Monday, February 8, 2010

The Rocky Horror Picture Show


That was the answer to Friday's final line quiz. Now on to more Kaye Way related craziness.

I was raised Catholic but I've severely lapsed. I go to church once a year at Christmas. What I profess to the kids is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". The Golden Rule. I really believe that you need to treat people they way you yourself want to be treated. But to be honest, it's hard to keep it up when you feel like it's one sided. But I soldier on.

There's a nice new lady at Henry's bus stop from Chile. She drops her kids off; she doesn't actually go to H's school. When we met a few weeks ago I made a Herculean effort to remember her name. An effort that, as I get older, has been more and more like trying to make myself spontaneously combust but a lot less fun. Anyway, her name is Neecy (I'm not sure of the spelling... the point is that is her name) and as I chatted with her the other day, I realised she didn't remember my name.

So here's where the do unto others thing kicks in. As we're talking, I took the opportunity to throw my own name into the conversation. Something like (but not)"So my husband said to me: Karen, how many times do I have to tell you not to use that pogo stick in the house? I have to re-plaster the ceiling again!" See what I did there? Now she knows my name.

I wish people would do that unto me. How many times have I had whole conversations not hearing what the other person is saying or even what I'm saying for that matter because all that's going through my mind is: What's his/her name again? Or worse yet: Where do I know you from? Oh, and to make it even worse, sometimes they'll ask about my family by name and shame me into wanting to actually spontaneously combust.

All you'd have to do is throw your name and where I know you from in something you say when you chat with me. Come on. It's not hard. Help a sister out. You don't want me to be reduced to a pile of dust, do you?

kxx

2 comments:

kirsten said...

Would that I could find an audio to go along with these lyrics. This is The Bobs, an a capella group out of California I'd seen back in my single days:

Spontaneous Human Combustion
Poof, there goes another one
A raging fire, a funeral pyre
An unexpected cremation

They were kissing in a crowded mall
when they burst right into flames.
Charcoal bricquets in thirty seconds
Their last words -- each other's names
Did they have a deep seated problem?
Was this their farewell?
Did they cause themselves to ignite
Leaving that awful smell?

Spontaneous Human Combustion
Poof, there goes another one
A raging fire, a funeral pyre
An unexpected cremation

She was walking on Rodeo Drive
She exploded with a flash
The police had no explanation
Their only clue -- a pile of ash
Did her Visa card reach its limit
on that shopping spree?
Did she blow her top when she read
"Buy one -- get one free"?

Spontaneous Human Combustion
Poof, there goes another one
A raging fire, a funeral pyre
An unexpected cremation

Is it passion, is it heartburn?
Is it the wrath of god?
Maybe it's friction in the bloodstream
starts a fire in your bod?
Is it caused by stress or frustration?
Or by what you eat?
Never snack on cabbage and wasabi,
you'll get smoking feet

Spontaneous Human Combustion
Poof, there goes another one
A raging fire, a funeral pyre
An unexpected cremation

Karen Kaye said...

Kirsten, that's priceless LOL!