It's the birthday of essayist Michel de Montaigne, (books by this author) born in Perigord, in Bordeaux, France (1533). He is considered by many to be the creator of the personal essay, in which he used self-portrayal as a mirror of humanity in general. Writers up to the present time have imitated his informal, conversational style. He said, "The highest of wisdom is continual cheerfulness: such a state, like the region above the moon, is always clear and serene."
In keping with the theme of the personal essay, cheerfulness and writing, I'll share some thoughts about requesting favors from friends.
Recently, I discovered 2 coupons for Blue Buffalo cat and dog food online. They totaled $8, and that's a lot when you're feeding 8 animals! So, I sent requests to about 10 friends, asking them to please fill out the form (name, address) for these coupons and send to me when they arrived. Simple. One would think . . .
However, I got all kinds of responses. From "sure, will do." To, "will they send me junk mail?" To, "I tried to do it and they said I'd requested coupons before, which I hadn't."
To, "I'd be happy to, and I sent an extra one in from my husband's e-mail, too!"
From very helpful and "I get it" to no help at all and major confusion. Sheesh! Just goes to show, we're all living in a parallel world, marching to the beats of our own drummers.
One and all!
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