Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Dogged Determination

It's been a long time since my last post and I have many excuses...but that is just what they are. I am sure I could have made time to write something, but it just did not happen.  So, I will write a short post about this picture that I found of my mother, Maxine.
  I do wish that the photographer had not chopped part of the head off.  I am sure that my father did not take this picture because (unlike Henry the VIII) he would never chop off part of Maxine's head.  In fact, this was taken many years after his death.  Mother was past her 70th birthday.
A little background would help here.  My parents were quite active in their church, Monroe Street United Methodist.  Every year, all the Sunday School classes would put on skits as a money maker...and of course, there was quite the competition to have the best skit.  Once her class decided on the skit Mother was in her glory sewing her costume...a puppy dog.
The skit goes like this.
On the stage there are two desks.  One has a type writer on it.  The other has one sitting with a stack of papers that are to be forms for employment.  There is a door to the side where one by one people come in to be interviewed for a secretarial job.  Each person is rejected for some failing...either typing, spelling, phone answering...etc.  Finally, there is just one more applicant left.  The employer is getting frustrated as no one has all the needed requirements for the job.
In walks the last applicant....the puppy dog...on all fours....ears flopping.  The employer is a bit taken aback but continues with the interview which the puppy dog passes with ease.  Typing was no problem, phone etiquette was perfect.  There was one last question that the employer knew the puppy dog would fail.
"We are looking for a bilingual secretary.  Can you speak a second language?"
With that...Maxine (the puppy) cocked and scratched her head...and then said with confidence..." MEOW."
The audience loved the skit, but were even more impressed when Maxine took off the puppy's head and they realized that the puppy was not some young grandchild but a 70 something woman.  Oh how I hope I am as nimble as my mother as I get older.  And, yes, they did win the competition!

1 comment:

  1. I love your Maxine stories! I want to be just like her when I get to seventy and beyond. I've missed your voice, glad you didn't have an excuse today. :-) As always your story brought out a smile.

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