Make It Work!

What Were They Thinking?

I'm a HUGE Project Runway fan and words cannot express the deep disappointment I got from this season's competition, (season 9). I have been an avid fan of the show from the time it aired it's first episode and being that I'm also a designer myself, I never missed an episode. Project Runway served up opportunity for aspiring designers to enter into the world of fashion in a way that had never been done before. I was inspired!

I guess like a lot of TV shows out there, (and after moving from the Bravo network to Lifetime), they lost the sparkle and the innovation. For me, Season 9 proved to be nothing more than an amateurish romp of drama mixed in with the usual tired exploitation of reality, selling off the shows integrity in favor of ratings.

And just in case anyone is wondering, the photo I added up at the top is NOT a design that came down the runway on the show. It's just a weird design I found on the net and thought it suited my subject matter this morning. This isn't a blog about my disappointment in Project Runway, (even though I started off with that).

 It's about making it work.

I am presently reading a book written by Project Runway's mentor to the designers, Tim Gunn. It's titled "Gunn's Golden Rules - Life's Little Lessons For Making It Work", which "Make It Work" is Tim's catch phrase for all the designers when they find themselves struggling in the competition on the show.

 Tim Gunn is by far the show's most valuable treasure. I admire him greatly and am absolutely loving his book. It's not all about Project Runway, but of course he has a few stories to share from his experiences there. The book is about life and his advice in how to make it work is a joy to read. He writes about how "being nice" and having manners is the key to success when it comes to interacting with people and I totally, totally agree!

Like my mother used to say, "You get a lot more flies with honey than vinegar". Plus being nice and having manners, which so many people don't have these days, gives you that step up to the high road, which believe you me, is a much better level to be at in this selfish and rude day and age.

I can't praise Tim's book enough and suggest you find yourself a copy -

you'll be glad you did!

Work It!

I was fortunate that my parents taught me (very), good manners and in turn I passed those lessons onto my children. They absolutely HATED writing thank you notes and exercising good manners at the dinner table but in the long run, it served them well, (just as my parent's lessons in good manners served me).

When I was in elementary school we had to learn good Citizenship - it was part of the curriculum, (along with good Penmanship), but I don't think they focus on being a good citizen anymore in the school, which I think is a crying shame! Kids are so rude and selfish nowadays and of course, so are their parents. It alarms me to think how this world will be when good manners becomes totally extinct. As far as I see it, we are dangerously close to that happening and this world will be one cold and cruel place.

Recently my 8 year old granddaughter received an award at her school, (a Christian school), for being "Respectful To Others". It was during an assembly she received this award and when they called her name to go up to the stage and get her award, (certificate), I had to fight back the tears. Just like my parents instilled in me the importance of respecting others and I instilled into my children, my granddaughter's parents have done the same. As far as I see it, good manners are born from the ability to respect others.  For some reason folks think you have to like all the people you respect. Not true. I mean after all, I respect a ton of people I don't even know and there are quite a few people that I don't like at all, (personality wise), that I respect them for other reasons. 

I have found that having a general respect for all people serves me very well. I respect their space, their right to an opinion and their place in society. A homeless man that opens the door for me at the grocery store deserves a pleasant smile and a "thank you" just as much as anyone else. Ironic thing is, the homeless guy is more likely to open my door than some high paid executive sporting an Italian suit that just exited his Porche.

Poop Scoop

I've worked in retail off and on over the years and anyone who works retail knows just how (very) rude our society can be, (and is).

 One day I was ringing up a guy that was at the check out with his cell phone attached to his ear. When I was done ringing him up I asked him the usual - "Is this cash or charge?". The man actually had the gal to shush me and then rudely snipe at me, "Can't you see I'm talking?".

I wanted to jerk that cell phone right out of his hand and toss it across the store!

I was NOTHING in his eyes, holding no value in his selfish little world. All that mattered to him was his own agenda and everyone else was nothing more than an irritant. It's so sad to me that we have become such a selfish society. We hoard and we hide. We don't want to know our neighbors and we certainly don't want to share.

Having good manners IS sharing.

It's sharing of ourselves, our space and of our time. Good manners is a door we open to others of which we offer respect. As I see it, having good manners is "making it work", keeping the cogs of life well oiled and maintenanced. Good manners opens doors and I don't mean that literally, I mean that it opens doors to the kind of goodness that comes back to us making our life better, more promising and even peaceful. 

I don't know about you, but when I treat others with respect and use my good manners I feel GOOD about myself and my reasons for living. Sure I have those days I'd like to go around and be a Poop Head to everyone and there have been a few times that I have stomped through life with a scowl on my face but ya know, it only made me feel worse about myself and whatever crap I was going through. The Poop Heads in life have nothing more to offer than,..well...poop and we all step in it and we all resent it.

There are laws out there set that people MUST poop scoop after their dogs.

Me thinks we need a law against poop heads crapping all over us!!

THANK YOU!