Dummies Talking to Each Other

After my grandfather's funeral, I was standing at the cemetery waiting for a ride back down the hill. My younger brother had gotten ill halfway up and I had to carry him the rest of the way. There was a truck giving people rides back down and I was going to be on that truck one way or the other.

As I sat there waiting, two of my grandfather's brothers were nearby having a conversation. A third brother approached and by way of greeting said, "One dummy talking to another." My grandfather and his brothers were boisterous, fun-loving men. This was just a playful greeting, not intended to be taken seriously. I laughed and thought about how brothers are brothers no matter how old or young.

I've often thought of that greeting as I see people talking, especially if they are particularly dumb.

It's even more relevant now in the digital age. The internet, particularly social media, is full of dummies talking to each other, oftentimes passionately arguing over things about which they have little or no actual knowledge.

If people made an effort to think before they post, we'd have a lot less cyber noise. The problem is everyone has a soapbox. While some people use Facebook, Twitter and other social channels as a method for staying in touch and sharing news and photos about themselves and their families, others have decided that every two-bit cheesy photo with a dopey quote should be shared liberally. They seem to think every half-formed thought is worth sharing.

I'll admit to being guilty of trying to be funnier than I actually am and sharing way too many photos of my dogs. I do try to think about what I post before posting it. That's more than some people seem to do.

Parades

I don't know why I never noticed it before, but the holiday season is bookended by two parades: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade. Admittedly, the I've always paid less attention to the Rose Parade because it marks the end of something good, rather than the beginning. Still, it's always fun to check in and see some of the floats.

Macy's Parade has the benefit of being on Thanksgiving and ushering in the Christmas season. As a kid, I'd get so excited to see the giant Underdog float:

There's no need to fear!

The other float I always associate with the Macy's Parade was Snoopy:

If you can make to the end, the best part of the Macy's Parade is seeing Santa at the end. Of course, with DVRs now, it's way easier to watch the parade and skip the stuff that you don't care about. In my case, it's the endless Broadway numbers. I don't mind one or two, but it's enough already. 

So as I watch the Rose Parade today, I bid farewell to the 2012 Holiday Season. Happy New Year!