How to React to a Friend's Good News

When we were comedians, the real Ric used to be described, in his introduction, as “a psychotic ball of stress.” Now he works in a job where he is appreciated for his level head and steady hand on the tiller.

Not well appreciated, but at least somewhat appreciated.

His company gives the employees little mementos and awards to commemorate various milestones working for the company. I think it was the ten-year mark when Ric came into his office to find a small cardboard box on his chair. He opened it to find a nice metal keychain of the company logo in a presentation box, and a folded piece of paper. It turned out to be instructions for his supervisor for how to present the gift to Ric, including the specific directive: “Tell the employee how important they are, to you and to the team.”

And in a way, they did exactly that.

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How to See Something In a Whole New Light

Here, watch it for yourself and decide if I exaggerated a single point.

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How to Untangle a Surprising Truth

I also believe that chowder in a sourdough bread bowl counts as a sandwich, but only if it has a bread lid, or at least crackers floating on top.

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How to Explain Yourself

A mutual friend once asked Ric how someone gets through my shell to know “the real Meyer.” Ric told them that there is no shell, and what they thought was a shell was “the real Meyer.” Ric told me that later, and I found it funny. He also told me that the person he was talking to looked horrified at that idea, which I found hilarious.

Which, now that I think about it, might be part of the problem.

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How to Be Yourself

There have been times when I’ve been afraid, and I have muttered the following to myself:

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

Many of you probably recognize that’s a quote from Dune. Obviously, I wasn’t afraid of looking like a dork.

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How to Plan a Group Vacation

In a group vacation, it doesn’t matter how many members of the party are planners, how much thought they’ve all put into the plan, or how enthusiastically everyone agrees to the plan. It only takes one member of the group to be a play-it-by-ear type to completely derail the plan and force everyone else to play it by ear with them.

Want to see this in action? Go to the Target store near the main entrance to Walt Disney World some morning at about the time the parks open. You will see multiple clusters of frustrated looking people with one member of their group saying that they’re “just popping in” for sunscreen, ponchos, and “while I’m here, I’ll take a quick look at the sweatshirts.”

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