My thanks today to all of you who were concerned about me going around to Debi's neighbors and talking to them about her dogs barking. No, Dave, I am not in jail. I was not even belligerent. I was kind, understanding, caring...all those things you people seem to think I am not, or at least laughed about when you read that I was going to do that.
It went well. One neighbor commended Debi and myself for wanting to make sure everyone was informed and that we went door to door to correct the situation. All but one assured me they did not write the note. The one that did not assure me of that, was the one that we thought might have written the note. For a fraction of a second I thought about turning them over to the Feds for violating Federal law on putting stuff in a mailbox without a stamp and bypassing the postal service; or maybe calling CPS about their constant haranguing of their children. The verbal abuse can sometimes be heard at the curb.
Deb is going out to get some kind of device that will "encourage" the dogs not to bark. That usually means that they will get some kind of negative reinforcement via a collar or something similar. The intent is not to debark them, but to rather encourage them to not bark for long periods of time. ( Man, I sure could have used a device like that in the classroom! Just a little shock for Susie when she wouldn't shut up...)
Dave Theobald, a good friend and fellow writer, says that he longs to go back to the simple, logical days of the 1950s and 60s. The days when people were not afraid to go talk to neighbors or call when there was a problem. Those days, my friend are over, UNLESS, we force them to come back! How? By doing just a couple of things:
1.) Make ourselves available to each other. Sit out on our Front Porch and talk to folks
as they go by.
2.) Actually go out and meet people. Invite our neighbors for a block party. (Yes, a
block party.) Close off the street, put out the lawn chairs and tables, get
a couple of grills, turn up the tunes, and enjoy gettin to know each other.
Sounds like fun? Let me know how it works!
On another front....
A principal out here in AZ has been demoted for emailing a teacher and using sarcasm to point to problems she is having with a student and his or her parents. Now, talk about loyalty... the guy sent it to only one teacher, I understand, and she then ran off the comment, and sent it home with her kids for parents to read! Now, the prinicipal could very well be without a job, while the dimwit teacher who has no sense of humor and probably is having trouble because she should be washing cars not teaching goes unnamed and on with her failure of a career! I know I am being harsh on her, but really... the principal tries to lighten her up, and she lowers the boom on him. Talk about misreading people!
If sarcasm was a crime, I'd be doing life!
Doughnut
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