A Tale of Two People

You come in contact with a lot of different people over the course of a lifetime. Some of them are thoughtful, generous and kind; you know, the ones you like to hang out with, the ones that make you feel good just being around them. Then, there are the other kind; the mean-spirited, quick-to- criticize, toxic people that infect any room they enter. After spending time this past weekend with one of the former, I've decided to: a) do my best to emulate that kind of behavior and b) make every effort to steer clear of those who don't.

Throwing a party can be stressful. If you're lucky, you get to do it with people like my new favorite person in the world, my nephew's new mother-in-law, Debbie. The morning of the shindig, she walked in the door, eager to do anything she could to help. If there was fruit to be skewered, she did that; if there were dishes to be done, she did that. And she did it all with a big smile on her face. Later, after the guests arrived, she interacted with everyone as if they were her new best friends. And they all wanted to be.

I said this was a tale of two people. The opposite side of this personality spectrum is a person I have to deal with on a regular basis. whose sharp tongue and condescending manner do nothing but make everyone around her feel bad about themselves. I wish she could spend a few minutes with Debbie. I'd like to think that she would pick up a few pointers on how to win friends and influence people but I'm pretty sure she would dismiss her as a phony do-gooder and go right back to the toxic behavior of which she seems so totally unaware.

I may have to continue dealing with people like the person who shall remain nameless but, when I do, I'm going to be asking myself one thing.

What would Debbie do?