Best Story of the Week…October 28nd
The two of us then walk inside, leaving father and son stunned, in our wake.
This entry was posted in Culture, grace, humanity, humor, kids, New York City, parents, words, writing and tagged inappropriate cell phone use, Looking after kids who aren't yours, parents and children, texting while walking, The Upper East Side of New York. Bookmark the permalink.
Great story! And I am off to look up bloviating. What a word! Can’t believe I have never come across it before!
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bloviate | ˈblōvēˌāt |
verb
talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way.
🙂
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Yes. Thanks. I looked. 🙂 Excellent word.
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Love words. Always meeting a new one. 🙂
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I also love that a politician invented it – one of the US Presidents. It is so suited to politicians.
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See, that’s something I didn’t know. What politician?
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Just looked it up…Warren Harding. Love that Mr. Worm, thank you.
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Miss? Shouldn’t assume.
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I’m a woman. A female. A girl. A lass. A chick. Anyway, something along those lines. I am female but when you put “a” in front of it, it sounds too scientific. But I don’t really relate to any of the other words either. A dudette.
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Now I know. 🙂
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Wowzer.! An encounter for the books…awesome! Be cool to have slyly wired them so you could listen in on ‘father/son’ chat…that is, if there was a follow-up. Who knows? Wonder why the boy even mentioned being rescued from a likely stay in the hospital or morgue…big ego, little integrity! You stood your ground w/Clemenza backing you! He’s someone who is loyal to the residents…in particular you! Love this story…you collared both of them. You & Clemenza are a duo to be reckoned with. Hugs to you both.
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What can I say. Rich kids are in trouble across the board. Think Kennedy, and then you’ll agree.
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What a little brat! And I bet he didn’t go without his phone for even a minute. No lesson learned.
I’m glad you have another bodyguard to add to your arsenal.
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Nate is the sweetest. And of course he kept his phone. It’s equal to a gun in some states. sigh
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You handled that perfectly. What a masterful response!
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I’m tired Anne, of bad behavior and stupidity that’s gone viral. This kid is spoiled and in my opinion, a bit daft for not having more humility. I blame the parents after meeting the dad.
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The young man has probably never seen humility in action. The least he could have done was look abashed. Instead, he chose a well-deserved bashing from you.
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He probably underestimated what would happen, telling his father. I wonder how they found me, unless the kid saw me and stupidly said, dad, that’s the lady who yelled at me. Who knows. The rich are different from you and me, to quote F. Scott Fitzgerald. Now they even know where I live. Hope that’s the end of it.
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If the pair were gallant, they’d send you flowers. It would be better than a wreath on the son’s casket.
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OOH…GOOD ONE ANNE. A tisket a tasket a steel mahogany casket…you got me goin’ Anna.
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Heard from inside the casket — I’m gonna push up a daisy because I was lazy. It was just a text. Didn’t know I was next.
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Bet you were vexed by such a sudden text.
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Still wonderin’ what’s next after that text.
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Tex Mex, on Lex?
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Wow! You nailed the exes! There is nothing left to say. You win.
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I never win. My last one was a stretch. Need to practice.
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You did win, because I said so.
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Yes ma’am.
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Left them sparklers … Now that is well played … The mail is in? Priceless.
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Wasn’t that great? Nate is 18, and reminds me of a big, sweet panda bear. He knew enough to come to my aid, which someone like me really appreciates, but still did his doorman’s duty. Humanity at its very best. Thanks.
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Btw … Sparklers was supposed to be speechless … Damn autocorrect
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I kinda liked sparklers. 🙂
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So did I 🙂
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Sometimes typos should be left. 🙂
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True!
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It’s funny, parents who defend their children no matter what. I was probably the opposite all too frequently with my kids. When something happened … “Oh, really, and what did you do?” It is both a curse and a blessing that I look at the larger context of things instead of the narrow focus people prefer. One of the attorneys I had on my staff a few years ago accused me of not defending or supporting my staff sufficiently. She did that without knowing all that I did do to defend and support her, but still I was a bit gobsmacked by the accusation. My role as General Counsel meant I had a responsibility to the entire organization and not just to my staff. I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t understand that.
A long way of saying that some people, like that attorney and like the dad in your story, have a very narrow focus and can’t consider the possibility that they are wrong, or the people in their narrow universe may be wrong, and that there is a larger context, a bigger story, to almost everything that happens.
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You have to look at the whole board, Midget, always. This is the story I told you about. It’s a typical tale of the times of which we live, and i say that with much heartbreak attached. Thanks. Your humanity never fails to make an impression
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I wonder if some of this has to do with being writers. To effectively write a story, we need to see different angles, different ways to tell the story, and that leads to us observing life in that way also.
Meanwhile, as a parent, I’ve worried about how my kids would turn out in this regard. My older son, after a trip in the wilderness of judgment and narrow thinking, seems to be coming back to reality — that life is complicated and you gotta consider “the whole board.”
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He was probably just trying to find himself by trying on various hats. Could that be? He’s finally found one he likes that fits, and I’ll bet similar to his Dad’s. 🙂
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I don’t want my kids to be like me. I want them to be happier. 😉
A month or so ago, my older son told us a story. He came home from work and found a homeless man camped out in his parking space. He rents a condo with his girlfriend. He told the homeless guy that he didn’t care if he stayed there, but other people might. So the homeless guy stuck around until the HOA people started doing something about it. When they found out my son told the guy he could stay there, they told him he was responsible then for getting rid of him and his things. I told my son that simply wasn’t true, but my son wanted to take care of it because otherwise the police would show up and the homeless guy was black.
A long way of saying … I told my son I was proud of him for his compassion, but that … to steal your words … he needed to look at the “whole board” when he does things like this. And, unlike a few years ago, he didn’t get angry at the “idiots” and was receptive to my cautions. Maybe it’s true what they say … boys don’t grow up until they’re about 25. 😉
Have a good day out there in NYC, SB.
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I LOVE THAT STORY. REALLY!!! How wonderful that he cared so. Okay, so it wasn’t practical, but he gets an A in humanity. sigh
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Yep.
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You’re a great dad Midget. I already knew that.
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I tried. That’s all I could do.
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You did good Mark. That’s story says it all.
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Can you let me wallow in my self-doubt? 😉
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NOPE!!!
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Hey Midget, am at your site. It’s none of my business but, you haven’t written since September. What gives. An Inquiring Thin Girl you kinda know.
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My writing energies have been focused on finishing a novel. The Dime – which started as a short story, morphed into a novella, morphed again into a three part story. Wrote the first two parts, wanted to be done with it at that point, but a writer/editor I respect advised me that I needed to write the third part and then try to find an agent. So, I’ve been working on part three. Writing more in the last 4-5 weeks than I have in a long time. The good news is that the end is in sight. Very close.
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That’s great news.
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Thank you for checking in.
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I loved the doorman’s role in this whole thing. “So you know, the mail’s in,” is a perfect segway to more important things like the Williams Sonoma catalog. I cannot imagine why this little snip told his father in the first place. Wanted a little attention maybe. Poor kid is dead meat. Thanks for the story. Susannah.
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I remember once nicely, early one morning, telling young girl that she shouldn’t be listening to music alone in the dark. I was behind her, and saw her jump not hearing me. She was so well mannered, and immediately, took them out. It was the opposite exchange I got from that kid who was rude and nasty. 50 shades of parenting.
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You do meet all types of parents for sure.
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Yes, I sure do. sigh
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By the way…it’s nice of you link me to Twitter. It was a nice surprise. I rarely Tweet, but did a Podcast a few weeks ago that was put up there, so it’s making me check in. I’m so behind the cyber times I’m afraid.
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I link you every time I visit. 😁
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I see that. I’m touched John, really. Thank you.
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😊
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Ick, the nerve of some people. No good deed goes unpunished, huh?
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I never knew what that really meant Eilene till very recently. Sigh
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I’ve worked with kids enough to know that you don’t always get the full story from them, as the dad apparently didn’t. Good for you for standing up to him. Love your doorman, by the way. 🙂 Seems like a good guy who’s got your back.
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Yeah, we love Clemenza. As for Weiser, I don’t think he counted on that confrontation, underestimating the likes of me. If a tree gave me shit David, I’d challenge it to a duel. I’m a gladiator at heart. 🙂
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I don’t know why I’m always surprised at the parents who blindly believe everything their kids say. Ironically, I watched the ending of Scent of a Woman the other day and this is a perfect example of the privileged kids getting away with everything (almost) and the poor kid being accused unjustly of a crime he didn’t even commit, just witnessed but was ‘man’ enough to NOT snitch. Sigh.
Your doorman completely rocks. As do you for this.
Oh, and by the way, I don’t know why… but I used to be able to share your posts on Twitter and no longer can. Your “more” button no longer has the Twitter link… just so you know and maybe can check your settings…
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I will see what’s up. I have been visiting Twitter here and there so I may have hit something, the Aunt Clara of cyber world.
Yeah, kids that are spoiled lose at some point. They’re given everything under the sun but integrity. I’d stand up to Genghis Khan, so I no doubt surprised father and son. And yes, Clemenza is sweet. A favorite person of mine, 18, raised by a single mom and her dad. In school. You’d fall in love.
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I hear ya. I barely hang out there. My posts automatically are shared and my Instagram and any blogs that I read And enjoy, I’ll share. Would be nice not to have to go through the Reader to share yours (only way I can and I don’t really use the reader!)
Spoiled kids are done no.favours, I say. I’ve no doubt Clemenza Hasso much more than that kid.
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Yes, he certainly does. I’ll work on my Tweeting skills. Maybe President Trump can give me a few tips. 🙂
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Hasso? WTF? Has so..😉
Oh, he is an expert, that is not a question.
I tried to have a conversation on Twitter- was a three-way – I got so dizzy, I left. I dunno how peeps have arguments!
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He’s probably Tweeting at this very moment some charming comment about his esteemed opponent.
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Of that, I’ve no doubt. He should have his phone confiscated.
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Could you imagine? There would be an uprising.
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Oh Lordy… the big baby would have the most fierce some tantrum.
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Wait till tomorrow. Hold on your hat.
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Will be keeping an eye on things from up here…
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Yeah, I’ll be happy when it’s over, not that it will be quickly. And unrest will rise like a gale, but as Eliza Doolittle says in My Fair Lady, sometimes that means the worst is over.
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I know what you mean. Watching through my fingers covering my eyes… The aftermath does have me fretting… No matter which way it goes
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I wish he’d stop lying about the pandemic. If only it were true that it’s almost over.
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The worst thing that could happen did – that he breeze through it. No way in hell he will take it seriously now that he had it and didn’t suffer
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The problem there is, his message to his ardent followers…see, big deal if you get it. You’ll get over it, like me. Shed that mask. Screw 6 feet apart. Vote for me who will keep the country open, despite a million deaths.
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Exactly. He needed to get as sick as Boris or Andrew Cuomo…
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They were really sick. So scary.
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And not that I want to wish ill…but this didn’t help that he barely suffered
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We may not even know the whole truth. Who knows.
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There is THAT!
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I’m so cyperly inept. How do you follow someone on Twitter. I don’t remember. Could you shed some light in Aunt Clara’s cave? sigh
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Haha! Umm I think you just press on the person’s tweet, brings you to their page and then you click on the follow button. Or, in twitter, you can search for people and then click follow.
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I see. Duh!
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Hah! Sometimes the obvious isn’t so…
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This is very true.
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