There really should be a game show called “who is to blame,” shouldn’t there? I can’t tell you how many thousands of times I’ve moved too fast and missed something important because I thought had learned all that I needed…
A Rare Gift
Years ago, a wonderful man gave me a rare gift, a priceless one one that took me years to recognize and use. He was easily the friendliest person I’d ever known. No matter where we were – a restaurant, an…
A Four-Letter Word I Want You to Use!
I was at 4th Monday Networking yesterday, and a man used a four-letter word I wasn’t expecting. I was surprised – shocked, actually – and I told him so. We were discussing how his firm helps companies with customer satisfaction…
What’s in a Name? (Quite a Lot, Actually!)
When I was just three days old, my adoptive parents gave me my name: Susan Betsy Rooks. Easy to say, easy to spell, and easy to remember. Susan was for my mom’s mom, Sara. Betsy was for my dad’s mom,…
Well, enough about me. Let’s talk about you. What do you think about me?
Hey, listen! Listen. Listen to the silence. Listen to the noise. Listen to the birds chirp, the clock tick, the babies giggle, and the wind blow. Oh! You can’t hear those sounds? Why not? Are you too busy talking? How…
Kick This Phrase to the Curb!
I know I’m a crank, but some words and phrases just rub me the wrong way. I also realize most people do not intend to sound as negative as I hear them sounding; they’re using phrases that are all around…
How 3 Strangers “Created” the Grammar Goddess
Did you know that 3 strangers helped to “create” the Grammar Goddess, and that’s how I got started in the training business? It was partly pure dumb luck and partly their efforts, even if they never intended it! It was…
Fish and Trees
Does this resonate with you? Did you grow up as I did, hearing and believing that a smart person — however that was determined — would always succeed just because of those smarts? Did you also realize that it didn’t…
Can You Imagine This?
Do you remember a news story a few years ago about two 28-year-old young men who drove around the country correcting grammatical errors on public and private signs? They were called “Typo Vigilantes.” Unfortunately, they were not well received in…
Two Wolves and the 2015 Superbowl
Tonight, as I watched the Super Bowl nail-biter with bated breath, I also was posting on Facebook, in the general arena and in a local sports-oriented group. The sports group fell quickly into two main camps: one thinking the Pats…