One Hundred

 

person holding lighted candle on brown cake

Recently, a close family member attained the ripe, old age of 100.  In accordance with the event, the family members which remained had a get-together to honor the 100-year-old man.

(One way to tell that the man had aged was that he left to ‘rest up’ later–after about 5 or 6 hours of socializing. This would NEVER have been done when he was younger.)

There were a LOT of people who showed up at this gathering.  This is a direct testimony to my sister (who spent hours planning and promoting this happening.

The Invitations, which were homemade, were quite professionally done.

At the top was a large word “PARTY.” Beside it were two pictures from the aged one’s youth, along with a current picture showing all who received the invitation what the man looked like NOW.

Underneath all of that in much smaller letters were the times and places the ‘celebration’ would take place.  “Just Mosey on in,have a bite to eat and visit–They’ll be stories, yarns and possibly a Liars ‘Contest!’ Hope to see you”

Now, there was NO Liar’s Contest–and most of those  attending probably had NO idea of what that event even was. But it seemed as if almost everyone there enjoyed themselves.  There was even a group of younger relatives which showed up later in the day and comprised a “second shift” of sorts.

NOW, this piece COULD have taken the route of “reminisce” and spent the time remembering the good times over the years involving the older gentleman–not that there anything wrong with that.

But it was observed that, though MANY different phrases were trotted out that day to label the oldster, NO ONE claimed that he was “AS IS.”

“AS IS” is often used as a warning to check used goods to make sure (as best can be done) that they meet the buyer’s approval and that no visible defects can be found. The fact that no one was heard to use that phrase to refer to the man of honor demonstrated that it was a largely-cordial gathering of folks.

Not wishing to sound like anyone else, this writer submitted a birthday card in which he wrote, “Hey!  You outlasted all of your other classmates!

This seemed to put the who idea of reaching 100 years into its proper perspective.  That perspective should be that someone reaching a 100-year-old birthday is more of an aspect of longevity than of merit.

The day seemed as if most present wanted to know what the man’s “secret‘ was (to living such a long life).

One person was told it was “live healthy.

Another had it pointed out the gentleman lived his life mostly free of stress.

In addition, it was pointed out (about the same time) that “stress will kill ya.

One hundred years old.

IF reaching a ripe old age is an accomplishment, it is a testiment to how the man navigated the various slings and arrows of his life.

And NOT to any particular method of navigation.

by Mondo Frazier
image: Anvesh from Unsplash.com

Add A Little Social Lubricant to Your Day

Free Essential Oils Bottle photo and picture

Someone once observed–years ago–that ‘manners (good) were a form of social lubricant.’

Who said this?

The Internet is awash with information about various folks who said something very similar.

RON HUBBARD claimed that In a culture, manners are the lubrication that ease the frictions of social contacts.

Since Mr. Hubbard was the founder of Scientology–as well as a noted science fiction author–his claim sounds convincing.

PETER F. DRUCKER, however, said something a bit similar.

Manners are the lubricating oil of an organization. It is a law of nature that two moving bodies in contact with each other create friction. This is as true for human beings as it is for inanimate objects. Manners- simple things like saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and knowing a person’s name or asking after her family enable two people to work together whether they like each other or not. Bright people, especially bright young people, often do not understand this. If analysis shows that someone’s brilliant work fails again and again as soon as cooperation from others is required, it probably indicates a lack of courtesy – that is, a lack of manners.
–Peter F. Drucker

So, there are TWO highly-successful men (Drucker was a well-known, well-paid consultant) who shared the same general feeling about manners being a social lubricant.

But, WAIT!  There are more…

Good manners are important social lubricants. Yet it seems that everywhere we go, people are forgetting how to be respectful. Science shows that when we encounter rudeness it causes us to experience stress. The opposite is also true. When someone is polite toward us, our brains release oxytocin — the feel-good hormone.
Dr. Christiane Northup

Civility is a necessary part of the foundation of any successful civilized society. In socially advanced societies, this civility is extended not only to those within our peer group, but also to the occupants of the greater social fabric, whatever their station in life. Manners grease the wheels of society, making it easier for all members of that society to live in harmony with one another.
Michael Nunes, The Gentleman’s Brotherhood: Coutesy is Society’s Grease

L. RON HUBBARD weighs in again with an almost-identical quote on the topic.

In a culture, manners are the lubrication that ease the frictions of social contacts.

Good manners grease the wheels of society.

GENTLE READER: Nobody, least of all Miss Manners, will argue with your declaration that being courteous is more important than knowing how to eat a five-course meal (and thank you for not putting it as “knowing which fork to use”).”
–Newspaper writer Miss Manners

So, saying “please” and “thank you” help to hinder the day’s frictions and smooth any curved places in the road one is traveling.

Did the reader know?

Did the reader attempt to smooth out the day’s bumps?

( Things will return to the new normal next week–it looks like.)

by Mondo Frazier
Image by Monika from Pixabay.com