The Last
our opinion: COLUMN
BY MARK BROWN
Word
Things We Have Too Much Of
DECEMBER 2015 PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
I
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find it interesting how quickly things
change.
Ok, so what’s up with all of the “I Love
You’s?”
But, I’ll get back to that.
Have you noticed over the last few years
the number of pillows on beds and couches
and chairs has grown exponentially?
Growing up in Fort Worth, my bed had
barely one pillow; my parents’ bed was
the size of a landing strip but had only two
pillows. Our sofas had maybe two cushions
with a throw pillow at each end.
I don’t have anything against pillows,
mind you. I just find it interesting how styles
have changed. It’s gone kind of crazy —
pillows are taking over our homes. Someone
had a good idea and everyone has taken it
to the next level. Our homes are almost like
bounce houses. I have a room at my house
that I have deemed decorative pillow-free,
so if I want to lie down, it doesn’t take 15
minutes to de-pillow it.
Which leads me back to “I Love You’s.”
Like pillows, growing rapidly, have you
noticed the number of people saying “I Love
You” has grown exponentially? Now, first,
let me say, there is probably nothing wrong
with saying it as much as you want. But, I
simply find it interesting.
I’ve just noticed especially in the last two
or three years that everyone is saying the
phrase “I Love You,” and they’re saying it to
everybody. Remember when everyone was
wishing everybody else a nice day? A DPS
trooper would issue a traffic ticket and as
he was handing [out] the citation, “Here’s
a $600 fine. Have a nice day.” Will “I love
you” become the new “Have a nice day?”
I actually overheard a clerk accidentally
saying it to a customer, although it was
probably not intended; just shows how
automatic it has become. It now seems it’s
just a way to close a conversation. So how
many people that say it automatically really
mean it? Who knows ... ?
Hopefully, the phrase, “I love you,” isn’t
headed in that direction.
Sometimes it makes you long for the good
old days when nobody said it, ever. Where’s
this going?
But no worries. There are more music
awards shows coming up, and then early in
the New Year we have the Golden Globes
and the Academy Awards, so we can see
one singer and one movie win everything
(a three-hour show with about two hours
of commercials.) Also the NBA season has
started, which lasts about, it seems, 10
months out of the year. Wow, now that’s
entertainment! No wonder there’s road
rage. Oh, and I forgot Miley Cyrus and the
Kardashians ... .
Just remember: “If everything seems to
be going well, obviously you overlooked
something.” — Steven Wright