THE WHOLE TRUTH celebration photos!

OK - you know who you are ..









































Photos by Frank DiMarco

Avoiding misunderstandings

My family has a tradition of giving two greeting cards for every occasion.

To avoid misunderstandings.

Several years ago I sent my brother a card congratulating him on becoming president of a major company.

To me, anyway, it was funny.

First, I must explain.

He and I had a long, exciting tradition of sending one another humorous to knee-slapping hilarious cards. We always looked forward to receiving the *perfect* card that would send us ROTFLOAO!

Then came an episode of familia interruptus (not speaking, any of us), brought about by ... misunderstandings, due to a failure to communicate clearly.

This dispute was resolved before I sent my intended-to-be funny, soon-to-be infamous card.

It went something like this: The front of the card said, "Congratulations! I'm sure everyone in the company - including your competition - is thrilled with your promotion!"

Open it, and across both sides of the card it shows a white-shirted corporate guy laying face down on his big desk with this huge knife in his back.

In the old days mon frere would have doubled over laughing, tears flowing, farts tooting.

But .. after our initial reconcilliation, my congratulatory card was evidence of much work still left to be done to heal the family communications chasm. His former sense of humor was MIA.

My mom called to say He. Did. Not. Find. It. Funny.

In fact, he felt it was disrespectful.

Um, ouch.

OK, I can see where some people might see it that way, and I realized things had, indeed, changed. Or at least he had and I hadn't and maybe I should.

I apologized profusely, begged for forgiveness and sent him a hand written message of genuine congratulations, how he deserved it (he did!), yanga yanga yanga.

It would be awhile after that faux pas before I would send him another "brother - humorous" card.

Then I remembered another incident that occured years before the family furor when my bro encountered the same problem with my dad. He sent dad a "funny" card that daddy-o did not consider laughable, but was instead insulted. Or hurt. Or both.

OK.

A couple months after my screwup and groveling apology, I sent my bro another serious card for another occasion.

Then, wouldn't you know it, I found a really hilarious card for him that I couldn't refuse. I bought it, addressed it and put the stamp on it.

I wondered: send? Don't send. Send. Don't send. Send. Don't. Send. Don't..... Send?

I took a chance and dropped it in the mail box, hoping by now he might be able to enjoy it - especially since he already received my sincerely thoughtful message.

In fact -- he did enjoy it! Mercifully, he let me know right away!

Haha! Hoho! HURRAH! He was laughing!

At last we retrieved our mutual sense of humor! From the ashes rose the phunniex!

Thus spawned the family tradition of sending two cards for every holiday, occasion and opportunity.

To be *very* clear, my mother writes on the back of each dispatch, "This is the serious card." And, "This is the funny card."

I decided to do the very same -- just, you know, to avoid any misunderstanding.

Is the US really a "loveless" nation?

Mother Theresa reportedly said that she found America to be the most loveless country in the world.

Why?

Because of our priorities.

Wait. I think most of us would say that our family, friends and loved ones - or seeking a relationship/significant other - are at the top of our priorities.

I mean, perhaps the greatest evidence of our priorities is our daily list of things to do:

What do you have written down?

How many of them involve family, friends and loved ones - or seeking that special relationship?

How many of them involve work-related tasks or activities?

How many of them involve both - like having your kids or significant other attend an activity you ordinarily do alone and that they might enjoy?

Does your list of things to do look like this:

9am staff meeting
10am presentation for execs
noon lunch with advertising rep
2pm meeting with VP, sales report
5:30 squash with Bill/gym
6:30 dinner with department head
8pm concert with Beth

Or this:

8:50am call Beth - tell her how much I love her!
9am staff meeting
9:50am pick up flowers for Beth/home
10 meet with execs
noon lunch with Beth - arrange for family vacation
2pm meeting with VP, sales report
3pm arrange for kids' play day Saturday (my week to do this)
5:30 squash with Bill/gym
6pm make dinner with Beth
6:30 dinner with Beth and kids
7:30 help kids with homework (except Friday when we play putt putt golf)

Just a thought.

Best reality show: Meerkat Manor

Sean Astin narrates the US version of this fascinating series - the video outcome of following a meerkat "mob" (family, "gang") nicknamed the "Whiskers" for several years - on the Animal Planet network.

Meerkat Manor hits just the right medium between anthropomorphism and objective observation to captivate, entertain and educate us about the lifestyle and day to day life and death challenges of this intriguing group of Kalahari Desert inhabitants, in their underground burrows as well as on terra firma.

The upbeat, light Disney-ish music that accompanies the programs is misleading, because when I say it takes us through all the family (functional and dysfunctional) issues as well as the challenge of surviving the formidable environment of the South African desert, I mean all.

As cute as these 12-inch mammals might be, they experience everything we see on dramas starring human beings - and more. Small children might find it a little too intense and I'd suggest that kids in general see it in the company of an adult to further explain what they're watching.

Especially since we come to know each member of the family as he or she moves through the day fielding predators (including members of their own mob!), finding food, protecting their pups and of course "romance" -- but not everyone survives.

One production value I appreciate about Meerkat Manor is that unlike human participants who have been screened and "cast;" individuals craving exposure who can manipulate their personas in an attempt to be seen in a certain light by the audience or producers, or who can be manipulated by producers to do this or that in order to boost ratings in a "reality" show, these characters are not actors.

In fact, because they're animals they don't care about audiences or television; they've absolutely unaware of fame, fortune, becoming "someone," religious groups who object to having pups out of wedlock, photo ops, parlaying this opportunity into a record or movie deal, trying to get a paw in the show biz door, yadda yadda yadda.

They just do what they do and have no idea that someone is watching them. No teeth whitening or veneers, "lifts," extensive workouts to take off that last ten pounds, publicists, agents or stylists.

Perhaps what is so enticing to us about watching these animals is that they often reflect our own image -- frequently walking on two legs, while still using all four limbs and their tail to get around and use as building tools.

So if the standard soap opera elements of hanky panky, feuds, reunions, rivalries, friends, enemies, danger, intrigue, neighbor problems, strong family values ( ;-), threats, victims, death, babies, literally climbing the food chain, heroes, failure and success among these engaging animals make for good television viewing in your home? I'd suggest you tune in.

Wikipedia has a complete breakdown of all the families, their members and personalities here.

I find myself watching episodes more than once (or twice or three times, actually); hardcore fans buy the DVD's.

And there's more to come! The third season of 13 episodes is being completed for UK viewers - the rest of the world will catch up. And if the international popularity of this series continues, I believe we can count on more seasons after number three as well!