Hey! Got a minute?

Have you ever had this question posed to you? It ranks right up there with lead in questions or statements like, 'You know what you should do?' or 'Know what I think?' or 'In my opinion...' or 'If I were you...'. It is not that I don't appreciate the input that I receive from people. Don't get me wrong. Some opinions and suggestions I use and some I discard. However, I have come to realize that opinions are like onions. In fact onions are an integral part of every opinion. Both have many layers, many meanings, some are sweet, some really stink, some leave an after taste, some make you cry and after all is said and done it is still an onion. I generally don't eat onions unless it is sauteed and served with a great steak, burger or liver. It just makes it easier and more enjoyable that way.

My wife and I recently went on vacation to a friend's timeshare. We were promised that if we sat in on the presentation then we would get some great gifts. The presentation was only 90 minutes. I mean how hard could it be. OOOHH.. The gifts. My wife was going to get multiple massages and I was going to receive a couple rounds of free golf. FREE GOLF!! Hmmm. No brainer. 90 minutes. Free Golf. I made my tee times before we left. OOOpps. My bad. The presentation was like 90 hours. It was not a pleasant experience. I almost missed my tee time and my wife eventually got her massage. I knew better. I mean how many salesmen have come to my door and said, 'Hey, got a minute?'? I was duped. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Perhaps I have become cynical and less tolerant of the unsolicited opinion. I do my best not to offer my thoughts on any particular issue unless solicited or I firmly believe that I have an opinion worth saying. I will also premise my thoughts with 'It has been my experience...'. Take it or leave it. I feel that as long as my opinion does not, in any way, start out as a lead in question or statement then I am going to be ok. The arm chair quarterback position has all ready been taken. :-)

In the movie 'Men in Black', the source of real news were the tabloids. The main characters could get the information they needed and the general public was non the wiser. My sources are not only the situations in my every day life, but is featured every day in the comics page. One Peanuts strip has Charlie Brown saying, 'This world is filled with people who are anxious to function in an advisory capacity." I appreciate the wisdom from these sages as they look on the humorous side of life.

If opinions are like onions and the onions are vegetables. I have to understand that vegetables are important in our diet. I can choose to eat them when I want them or I can choose to leave them on the side. Either way, they are on the menu and I need to take them as is.