Your show was epic! We loved every second - I was in a black dress but we did join all those colorful folks on Broadway afterwards. It was more about the music than the booze.
Good morning, GK! Ah, common sense. Thank you! I recall these words from Desiderata to guide me "Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth." When I see other men and women my age trying too hard (or as the kids call "cheugy" -- you're a man who loves unique words, phrases, etymology, too, so I think you'll dig that!) I may roll my eyes but I'm always careful to make sure I'm not guilty of the same. Thelonius Monk said "sometimes being hip is what it ain't." Since I've never been hip I'm kept in check!
I am in nearly 100% agreement with your observations about manners; however, there is a phenomenon that mystifies me: I have found some tatooed, pierced, long-haired folks very nice and mannerly, and other clean, neat, conventionally dressed people quite asinine. WTH is that all about? Please explain in a future column...
Yeah, tattoos do NOT indicate character. I'm one of the few persons I know who doesn't have one. Part of Garrison's shtick is the wide-eyed and observant small-town man who also functions well in the big city. The tattoo phenomenon just bowls him over.
True, some tatophiles are nice. But IMO, while most fashion statements allow for reflection-based change, the bold permanence of changing one's body for all time for all to see seems pretentious.
I asked a young woman what all the tattoos were about and she said, "They're nice people trying to be badass." So I still don't get it. The badass part. But that's Tronald Dump's strategy too.
as best i can tell trump's actual strategy was "be a dumb ass". i hope the motto for the rest of us is "don't get fooled again." we do need a maximum age limit on presidents. of course we would need to add about 5 years if the candidate were a woman.
-I often wonder what tattoos lurk beneath the sleeves (make sure the surgeon rolls up his/her sleeves) and on a person's back...
-What are your thoughts on how long a tie should be in front? In your picture, that slight area between the bottom of the front of tie and your belt is one I personally try to minimize. The larger the expanse of shirt, the worse (in my opinion).
-You are one of the people in this world that I truly admire.
I have moved past using tape to hold the front to the back of the tie if after adjusting the lengths the thin back does not reach the label sewed onto the back of the front. I could not come up with a more succinct way to make the point.
Thanks for that column, Garrison. Your picture from the Ryman says a lot to me. When I worked I wore a suit or sports coat and tie everyday. It is easy to decide what to wear and get dressed and after you are dressed, you are prepared to meet whomever you might meet that day -- from the mayor or university president down to the janitor. You look nice and you don't need to think about what you are wearing anymore that day.
Just like if you always tell the truth, you don't need to remember what story you told to so and so. Just like if you are always polite to people, you won't feel awkward if you meet some one you were just rude to. After many years, I have decided that it is better to be kind and polite as much as possible. I don't want to talk to most people and I certainly don't want to spend a lot of time fighting with them.
The Supremes want to take us back to the 1800's in a legal, religious, political, economic, and ever other sense. But that is basically a futile endeavor because the American people have mostly all changed. And I admit the change has been for the best in some respects and for the worst in other respects.
Church music is in decline which I think is a really bad thing. But church has changed in many places.
Another thing in decline is people's fashion sense. I don't know if it is because there are more people around who cannot make it from paycheck to paycheck but most people seem to spend very little on clothes. Years ago if you went to most churches, people would be dressed nicely with men in suits and ties. But now a days people in church might be dressed any way. A few men will have ties on but most will be very casual and there are always some who look as thought they were cutting grass and then came on to church without changing clothes.
But I think that people's dress tells you a lot about them. I wonder how these people who dress so slovenly feel about themselves.
But it is what it is. The Supremes should know that people by and large live the way they want to live based on economics and technology. Most people live the life that makes sense for them. Trying to turn back the clock or make people live some other way is a futile effort.
The last 5 years of my industrial research experience in the '90s we were encouraged to wear business casual unless meeting with outsiders on business. A blessing since I could wear my wife's hand-knit sweaters to work. Churches, both in MN and here in ME, feature more casual dress. I haven't worn a tie to either work or church for the last 20+ years. As for singing, come to Lutheran Churches, featuring both old and new hymns and liturgy. Most are welcoming to all and have open communion tables. (That's for ELCA, not the more conservative branches of Lutheranism.)
Thanks for your comment. I stopped working about twenty years ago and now very seldom wear a tie or a suit. Now about the only time I wear a suit and tie is for a very important funeral and those are few and far between. Most of the people to whose funeral I would wear a suit have already passed away. I actually like to wear a suit and tie and I think they look nice but why get dressed up to look out of place.
I remember that last week you spoke of doing readings in church. I love the scripture readings in the Episcopal Church and the readings are really good when the reader does a good job. But it is surprising that some people are so casual and sloppy about reading the scripture. They apparently don't even look at the reading before they get up to read.
The same with music. Church music can be beautiful and deliver a great message if it is done right.
The service and liturgy of the Lutheran and Episcopal Churches are quit similar and they can be very nice if you have good singing and if the congregations participate in the service. I know that in the Episcopal communion service, it is much better if you have a good sized congregation and if they join in the responses at the appropriate times.
Yes, the Lutheran and Episcopal services are similar because both were "extracted" from the Catholic Mass. I'm on the hymn picking committee for my church. I've done some lay preaching when we were without a full time Pastor and I always picked the hymns. In my opinion, hymns are mini-sermons. We sing simple hymns during the administration of Communion but our medium sized congregation has not yet recovered from COVID so we only sing one or two (and rotate them to avoid boredom). Taize sentences are particularly nice. I also usher and I almost hesitate to usher a particularly good singling family up to the alter in the middle of one of the hymns.
One secret to success with hymn singing is to pick hymns that are familiar and people know. Those are the ones that they usually like to sing. It is amazing to see a choir director pick songs which few people know and which might also be hard to sing or have an unusual melody.
That's what we try to do. The organist/choir director, pianist, a knowledgeable church council member, and our Pastor are the hymn pickers and there are suggestions from a church worship guide for the lessons for the day. We always us familiarity as a guide. We lost our choir director due to cancer and we're looking for a replacement. We haven't had a choir since shutdowns in early 2020 but this is one of the best singing congregations I've ever been in. We do quite well even without a choir to lead.
I have often wondered what changed and why from the days I was young, at the University, and then working in my profession where we were supposed to dress professionally. But in all my years then, I believed in looking as nice as possible: I love jeans and casual clothing, but I always wore appropriate clothing to concerts, movies, church, on dates. I have had too many occasions in recent years to wonder why people deliberately look scruffy and untidy. Torn jeans, messy hair in colors never before seen in hair, cheap and dirty shirts--well, you've seen it. But WHY? WHY do people want to look they just climbed out of bed--and then rumpled themselves more.
What's appropriate is getting more casual and depends on the local mores. Small town MN and much of ME are more casual than more urban areas. Casual must still be neat and not messy. Jeans or cords are almost a necessity at church in ME in the winter.
But I'd still like to see people try to look their best when going someplace--not the grocery store or gas station. Is there a connection (although Guiliana claimed it was so) between neat streets and better behavior. I don't know.
So much projection in the world, but then, where else are we to gather info if we are shy about talking with others? So we wonder about them. I don't understand ties other than perhaps to indicate a conformist who cares to display his relative rank, or at least to appear acceptable to those 'above' him in same. I always enjoyed my time spent 'down' with the janitors, whenever possible.
It's unnerving to me that Garrison somehow manages to not notice how truly awful Biden is. Worse than Trump on every metric save one: no crazy tweets. Jesus, even Deborah Messing is noticing. Maybe there's hope.
Huh? I hate Trump. George Bush was and is worse than Trump. Indeed, declaring nobody is worse than Trump is "hyperbolically partisan" to say the least. The typical partisan of course assumes that criticism of their team means the critic is on the other team.
Well I would agree that the Democrats are generally inept. The republicans are right wing and dishonest. The Democrats are inept and seem to have abandoned politics at the local level. They are worried about pronouns and renaming streets and moving statues. Democrats are often more intelligent than republicans but Democrats are often naive. Republicans do have Fox and right wing media putting out their message 24.7.
It is possible to ignore politics and live a happy life.
Tim N, with all due respect, I suggest you consider getting serious. Your comment "Jesus, even Deborah Messing is noticing" underscores the shallowness and self-indulgence of your thinking. If you hate trump but think Biden is worse, you are just another trumper, because that is essentially the choice you are going to have in the next presidential election. Everyone else in the country gets a say, too, not just you. Have you not noticed that trump is trying to destroy what has made the U.S.A. a democracy worth preserving and improving upon for the past 250 years? You can close your eyes to that and pretend that you are somehow more enlightened than just about everyone else, but given our current dire circumstances you may well live to regret willfully disregarding integrity and honesty in your rankings of our would-be leaders. I hope I have misunderstood you, and if I have I apologize in advance for my comments.
I wore bright pink and sat on the front pew. Funny, I had originally planned navy blue but made a sudden whimsical change. My favorite singalong hymn was “Abide With Me.” Thanks for including it, and thanks for a show that fed my soul. While visiting Nashville, I found myself saying “To each his own” many times. However, I found many gems of inspiration and hope and goodness. I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and immersed myself in history. I visited the Tennessee State Museum of History, a fabulous place that doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable stuff. I heard the carillon bells play “The Tennessee Waltz,” strolled through the farmer’s market, and took in the Van Gogh immersive experience. There is good to be found everywhere. Keep looking up.
You did it up right, Susan. I didn't go anywhere or see anything. I sat and fussed with the show and my wife went to the art museum and got a much better look at the city than I did.
"...I wanted to rap on his window and ask, “How do you wish to be remembered after you’ve left this world? As a man with a loud car?"” The image of you, not a small man, bending down to rap on a stranger's car window and asking this is hysterical!
I am a proud member of the motorcycle community. We are devout in our love for our passion and we share a common bond that ordinary people do not understand nor want to understand. We are deeply respectful to each other, our machines and the extensions of us. Some of us are tattooed to the extreme of what you speak, some have piercings and scars. But the vast majority of the motorcycle community are the nicest people you will ever meet. More so than that, they are trustworthy. We hold charity rallies that benefit veterans and veteran organizations, we raise money for Brain Injured Children, Fireman and policemen and collect toys during the Christmas season with Toys For Tots. Though I don't belong to any of them, there are also the Motorcycle Clubs, your 1% clubs as they are called, Hells Angels and such. Did you know they are a corporate entity and one of the many things they do is run charity events for kids? Did you know that many of these men are kind and caring individuals? Just like anyone, they are kind until you cross them. While there are some who choose to have loud motorcycles, that is not the majority and certainly is no insight into their trustworthiness, kindness, politeness or drinking habits. It's a thing, some like loud, some don't. Personally I don't.
I know several women who are absolutely beautiful both in appearance and personality, who have tattoos. They love their art and they are proud to show it off to those who would look. Most of the art they have embossed on their bodies is of some meaning to them and that is what is the key to a tattoo: It is for them, not for you or I. These women too are kind, trustworthy, polite and spouse-worthy.
The joy of freedom of expression is the ability to be who you are and there is nothing wrong with that. Politeness is something that is taught at an early age. Being reminded as a child to say thank you and please. What is not taught at a young age is WHY you should be polite. If you are polite, you will earn more respect from your peers and the community at large. The caveat to that is that one can still be polite and be equally intoxicated. I don't care for drunk people, they are loud, obnoxious, disgusting and sometimes mean and violent. I have never been drunk as I'm more interesting in having fun and being in control of myself. I can't say others think the same nor should they be required to.
Yes, Mr. K..... to each his own. There is also Don't judge a book by its cover and the classic "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again". King James, Matt 7.
I wish you well with your upcoming surgery Mr. K..... Just be more concerned with the talent, ability and skill of your surgeon and less concerned with what he wears.
An observation: You recently wrote that people should just introduce themselves with their name and keep the rest of their identity to themselves. Now you have given us a detailed description of your identity as a member of the motorcycle community. To me, this suggests that you are not quite as accepting as you claim to be, since you apparently think the motorcycle community is somehow more entitled to its pride than, say, the LGBTQ community or an ethnic community.
Hey Dana..... I don't know how you drew that conclusion and I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. My "detailed description", if you can call it that, was simply a means of transporting a point, not as a means of identity. No one is more entitled than anyone else. Being gay or of a different skin color than the next does not make that person or group of people more special or entitled than I or anyone else. We are all just meat suits doing our best, I hope, to make it through from day to day. Make us all blind and there are no differences between us. No one is special or entitled.... well maybe except small children, the handicapped, the elderly. And all animals. Everybody else.... well....
Ted, I agree with you, except on your previous point that people should keep their identities to themselves, which to me is a personal choice that shouldn't offend others either way. I don't think many people expect special treatment, but some identities are readily apparent and can't be hidden. In other cases, keeping the kinds of identities you have referred to under wraps would require avoiding the use of very basic expressions such as "my girlfriend" or "my husband," confining the individual in question to the closet in a sense. Otherwise, I found your comment interesting. I know members of the motorcycle community, and your description confirms what I've observed myself.
I simply love you, Mr. Garrison! Long may you wave!! xx's
Arrogant twit.
Bunter Hiden? Seriously? Was Tronald Dump taken? Please. Pffffff.
Hey, it was worth it to so we could get Tronald Dump....
Projection.
To wit
There's a cowardly insult.
Your show was epic! We loved every second - I was in a black dress but we did join all those colorful folks on Broadway afterwards. It was more about the music than the booze.
Good morning, GK! Ah, common sense. Thank you! I recall these words from Desiderata to guide me "Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth." When I see other men and women my age trying too hard (or as the kids call "cheugy" -- you're a man who loves unique words, phrases, etymology, too, so I think you'll dig that!) I may roll my eyes but I'm always careful to make sure I'm not guilty of the same. Thelonius Monk said "sometimes being hip is what it ain't." Since I've never been hip I'm kept in check!
I am in nearly 100% agreement with your observations about manners; however, there is a phenomenon that mystifies me: I have found some tatooed, pierced, long-haired folks very nice and mannerly, and other clean, neat, conventionally dressed people quite asinine. WTH is that all about? Please explain in a future column...
Yeah, tattoos do NOT indicate character. I'm one of the few persons I know who doesn't have one. Part of Garrison's shtick is the wide-eyed and observant small-town man who also functions well in the big city. The tattoo phenomenon just bowls him over.
I think goths are suggesting character but it puts me off so I haven't bothered to get to know one. But off-putting is what they're aiming for.
True, some tatophiles are nice. But IMO, while most fashion statements allow for reflection-based change, the bold permanence of changing one's body for all time for all to see seems pretentious.
I asked a young woman what all the tattoos were about and she said, "They're nice people trying to be badass." So I still don't get it. The badass part. But that's Tronald Dump's strategy too.
as best i can tell trump's actual strategy was "be a dumb ass". i hope the motto for the rest of us is "don't get fooled again." we do need a maximum age limit on presidents. of course we would need to add about 5 years if the candidate were a woman.
I think it was "be a conniving racist lying kleptocrat who acts like a dumb ass"...
Four things:
-These days waiters are servers, so I am told.
-I often wonder what tattoos lurk beneath the sleeves (make sure the surgeon rolls up his/her sleeves) and on a person's back...
-What are your thoughts on how long a tie should be in front? In your picture, that slight area between the bottom of the front of tie and your belt is one I personally try to minimize. The larger the expanse of shirt, the worse (in my opinion).
-You are one of the people in this world that I truly admire.
Opinion on Trump's mega-ties?
They are modern versions of a codpieces.
They are like spinnacres but less functional. Much less.
How about if the skinny end sticks out below the fat end?
You're right. The tie's too short. I still call them waiters, to me serrvers are the ones dishing up food in cafeteria lines.
I have moved past using tape to hold the front to the back of the tie if after adjusting the lengths the thin back does not reach the label sewed onto the back of the front. I could not come up with a more succinct way to make the point.
I enjoyed your viewpoint. I always thought I wanted a tatoo, but never came upon a design I wanted on my body for the rest of my life. Even at age 67.
We are part of the same generation and I agree with most of your observations.
Thanks for that column, Garrison. Your picture from the Ryman says a lot to me. When I worked I wore a suit or sports coat and tie everyday. It is easy to decide what to wear and get dressed and after you are dressed, you are prepared to meet whomever you might meet that day -- from the mayor or university president down to the janitor. You look nice and you don't need to think about what you are wearing anymore that day.
Just like if you always tell the truth, you don't need to remember what story you told to so and so. Just like if you are always polite to people, you won't feel awkward if you meet some one you were just rude to. After many years, I have decided that it is better to be kind and polite as much as possible. I don't want to talk to most people and I certainly don't want to spend a lot of time fighting with them.
The Supremes want to take us back to the 1800's in a legal, religious, political, economic, and ever other sense. But that is basically a futile endeavor because the American people have mostly all changed. And I admit the change has been for the best in some respects and for the worst in other respects.
Church music is in decline which I think is a really bad thing. But church has changed in many places.
Another thing in decline is people's fashion sense. I don't know if it is because there are more people around who cannot make it from paycheck to paycheck but most people seem to spend very little on clothes. Years ago if you went to most churches, people would be dressed nicely with men in suits and ties. But now a days people in church might be dressed any way. A few men will have ties on but most will be very casual and there are always some who look as thought they were cutting grass and then came on to church without changing clothes.
But I think that people's dress tells you a lot about them. I wonder how these people who dress so slovenly feel about themselves.
But it is what it is. The Supremes should know that people by and large live the way they want to live based on economics and technology. Most people live the life that makes sense for them. Trying to turn back the clock or make people live some other way is a futile effort.
Best wishes to one and all.
The last 5 years of my industrial research experience in the '90s we were encouraged to wear business casual unless meeting with outsiders on business. A blessing since I could wear my wife's hand-knit sweaters to work. Churches, both in MN and here in ME, feature more casual dress. I haven't worn a tie to either work or church for the last 20+ years. As for singing, come to Lutheran Churches, featuring both old and new hymns and liturgy. Most are welcoming to all and have open communion tables. (That's for ELCA, not the more conservative branches of Lutheranism.)
Thanks for your comment. I stopped working about twenty years ago and now very seldom wear a tie or a suit. Now about the only time I wear a suit and tie is for a very important funeral and those are few and far between. Most of the people to whose funeral I would wear a suit have already passed away. I actually like to wear a suit and tie and I think they look nice but why get dressed up to look out of place.
I remember that last week you spoke of doing readings in church. I love the scripture readings in the Episcopal Church and the readings are really good when the reader does a good job. But it is surprising that some people are so casual and sloppy about reading the scripture. They apparently don't even look at the reading before they get up to read.
The same with music. Church music can be beautiful and deliver a great message if it is done right.
The service and liturgy of the Lutheran and Episcopal Churches are quit similar and they can be very nice if you have good singing and if the congregations participate in the service. I know that in the Episcopal communion service, it is much better if you have a good sized congregation and if they join in the responses at the appropriate times.
At any rate have a nice day and a nice life.
Yes, the Lutheran and Episcopal services are similar because both were "extracted" from the Catholic Mass. I'm on the hymn picking committee for my church. I've done some lay preaching when we were without a full time Pastor and I always picked the hymns. In my opinion, hymns are mini-sermons. We sing simple hymns during the administration of Communion but our medium sized congregation has not yet recovered from COVID so we only sing one or two (and rotate them to avoid boredom). Taize sentences are particularly nice. I also usher and I almost hesitate to usher a particularly good singling family up to the alter in the middle of one of the hymns.
Same to you, have a nice day, week, and life.
One secret to success with hymn singing is to pick hymns that are familiar and people know. Those are the ones that they usually like to sing. It is amazing to see a choir director pick songs which few people know and which might also be hard to sing or have an unusual melody.
That's what we try to do. The organist/choir director, pianist, a knowledgeable church council member, and our Pastor are the hymn pickers and there are suggestions from a church worship guide for the lessons for the day. We always us familiarity as a guide. We lost our choir director due to cancer and we're looking for a replacement. We haven't had a choir since shutdowns in early 2020 but this is one of the best singing congregations I've ever been in. We do quite well even without a choir to lead.
Thanks for the thoughts and best wishes to you.
I have often wondered what changed and why from the days I was young, at the University, and then working in my profession where we were supposed to dress professionally. But in all my years then, I believed in looking as nice as possible: I love jeans and casual clothing, but I always wore appropriate clothing to concerts, movies, church, on dates. I have had too many occasions in recent years to wonder why people deliberately look scruffy and untidy. Torn jeans, messy hair in colors never before seen in hair, cheap and dirty shirts--well, you've seen it. But WHY? WHY do people want to look they just climbed out of bed--and then rumpled themselves more.
What's appropriate is getting more casual and depends on the local mores. Small town MN and much of ME are more casual than more urban areas. Casual must still be neat and not messy. Jeans or cords are almost a necessity at church in ME in the winter.
I know and I approve--partly.
But I'd still like to see people try to look their best when going someplace--not the grocery store or gas station. Is there a connection (although Guiliana claimed it was so) between neat streets and better behavior. I don't know.
So much projection in the world, but then, where else are we to gather info if we are shy about talking with others? So we wonder about them. I don't understand ties other than perhaps to indicate a conformist who cares to display his relative rank, or at least to appear acceptable to those 'above' him in same. I always enjoyed my time spent 'down' with the janitors, whenever possible.
It's unnerving to me that Garrison somehow manages to not notice how truly awful Biden is. Worse than Trump on every metric save one: no crazy tweets. Jesus, even Deborah Messing is noticing. Maybe there's hope.
Hyperbolically partisan, nobody could be worse than Trump (and yes, Jesus is noticing even though "Christians" aren't). There are none so blind ...
Huh? I hate Trump. George Bush was and is worse than Trump. Indeed, declaring nobody is worse than Trump is "hyperbolically partisan" to say the least. The typical partisan of course assumes that criticism of their team means the critic is on the other team.
Well I would agree that the Democrats are generally inept. The republicans are right wing and dishonest. The Democrats are inept and seem to have abandoned politics at the local level. They are worried about pronouns and renaming streets and moving statues. Democrats are often more intelligent than republicans but Democrats are often naive. Republicans do have Fox and right wing media putting out their message 24.7.
It is possible to ignore politics and live a happy life.
I was being kind. I hesitate to use hate (not very Christian) and use "extreme dislike" instead. Many conservatives seem to have a monopoly on "hate".
Tim N, with all due respect, I suggest you consider getting serious. Your comment "Jesus, even Deborah Messing is noticing" underscores the shallowness and self-indulgence of your thinking. If you hate trump but think Biden is worse, you are just another trumper, because that is essentially the choice you are going to have in the next presidential election. Everyone else in the country gets a say, too, not just you. Have you not noticed that trump is trying to destroy what has made the U.S.A. a democracy worth preserving and improving upon for the past 250 years? You can close your eyes to that and pretend that you are somehow more enlightened than just about everyone else, but given our current dire circumstances you may well live to regret willfully disregarding integrity and honesty in your rankings of our would-be leaders. I hope I have misunderstood you, and if I have I apologize in advance for my comments.
Donald has always been a con man and an inveterate grifter. His greatest success was as a pretend businessman on The Apprentice.
Perfectly said Or written! May the force be with you. Whatever that means. Have a good day or as best as the Lord allows.
I wore bright pink and sat on the front pew. Funny, I had originally planned navy blue but made a sudden whimsical change. My favorite singalong hymn was “Abide With Me.” Thanks for including it, and thanks for a show that fed my soul. While visiting Nashville, I found myself saying “To each his own” many times. However, I found many gems of inspiration and hope and goodness. I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame and immersed myself in history. I visited the Tennessee State Museum of History, a fabulous place that doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable stuff. I heard the carillon bells play “The Tennessee Waltz,” strolled through the farmer’s market, and took in the Van Gogh immersive experience. There is good to be found everywhere. Keep looking up.
You did it up right, Susan. I didn't go anywhere or see anything. I sat and fussed with the show and my wife went to the art museum and got a much better look at the city than I did.
"...I wanted to rap on his window and ask, “How do you wish to be remembered after you’ve left this world? As a man with a loud car?"” The image of you, not a small man, bending down to rap on a stranger's car window and asking this is hysterical!
You're right. I'm not a window rapper.
Glad to see there are still some grown ups in the room
Mr. K.,
I am a proud member of the motorcycle community. We are devout in our love for our passion and we share a common bond that ordinary people do not understand nor want to understand. We are deeply respectful to each other, our machines and the extensions of us. Some of us are tattooed to the extreme of what you speak, some have piercings and scars. But the vast majority of the motorcycle community are the nicest people you will ever meet. More so than that, they are trustworthy. We hold charity rallies that benefit veterans and veteran organizations, we raise money for Brain Injured Children, Fireman and policemen and collect toys during the Christmas season with Toys For Tots. Though I don't belong to any of them, there are also the Motorcycle Clubs, your 1% clubs as they are called, Hells Angels and such. Did you know they are a corporate entity and one of the many things they do is run charity events for kids? Did you know that many of these men are kind and caring individuals? Just like anyone, they are kind until you cross them. While there are some who choose to have loud motorcycles, that is not the majority and certainly is no insight into their trustworthiness, kindness, politeness or drinking habits. It's a thing, some like loud, some don't. Personally I don't.
I know several women who are absolutely beautiful both in appearance and personality, who have tattoos. They love their art and they are proud to show it off to those who would look. Most of the art they have embossed on their bodies is of some meaning to them and that is what is the key to a tattoo: It is for them, not for you or I. These women too are kind, trustworthy, polite and spouse-worthy.
The joy of freedom of expression is the ability to be who you are and there is nothing wrong with that. Politeness is something that is taught at an early age. Being reminded as a child to say thank you and please. What is not taught at a young age is WHY you should be polite. If you are polite, you will earn more respect from your peers and the community at large. The caveat to that is that one can still be polite and be equally intoxicated. I don't care for drunk people, they are loud, obnoxious, disgusting and sometimes mean and violent. I have never been drunk as I'm more interesting in having fun and being in control of myself. I can't say others think the same nor should they be required to.
Yes, Mr. K..... to each his own. There is also Don't judge a book by its cover and the classic "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again". King James, Matt 7.
I wish you well with your upcoming surgery Mr. K..... Just be more concerned with the talent, ability and skill of your surgeon and less concerned with what he wears.
TK
Good points but there are extremist exceptions. Regardless of your appearance or machinery, it's how you handle yourself.
Excellent reply.
"Don't judge a book by the cover" doesn't suggest that a writer should choose an ugly cover for her book.
No, it simply suggests that one shouldn't disparage the contents because the cover is ugly.
An observation: You recently wrote that people should just introduce themselves with their name and keep the rest of their identity to themselves. Now you have given us a detailed description of your identity as a member of the motorcycle community. To me, this suggests that you are not quite as accepting as you claim to be, since you apparently think the motorcycle community is somehow more entitled to its pride than, say, the LGBTQ community or an ethnic community.
Hey Dana..... I don't know how you drew that conclusion and I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. My "detailed description", if you can call it that, was simply a means of transporting a point, not as a means of identity. No one is more entitled than anyone else. Being gay or of a different skin color than the next does not make that person or group of people more special or entitled than I or anyone else. We are all just meat suits doing our best, I hope, to make it through from day to day. Make us all blind and there are no differences between us. No one is special or entitled.... well maybe except small children, the handicapped, the elderly. And all animals. Everybody else.... well....
Ted, I agree with you, except on your previous point that people should keep their identities to themselves, which to me is a personal choice that shouldn't offend others either way. I don't think many people expect special treatment, but some identities are readily apparent and can't be hidden. In other cases, keeping the kinds of identities you have referred to under wraps would require avoiding the use of very basic expressions such as "my girlfriend" or "my husband," confining the individual in question to the closet in a sense. Otherwise, I found your comment interesting. I know members of the motorcycle community, and your description confirms what I've observed myself.
Thanks. This made my day and was a good check on reality and my view of the World around us.