Opinion

Marlene Ratledge Buchanen

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall,
Who’s the fairest of them all?”

“Well, it ain’t you, sister!
You look like a broken blister. Who told you long hair was flattering It only makes you old and shattering.”

Katie Hart Smith

Whispers in the Wind

Have you ever heard a whisper in the wind – a gut feeling that was telling you that something was desperately not right? Or, perhaps it was a sense of overwhelming calm and stillness that comforted you, reassurance that you were in exactly the right place and time.

Bill York

You’ve got to love those TELEMARKETERS

10:05 PM. Exhausted after a hard day, had just dozed off. Telephone jangles.
Sleepily, “Hello, it’s your dime, talk.”
Syrupy voice, “Is this William York?”

Bill York

What happened to customer service?

While training employees at Sears Roebuck I recall the instruction manual. When there’s a complaint employees are told to apologize first, determine the problem and satisfy the customer’s complaint.

Bill York

Regrets

 “Did you brush your teeth, Billy Gene?

I was maybe 6 years old.

“Yes, Grandma.”

Katie Hart Smith

The Ripple Effect

Do you have a mentor? Is there someone in your life that has had a lasting positive impact on you? Have you had the opportunity to pay it forward in what I call the “ripple effect?”

Marlene Ratledge Buchanen

Through the sun room Window

I do most of my writing in the sunroom. It is by far my most favorite room in the house. Until the weather is warm enough, I keep all my house plants in this room. I have orchids blooming most of the winter and greenery everywhere. The best part is looking out the windows. It is a six-sided room that used to be shaded by a 300-year-old oak tree. The tree was destroyed by Irma.