead, this fearless late classmate actually did write her own obituary which started out with: Mary Jones (obviously a fictitious name) died Saturday after a long and courageous fight against old ageAnd this is what M&M will add to her own death notice: She was not surrounded by family and friends because she was on safari in Africa, fulfilling a lifelong dream of adventure and derring-do.Please forgive M&Ms seemingly blatant and disrespectful remarks. Why? Because she is blessed with an unusual extension of her life? Because she is grateful that she has made it this far? A yes answer to the above, but it was the recent discovery of some acutely sensitive aphorisms printed on, of all places, a roll of paper towels (the economy size) that stopped her in her tracks. Twenty beautiful maxims that everyone encounters at least once in a lifetime but, in M&Ms opinion, never enough times!So, she proposes that she will share a goodly number of these oldie-goldie maxims, perhaps not all at once, even not all of them, but enough to capture you, Dear Reader, in resolving to conduct an inventory of your thoughts, your resolutions, your feelings about yourself and about life in general. Too often in life, people become ensnared in what seem like quagmires of self-doubt, irresolution and, ultimately, hopelessness. M&M has been there, and she would wager that many of you out there have, too. So, what is one to do to extricate ones self from these depths of self-pity and helplessness? M&M is a believer in humor humor that incorporates poking fun at ones self as well as someone else. Discretion is advised here: Your target may not be appreciative of your attempts at pulling her out of the doldrums; be sensitive to her moods. So, this is where M&M shares with you a few of the maxims that her roll of economy-size paper towels is offering. For example:Laughter is lifes sunshine.Smiles are for sharing always carry a spare.These two statements are her challenge to you will you accept them? (M&M feels like The Bachelor offering roses to the candidates for his heart.)If you do accept them and truly, M&M hopes you will, here is another thought for you to contemplate as you take your first step:"Breathe in the joy of the moment.Please dont hesitate; dont deviate from the path you have chosen to travel and repeat to yourself every now and then:Peace is a journey, not a destination.Actually, M&M regards this saying as a mantra you can repeat over and over as your journey starts to unfold before you:Peace is a journey, not a destination.So, consider starting your journey immediately even if you say you are overwhelmed with things to do, to organize, etc., etc. Entreat the powers that be to:Bless this mess.And go!Christine Kurtz-White can be reached at kurtzwhite@adelphia.net.