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Did you hear about poor old....

(In loving memory of my brother, Gregory.  You always believed I could.)  It's been a while since I have written something public but recent events have driven the protocol person inside of me crazy! Through a series of unfortunate events, I found myself seated in a funeral parlor surrounded by friends, family, well-wishers, and onlookers. One hardly expects to know everyone who shows up at such a gathering, but cordial behavior is extended to all, no matter how severe the grief. But, there is a line. Crossing it whether knowingly or unwittingly, always causes the recipient of such foolishness to reassess their tenacious hold on their present reality. They must first ask themselves, if the person is actually real. In times of grief, it is easy to imagine things another way because each moment is filled with "what if's and why's". After ascertaining the obvious, yes, there they are, the next question becomes, "did I really hear that or did they actually

Welcome...now behave!

Recently, I was berated by a sweet faced lady, who assuming I was familiar with all of the local landmarks, curtly informed me that I should make it my business to "know" my city if I expected people to frequent here. Then, she sped off, turning across several lanes to reach whatever destination was next on her agenda. As I shook my head, I thought, "Welcome to tourist season!". Hello,  are you a tourist? Yes? Well, welcome to our city, our community, and our world in Any Town, USA! We really appreciate that you have chosen to travel our streets, explore our sites, stay in our hotels and taste our culinary delights! We will try not to stare at your choice of dress, snicker at your accent, or beep when you are lost and make wide left turns from the right hand lane! But, we do need you to know that this is our home and like any good guest, there are rules for civilized and polite engagement which enhances the experience for all.  Vayama, an online internation