DO GOODER - Here's another doozy of a do-gooder I have known about for a while, but am just now writing about her - Josie Ochoa. She fits the picture perfectly as a true Monrovia do-gooder. She prefers that I write about the Monrovia League Thrift shop on Lime Ave., where she does volunteer work. The Monrovia League Thrift shop helps support the Santa Anita Family service in Monrovia, which helps people in need of counseling assistance. The thrift shop also gives money to the Girl Scouts, Campfire Boys & Girls and the Monrovia Canyon High School (continuation school). Josie has lived in Monrovia for 49 years. She is a docent at the Monrovia Museum, belongs to the Monrovia High School Alumni Association for whom she publishes the alumni newspaper, belongs to the Monrovia Hospital guild and has many other volunteer activities. In addition, Josie participates in sports, playing tennis three days a week and often runs in 10k events. Now that's an active person. INTRIGUING - Did you read about the lady who was keeping 38 pot-bellied pigs in her house? The health department removed the pigs after an anonymous caller squealed on her. They found the house filled with manure and claimed the house unfit for pigs to live in. REMEMBER WHEN - Are you old enough to remember when it wasn't polite to call a policeman a "cop", when a young man on a date would speak out if another man used foul language within hearing distance of his girl friend and when bed scenes in movies were taboo? INTRIGUING - The other day I was fascinated watching two men standing in front of a store talking and as they talked they continually gestured with their hands. I wondered - does this gesturing as one talks make the conversation more interesting. Maybe I'll try it so that I'll get more attention when I talk. NAUGHTY ME - The other day I did something I probably shoudn't have done... It was a spontaneous reaction. On the path where I walk, as we pass each other many of us say "good morning." Often as a friendly gesture I give a little smile or nod to a person as I pass them by. This time a lady and I passed each other as she was approaching the entrance to a grocery store. I looked at her and smiled, but she paid no attention to me - she just looked straight ahead! So, on the spur of the moment I turned around and said to her, "You dropped something." I tell you, she stopped immediately and looked back to see what she had dropped. I'd like to apologize to her for upsetting her decorum. While on the subject, I remember reading that when men wore hats years ago they would doff their hats when they saw or met a lady. Is that true? COMMENTARY - One recent day in Hollywood I had two contrasting experiences. One gave me so much faith in the younger generation and the other was sad. The bad experience was seeing two young men attacking another young man to get his money. He had three dollars. The attackers took the three dollars and also took his glasses. Then shortly after that I was at a casting agency with several other people. In the waiting room we were told we would have to have our pictures taken for casting to have on file and we would have to pay twenty dollars in cash for them. At the time I only had five dollars in my pocket. My visa card or a check was not acceptable. The young man sitting next to me that I was talking to handed me twenty dollars cash. I said I would write him a check. He refused a check and insisted I take the twenty. Can you believe that! A young, perfect stranger doing that. It's moments like that give one faith in our younger generation. Gem of the month - A blow with a word strikes deeper than a blow with a sword.
© 1996 URLy Sylke All Rights Reserved CREDITS
