Author: admin

Today on Memorial Day I heard a reading of this poem for the first time. Written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD, after he presided over the funeral of a friend and fellow soldier during the early stages of World War I. Poppy fields were numerous near the burial ground in Belgium. McCrae died of pneumonia about 10 months before the end of the Great War.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie
        In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: 
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high. 
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.

For two decades, I have put in writing my ‘view of things’ – first for the magazine we sent to our franchisees when I worked in that industry, then through the e-newsletter I penned for 14 years, and lately this blog. During those 300+ missives, I’ve never listed things that get under my skin… until now. Here are 35…

> Drivers who weave in-and-out of traffic
> Gas stations that still price their product in 9/10s of a cent
> Fast food restaurants that get my order wrong
> Servers who try to grab my plate when there are still a couple of bites on it
> Weathercasters who scare people, then nothing happens
> Needing to send multiple emails to get people to reply
> Texting auto-correction
> Junk mail and junk e-mail
> Cell calls disguised to look like they come from my number
> People who look at their cell phones during meetings
> Typos in newspaper or online articles and especially in books
> Websites that let you read a few paragraphs then say you have to pay to see the rest
> Typing my customer account number into the phone then when the service rep finally comes on the line, having the first question be: ‘What’s your account number?’
> Masters who fail to pick up their dog’s doodle in my yard
> People who cough into their hands instead of their elbows
> People who don’t wipe down the workout equipment when they’re done
> Shaking hands with people who have sniffles (maybe I’m a germaphobe?)
> Those in the men’s room who leave paper towels lying on the floor and don’t wipe the sink when they’re done
> People who missed Matthew 7:5 and John 15:12
> Sermons that last longer than 10 minutes
> Big corporations that slow-pay small suppliers
> Television news programs that are one-sided – either way
> Trash pick-up service that comes at a different time each week
> Light bulbs that burn out sooner than manufacturers claim
> Having to sign a credit card receipt for a purchase under $20
> Airports that have different Security rules for keeping shoes on
> Airlines that have different rules for carry-on bags
> Oil change providers that always find something wrong with the car
> Sporting events that run over and cause our DVR to miss the delayed end of a show
> Fans who stand the entire time at football games
> Movie previews that last 20 minutes before the film starts
> People who look at their cell phone in a theater
> People who explain – loudly – what’s happening during a film or musical
> Cereal prices that stay the same while the boxes get smaller
> Politicians who don’t show conviction in their beliefs
> People who share their pet peeves