[BobKat1]

The old adage applies here:

Some see the glass as half empty - Others see it as half full......

[softfire]

It seems in general , as a population, people have become so negitive. Kinda like it is the cool thing to be and if you are not negitive you are not getting it-the whole life thing. (No one is going to pull the wool over their eyes) People seem to have lost the sense of wonder,joy and the art of a smile. I watch my grandchildren and how they have been trained to retort in a almost synical way to be cool. I watch it on T.V. It seems to be enbedded in all the childrens shows and movies. The action of just simple nice kind words. A warm hug.
People have seem to have lost a belife system in people themselves. No faith and trust in people. I have a business, I deal with people hrs at a time in large people gatherings. Seems people are always in a hurry to go nowhere.
Listening skills are nominal.
I don"t have the answers to this turn of human actions. I can only hope to make a differnece by showing a smile, a warm tone in speech to all I meet.
We are not a defeated people. Everyday we wake up there is a new blessing. We need to look for that before we let the hardness in our day.
In my book it is not "cool " to be negitive. It is wasteful,harmful,and a shame.
and be joyful even if you don't feel good today. Even if you have to go back to work when you thought you were done. Our list is endless of life's trials. it is contagious.

[ChattanoogaTn]

"there will always be those negative types in this world....who think everyone and everything is out to get them, steal from them, etc....and nothing is right with the world.....i just wish they did not live in TV"




Met a lady while in line at a restaraunt the other day that was typical of what your referring to. There were 3 cashiers and only 1 line with 2 people in the single line and one person at each cashiers. My wife and I went to one of the lines that had only one person and the woman that was the 2nd in line yelled "Hey! If you want to get in line it forms back behind us as we are next!" and was VERY rude! I told my wife it is (very) hard to be nice to such RUDE people!!!!! I should have told her that "We are now forming a NEW line"! but ... being a Tenn gentleman, kept my mouth shut! Why do some people think you should bow down before them??

PS "Muncle"....liked your hairdresser joke!

[JeanneBeannie]

Originally Posted by softfire

It seems in general , as a population, people have become so negitive. Kinda like it is the cool thing to be and if you are not negitive you are not getting it-the whole life thing. (No one is going to pull the wool over their eyes) People seem to have lost the sense of wonder,joy and the art of a smile. I watch my grandchildren and how they have been trained to retort in a almost synical way to be cool. I watch it on T.V. It seems to be enbedded in all the childrens shows and movies. The action of just simple nice kind words. A warm hug.
People have seem to have lost a belife system in people themselves. No faith and trust in people. I have a business, I deal with people hrs at a time in large people gatherings. Seems people are always in a hurry to go nowhere.
Listening skills are nominal.
I don"t have the answers to this turn of human actions. I can only hope to make a differnece by showing a smile, a warm tone in speech to all I meet.
We are not a defeated people. Everyday we wake up there is a new blessing. We need to look for that before we let the hardness in our day.
In my book it is not "cool " to be negitive. It is wasteful,harmful,and a shame.
and be joyful even if you don't feel good today. Even if you have to go back to work when you thought you were done. Our list is endless of life's trials. it is contagious.

Very eloquently said,thank you for sharing your words of wisdom. I couldnt agree with you more. Everyone needs to slow down and smell the roses.

[glgene]

I doubt if negative-thinking people would want to read the book, "Positivity" by Barbara Frederickson.

But just in case they do........

Positively,
GL Gene

[Peggy D]

Love the story. And so true.

Like many others, I can't figure out why people stay in TV if they feel so cheated and are unhappy?

Hope I don't move next door to any of them.

[katezbox]

Muncie,

Wonderful story. I had a stepmother like that - nothing was ever positive.

A lot of us are fans of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling. To me, one of her greatest talents is finding a way to use fiction to point out things we all experience in real life.

Her "dementors" - creatures that suck the happiness out of the air around us - are so like that hairdresser.

k

[njgranny]

we sometimes run into people like that - everything on the cruise is bad. I run like hell when I meet someone like that. Life is too short to be unhappy when you're on a cruise.

Muncle - great post!!!!!

Jan

[Muncle]

Originally Posted by katezbox

Muncie,

Wonderful story. I had a stepmother like that - nothing was ever positive.

A lot of us are fans of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling. To me, one of her greatest talents is finding a way to use fiction to point out things we all experience in real life.

Her "dementors" - creatures that suck the happiness out of the air around us - are so like that hairdresser.

k

I was surprised that no one caught my "dementor" comment to Tony in the Community Watch thread yesterday. Needless to say, I was kidding, or at least exaggerating a tad when I referred to the Administrators as TOTV's Dementors.

Kate, I loved the Harry Potter books -- had to read them to find out what was enthralling my great-nieces et al. And I loved it that they were infuriating some of the ultra-fundamentalists. Though I've got the DVDs, I've really enjoyed watching the first few movies on ABC the last several weeks. But it brings back a fear for my mental well-being --- from Day 1, I have found Hermione to be absolutely adorable. I keep telling myself, "Damn, you prevert, she's 10 years old!!!" But I don't think I'm in a league with Woody Allen or Michael Jackson, so I'm okay.




`

[katezbox]

Originally Posted by Muncle

I was surprised that no one caught my "dementor" comment to Tony in the Community Watch thread yesterday. Needless to say, I was kidding, or at least exaggerating a tad when I referred to the Administrators as TOTV's Dementors.

Kate, I loved the Harry Potter books -- had to read them to find out what was enthralling my great-nieces et al. And I loved it that they were infuriating some of the ultra-fundamentalists. Though I've got the DVDs, I've really enjoyed watching the first few movies on ABC the last several weeks. But it brings back a fear for my mental well-being --- from Day 1, I have found Hermione to be absolutely adorable. I keep telling myself, "Damn, you prevert, she's 10 years old!!!" But I don't think I'm in a league with Woody Allen or Michael Jackson, so I'm okay.

`

Munc,

I must have missed that post. Yesterday was (finally) a truly beautiful day in TV and we were out and about.

I think you are OK - I personally have a bit of a crush on the Weasley twins - now that is a bit pervy! So happy to know there is another HP fan out here in TV.

K

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by Muncle

I was surprised that no one caught my "dementor" comment to Tony in the Community Watch thread yesterday. Needless to say, I was kidding, or at least exaggerating a tad when I referred to the Administrators as TOTV's Dementors.

Kate, I loved the Harry Potter books -- had to read them to find out what was enthralling my great-nieces et al. And I loved it that they were infuriating some of the ultra-fundamentalists. ............

`

I have it on good authority that librarians got hate mail (well, I guess it was semi-polite hate mail) when Harry Potter was first published. I knew of one mailing that contained a clipping from an "authoritative" publication. At the center of so many completely wrong statements was a glaringly wrong statement that said that Harry Potter "worshiped the Dementors." Yep. That's what it said. Right there in that "authoritative" publication delivered to the librarian.

But the librarian restrained herself admirably and did not say back to that self-righteous letter-writer, "WHY IN THE DON'T YOU AT LEAST READ THE BOOK YOU BEFORE YOU START SENDING THIS TO A LIBRARIAN???"

There is a common denominator with those people. The biggest percentage have not read the book.

I have a long-time friend who thinks quite differently from me on a lot of things. That's OK. There are just certain things that we have a tacit understanding not to discuss. But I could not stand the Harry Potter thing anymore and so I asked her what the issue was. Why should wizardry be such an issue, I wanted to know. Kids know better. They just liked the books. Adults, too. The chance to totally suspend reality for a while. A good and evil struggle. All that stuff.

Her answer to me was a surprise. She told me that because kids were so mesmerized by the books and often read them more than once and were so completely immersed in them, taken in, so to speak, that could cause their minds to possibly be opened to being taken in by other things, all kinds of bad things. Cults. Satan worshipers. (and I had to wonder if maybe even Democrats )

...... I thought that cause and effect processing was a real leap. Gee. And to think that I had just thought that J.K. was a phenomenal writer. Who knew???!

Anyway, I said I did not agree and then changed the subject. We are still friends. But like I said, some things -- no point in even trying to discuss. They are so convinced that they are absolutely right on this stuff. Oh well.

And Munc and Kate, I am not worried about those little crushes of yours. Harry Potter takes us all back to being kids for a while. And the ones you mention are the ones that your kid-self would have liked and hoped to sit next to in class and whose pencil you would have tried to work up the courage to borrow, hoping for a little conversation. Harry Potter makes us all kids again.

Boomer

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Boomer

I have it on good authority that librarians got hate mail (well, I guess it was semi-polite hate mail) when Harry Potter was first published. I knew of one mailing that contained a clipping from an "authoritative" publication. At the center of so many completely wrong statements was a glaringly wrong statement that said that Harry Potter "worshiped the Dementors." Yep. That's what it said. Right there in that "authoritative" publication delivered to the librarian.

But the librarian restrained herself admirably and did not say back to that self-righteous letter-writer, "WHY IN THE DON'T YOU AT LEAST READ THE BOOK YOU BEFORE YOU START SENDING THIS TO A LIBRARIAN???"

There is a common denominator with those people. The biggest percentage have not read the book.

I have a long-time friend who thinks quite differently from me on a lot of things. That's OK. There are just certain things that we have a tacit understanding not to discuss. But I could not stand the Harry Potter thing anymore and so I asked her what the issue was. Why should wizardry be such an issue, I wanted to know. Kids know better. They just liked the books. Adults, too. The chance to totally suspend reality for a while. A good and evil struggle. All that stuff.

Her answer to me was a surprise. She told me that because kids were so mesmerized by the books and often read them more than once and were so completely immersed in them, taken in, so to speak, that could cause their minds to possibly be opened to being taken in by other things, all kinds of bad things. Cults. Satan worshipers. (and I had to wonder if maybe even Democrats )

...... I thought that cause and effect processing was a real leap. Gee. And to think that I had just thought that J.K. was a phenomenal writer. Who knew???!

Anyway, I said I did not agree and then changed the subject. We are still friends. But like I said, some things -- no point in even trying to discuss. They are so convinced that they are absolutely right on this stuff. Oh well.

And Munc and Kate, I am not worried about those little crushes of yours. Harry Potter takes us all back to being kids for a while. And the ones you mention are the ones that your kid-self would have liked and hoped to sit next to in class and whose pencil you would have tried to work up the courage to borrow, hoping for a little conversation. Harry Potter makes us all kids again.

Boomer

HiJacking alert.

Boomer.

ONE of the reasons that I like you so much is for your wisdom. IF only everyone would take a page from your book and change the subject when things get into an area when agreement is not possible. (I find I do that when some of my friends say they have the smartest and best grandchildren) However most people just keep beating a dead horse and than get all annoyed and...that is when the fight happens.

I know this is off the subject, but I had to say that.

I haven't read all of Harry Potter books because I keep getting sidetracked into mystery novels and biographies. In fact, I have been known to be reading three books at a time. They are my nerve pills when the economy goes to ..... in a handbasket.

Sorry. Back to the negativity of some people/Harry Potter.


Flash. BOOMER. You are not only an English Major but YOU are a Librarian!!

[njgranny]

Grace - I'm "book addicted," too. I've noticed that many fiction books today are about vampires, wizards, faeries - you name it. I've gotten used to reading books that are far from reality and am enjoying them. MY DH can't get over that I read and watch tv at the same time. :-)

Personally, I'd love it if my grandkids read anything in addition to their school work. One of them is addicted to her cell phone and the computer. We're lucky if she even talks. ha, ha.

Jan

[SUNNYMARYANN]

jeannie you brighten up every post

[katezbox]

... seems to completely understand so many issues and speak on them in a way that lets us all "get it."

I think it is time to re-read Harry....


Kate

PS - I wonder if anyone is concerned that I got bad side effects from other books I have found addictive over the years - starting with the Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew and Heidi and Little House and moving on all things Jane Austen...

PPS - I think the main "down side" to book addiction is my complete lack of athletic ability. Witness my golf game.