Is your home a no-shoes zone?

  

This seems to be a never-ending debate in many homes.

 Is it really necessary to ask people to step out of their shoes before stepping inside?

 “Kick off your shoes, and stay awhile” might be a popular greeting (at least, in the olden days, so to speak). But does it really matter?

 Sure, shoes can leave scuff marks on fancy flooring. They can drop dust and dirt into carpeting and rugs. And don’t even get us started about what happens when people put their feet on the couch, coffee table, or other furniture.

 But is the argument purely aesthetic, or are their health and safety reasons to request people to enter shoeless?

 How many germs might someone pick up, simply walking through various places before coming to visit? 

• a busy street
• a carnival or county fair
• a commercial kitchen
• a factory
• a farm field or barn
• a grocery store
• a hospital
• a lawn with recent fertilization or weed killer application
• a locker room at the gym
• a parking lot
• a port-a-potty
• a public restroom in a shop, restaurant, or gas station
• a scientific laboratory
• a sports stadium
• an automotive repair shop

 Are you gagging yet? Imagine the many contaminants one might pick up in such spots. Would you sit down and perhaps even eat on any of those floors? But what if those germs were tracked into your home? And what if you have a crawling baby or toddler?

Not to be a Goody Two-Shoes, about this, but I think the no-shoes idea has merit.

 Some folks keep shoe or boot trays just inside their doors, along with big baskets of booties, slippers, or even shower caps. That way, guests can remove their shoes and put on comfy coverings, if they wish.

 Of course, the no-shoes rule pretty much goes out the window, if certain people step outside in stockinged feet. (I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes …)

 And what about bare feet in the summer?

 It’s hard to police the no-shoes rule. But we try as best as we can.

 Then we’ll always find those who firmly believe the rules do not apply to them. For instance, we’ve had a few extended family members that insisted their shoes were clean and refused to remove them. That’s when everyone else looks at us, just waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

 

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Image/s: Adapted from public domain image

 

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Ribbons and bows make fancies, not throws

 

RIBBONS AND BOWS – for the 2021 Holiday Photography Challenge (See sidebar for full list.).

 

So I guess people exchange holiday gifts in the strangest of places – even shopping mall parking lots, if this tossed bow offers any indication. There it was, discarded on the pavement. Zoom out, and you’ll probably find a trashed face-mask and a couple of plastic spear toothpicks.

 

 Christmas is the season of giving, so let’s give the environment a break, while we’re at it!

 

Image/s: Personal photo/s. All rights reserved.

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Moral dilemma: Little Jake hit the neighbor's car. Now what?

Perhaps you can help us settle a moral dilemma. (Yes, they asked.)

Here’s the story.

Brand-new driver Jake backed his parents’ car out of their driveway – right into the back of the next-door neighbor’s car, which happened to be parked there.

This was a simple bumper-to-bumper bing. Jake jumped out of the car to inspect the damages and spotted a scratch on his own family’s vehicle. The neighbor’s car had plenty of rust on the bumper, but no visible new marks.

Jake climbed back into the car and drove off to pick up his girlfriend for a Saturday evening movie date.

Discovering the bumper scratch the next morning, Jake’s mom asked the teen what happened and learned the story. 

What should Jake’s mom do?

1. Send Jake over to apologize to the neighbor.

2. Accompany Jake to visit the neighbor and explain what happened.

3. Call on the neighbor herself to discuss the matter.

4. Leave a note in the neighbor’s mailbox, or make Jake do it.

5. Call the cops to file a police report.

6. Notify the insurance company.

7. Take secret photographs of both vehicles, just in case.

8. Ignore the situation, as no visible damage occurred to the neighbor’s car.

9. Put the house on the market, and move.

10. Other: __________________.

(Note: Jake's mom happens to be a single parent. Otherwise, additional options might be listed.)

What would you do, if this were your family’s concern?

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain photo

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Jabberphobia: Fearsome phobias from A to Z

Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat! What's the buzz? Here’s a form of fear that may be the talk of the town. Double talk, fast talk, backtalk, small talk, or all talk – jabberphobia may not be such a bad thing.

Jabberphobia is the fear of talking too much.

Actually, this phobia can be quite challenging, when it strikes for real. Folks who are especially shy and withdrawn, for example, may shudder to speak up or to speak out.

Here’s the curious thing about jabberphobia. It’s sort of a contradiction in terms. The people who are most concerned about talking too much usually aren’t the ones who do it. Busybodies, blowhards, gossips, magpies, and tattletales are seldom afflicted with this sort of fear.

Sometimes we may wish jabberphobia would become an epidemic (How about during political campaign season?)

Now we’re talkin’ … or maybe we’re not.

 

Image:

A to Z Blogging Challenge promo logo – fair use

Graphic adapted from public domain image

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