Dear Readers: Thank you for your helpful hints on traveling alone. Here is your advice:
1.If you are over sixty always ask for wheelchair assistance when going through a large airport. The employees know their way through this maze and get you to your gate in record time. No worry about getting lost. It is well worth the $20 tip. Make these arrangements when you purchase your ticket.
2. Do get to the airport at least two hours early. Don't be late and expect airport employees to drop everything and pamper you. Follow their rules and expect delays. In that frame of mind, you are ready for today's air travel experience.
3. Be friendly to other fliers at your gate. Get acquainted. Sometimes instructions are given while you are waiting, and you can't hear or understand them. Ask what was said.
4. If you are going to an important event such as a wedding or catching a cruise ship, go a day early to allow for delays. Then relax. There is always another plane.
5. As my uncle Don always said, "Take half as many clothes and twice as much money as you think you will need."
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Dear Maggie Montclair,
My grandchildren are all strong willed and a little spoiled. Don't get me wrong, I love them dearly, but I'm tired of the constant arguing.
My children were always competitive, and now it has gone to the next generation. Everyone tries to out do their siblings and cousins and they argue to prove they are the best.
I'm always called to be the mediator. That means someone gets mad at me. I keep telling them to leave me out of their troubles, but they keep coming back for my opinion. I've had enough! How can I tell them to leave me out of it in a way that they know I mean it?
Caught In The Middle
Dear Caught,
Apparently your opinion is highly valued by your family since they keep asking for advice. Maybe you can start giving advice that no one likes.
Instead of being reasonable and actually trying to mediate, try saying, "sounds like two spoiled brats ran into each other" or "neither one of you deserve that award. Is there a third party we can send it to?" Think of more quips that you can say with a chuckle, and refuse to get serious. When they realize you won't even try to sort out their problems, maybe they will do it themselves or find someone else to hound.
One of the joys of aging is that we no longer are in charge of children and grandchildren. We made our share of mistakes, and they deserve the right to make theirs. Some things are just not our business, and we are better off not even knowing the problem. If left to their own devices, our children and grandchildren will solve their own problems without our help. It might not be our way, but that doesn't matter. You won't always be there for them, so they had better learn for themselves starting now.
Many of us have learned that they won't take our good advice anyway. So, save your breath. M
P.S. Gertie's favorite waitress found herself in a similar situation. Her grandchildren brought her at least one problem a day. After she gave them her best possible advice, they did it their own way. She decided she didn't want to hear any more. She said, "I will help you if you help me first."
She then invented a story about an obnoxious customer. The story went on and on and got more ridiculous and convoluted as she talked. She repeated parts over and over again. She talked until her grandchildren wandered away out of boredom. After a few days, they solved their own problems rather than listen to her long boring stories.
They probably thought she had 'gone round the bend', but sometimes that may be a good thing. Especially if they stop asking you to do things you don't want to do!
