•Photo taken with Samsung S10+ “circa 2020”.

•Photo taken with Samsung S10+ “circa 2020”.

…emphasizing a point and (while…) skirting the Truth (sp. pr.) are two different things entirely – or are they?

Mankind is fraught (riddled) with contradictions, ironies, hypocrisies, enigmas…

•Title credited to Bill Finger and Dick Sprang (DC Comics).

So I’ve been told… “words have Great-Power” (The pen is mightier than the sword). Well, HERE YOU GO – an entire bloody smorgasbord!

•”The pen is mightier than the sword” credited to Edward Bulwer-Lytton from his historical play Cardinal Richelieu (1839).

•Title credited to Harold Mott/Arthur Kent/J. Gale (Arranger: Axel Stordahl) – sung by the “Late-Great” Frank Sinatra.

Like Honesty and Fair-mindedness (sp .pr.)! I’ve been going to this grocery store for years. One of the things I noticed early on when shopping the sales was that certain items would ring up full price. I would mention it to the clerk, they would take a minute, sometimes two to verify the price, make the correction… sometimes they would take off the difference. But year-after-year I noticed this happening repeatedly. Oh, about 12-13 years ago I mentioned it to one of the managers who was assisting, he said they were changing the system. Well, it continues to this day.

I file this under my “10% rule”. As with some companies who will reach out to consumers sometime later, stating a payment or a balance was due, say a year ago, and they were following up to collect that balance – This happened to Ana with regard to a phone bill many years ago. She told them she paid it and they asked her if she had a receipt she could produce. Now where the 10% rule comes in is a certain percentage of people presented with this dilemma will not be able to find that receipt or even want to bother. The same holds true with the issue at this grocery store. A certain percentage of people are not gonna be watching the register to make sure the sales are applied. A certain percentage will never even look at their receipt (they shouldn’t have to – and I know some of you will disagree with this). And another percentage, overwhelmed with work, family, and even personal issues such as medical et cetera DO NOT HAVE THE TIME, OR THE ENERGY TO… and so… My point is this; In a new world order where companies are now starting to count 10ths and hundredths of a penny times a million customers, transactions… This sort of thing starts to add up (pay off😁) eh! Especially if we’re talking “a nickel here, a dollar there…” For this thing to continue year after year 🙄????? Bollocks!!!!!!

In the new world order where people in Alcoholics Anonymous are bringing in their phones and timing people talking;

BTW (by the way), I was advised by Ana not to give the name of the store – so there you have it.

YOUR BAD?

I have mentioned previously, or not, that my personal experience in dealing with employees is that females tend to be more defensive or protective with company money than do men. My friend Chuck who owned a pawn shop locally would offer me deals as a friend, and every once in a while his wife would be standing there and step in and say “no, no, no” – And Chuck would just smile, wait for her to go away, then give it to me anyways (sometimes). A similar thing happened with a ring, in the case her son was showing me. He later gave it to me for the price I offered although I felt a little uncomfortable with this.

Another incident. I was in Wheeling, West Virginia several years ago visiting a dear friend of mine – Lenelle. God rest her Soul! The winters in Northern West Virginia are much different from the winters in Southern New Mexico as you might imagine. So, I decided to go to the local Cabelas – beautiful store – with this huge mountain in the middle decorated with stuffed wildlife all around – from top to bottom. Anyways, I felt I needed a nice, warm jacket so I went to the men’s section and looked and looked and looked. Found this beautiful jacket at 25% off. Well the tag was already marked down about $25. So I called over the gentleman working in that department and he explained that the sign for the 25% off was yesterday’s sale that ended 😏. He smiled, said he would go ahead and honor the additional 25% off in addition to the price mark down already on the tag. I ended up getting a $135 jacket for $89 after tax 🙂.

When I return from my little vacation back east, I went down to the local dollar store to get some bar soap. I looked and looked for several minutes to get the best deal possible. I found some ivory for 3 bucks with a 50 cent off coupon attached. When the young girl at the register rang it up she said the coupon was expired. I told her out of courtesy she should honor it anyways – She called the manager who took one look at me and said “no”. I explained to her that it was the stores responsibility to remove these from the shelf if they were expired, and that it should not fall on my shoulders. She looked at me with a dry look once again, and said “no”. As a manager, chances are she probably could have done the discount but chose not to – Thing is, she wasn’t even nice about the whole thing.

In all fairness… On another trip to the cabelas in Wheeling however, there was a young girl at the front passing coupons for $20 off $100. I asked if it was for every $100 spent? She replied, “yes”. Well Lenelle and I had close $800 at the register (over $800 after tax). When we got to the register, And handed her our coupon, she took $20 off the entire balance 🙄. We mentioned to her what the young lady told us up front and she called the manager. We explained the situation to her, she asked “which young lady had given us this information?” and we pointed her out… And rather hesitantly, the manager took off $140 in additional discounts – Lenelle had seen this beautiful pink ski jacket she had wanted, so she ran to the back and grabbed it – She was happy as a Lark 😁!

My final point is this – Half of life is what you do, and the other half is who you do it with or for. Some people you get in life will always be more than happy to help or accommodate, while others not not so much. I’ve put this to the test numerous times – “life’s a learning curve” 😋. When I wouldn’t encounter mismarked price on an item at Wally-World for example, I would approach an employee asking that they honor the price – When they would say “no” I would go on to the next one – “I know I know, shameless” 🤫… until someone would say “OK, sorry for the issue”. And you see, this is the sort of thing corporate America is little-by-little trying to get rid of by taking power out of the hands of the grass-roots(?) employee. It’s also another example of the diversity of humanity which I pray never gets phased out – at least with regard to people out there trying to be fair and accommodating.

THE OLD “DOUBLE-STANDARD”*

I don’t know bout you, but when I screw up, I’m sick and tired of paying for a late fee. And when the company I’m dealing with screws up, I get a pat (“glib” <- I had to look that one up to be sure – ha!) apology (sometimes). Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!

*I’m beginning to feel a bit like a modern day Ralph Nader?¿

•Title is a spin-off of a Levi’s Strauss & Company campaign slogan “Quality never goes out of style”.

0717211502: Contrary to popular belief, need, desire, expectation, demand… WE ARE NOT ALL ALIKE! You may be a great money maker, but a lousy parent, while the person you’re criticizing may be a lousy money maker, and a great parent! We all have our strengths and weaknesses -only mankind seems to have determined for himself which ones are more (or less) valid. And of course the ones with greater validity seem to equate to the person with those particular strengths being (more) qualified to look down on others who happen to be weak in that (or other) particular area(s). 🤷‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

One more thing, I have observed often times that when people are not themselves in a difficult situation, they find it very easy to look down upon, ridicule, or criticize people who are. What is even more ironic (hypocritical actually), is some people have the nerve to do so when they themselves, at some point in the past, have been in precisely the same predicament (I’m quite sure at certain times in my own life I too am guilty*).

*At this moment I’m thinking to myself not only is there atleast a grain of truth in each and every one of these writings -and with regard to many of these so-called criticisms, it is not only likely, but a fact that I too am guilty!

•Title credited to the great songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland; and sung by the legendary group “The Four Tops”.

0717211421: One’s family should treat them both kind and respectful whether a particular member contributes or not! Most certainly, and I found this out in a very difficult way -our Love for and our fair treatment of a family member should not depend on if or how much we stand to gain from them.

•Title credited to Sly Stone – sung by Sly and the Family Stone.

0717211351: When people hurt or disappoint us, there is at the very least, a mustard-seed of underlying truth or fact which generally makes (a sliver of) room for compassion.

Bring in things that heal, instead of wound, that deescalate*, rather than escalate.

When I call up a company unhappy about something, The conversation with a representative generally goes 1 of 2 ways, irregardless of the outcome. And more or less dependent upon the attitude, abilities, and direction that particular representative chooses to go in. I either feel appeased, or I become increasingly frustrated, even angry**.

*Ahhh yes, the fine/lost art of deescalation!

**incidently, I’ve found the very same thing to be true in just about every interaction with people – as they say “Some people bring out the best in you, while some people bring out the worst in you”. If you don’t believe you have power over (most) people, or they you, guess again! BTW, Spiritual Principles, when put into action, have the most powerful impact of all!

•Title credited to movie of the same name starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler.

It really is true, most people have a very short memory for the things you have done for them.

0717211126: Do you suppose God makes examples of people like we do (by tacking on a lil’ something extra)? I think when GOS-made the universe, the example to all was woven into the fabric of creation after the fact (fall from Grace(sp. pr.))! And do you suppose it to be an error on GOD’S part to grant Mercy (sp. pr.) so flippantly (liberally); and to only dish out punishments to the extent they fit the crime and not one day, hour, minute more… not one single lashing more??? I suppose GOD is who HE is… Just as GOD is love irregardless of the person… HE’S also vengeful, and exacting (on those who stubbornly refuse to yield to…)… HE is who HE s in War(spiritual warfare) as in Love(sp. pr.).

Which brings me to another point: People think GOD runs around punishing people all the time*. I don’t think that would be very loving. HE wove into the fabric of creation after the fact(fall from Grace(sp. pr.)), a set of (universal) laws i.e. the law of “cause and effect”, the law of “consequences”, (spiritual) laws – “The Decalogue”, (intro-personal) laws – a conscience, (magistrative/corporal) laws – to be enforced by our fellow man with the utmost prudence, (communal) laws – whereby offenders are held accountable by community and religious brethren. You see, long before God steps in, HE has put in place all these other safeguards. Safeguards which are continually abused by the people [MEN] charged with those responsibilities (in varying capacities of course). And while many a man has abused this position of authority, of one thing I am certain, GOD never has! The one with the perfect record is the one who catches more flack…

*The fact of the matter is, how could GOD possibly have removed HIMSELF more from the role of prosecutor, persecutor, executor… what with all these buffers (and many more I am unaware of) without removing HIMSELF entirely?*

*GOD picking on us is like a blue whale picking on an AMOEBA [in spite of having created it out if love].

•Title credited to Diane Warren – sung by… Milli Vanilli(?).