Is there a right and wrong way to get from point A to point B?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red prefers hard-copy maps and printed directions, mostly because she’s not exactly a fan of technology, but while Black’s more tech-savvy, she knows technology is great … when it works.
For Red, it’s partly because old habits die hard, and she’ll usually find ways to rationalize them. But it might also be the straight-A student in her, as when it comes to driving somewhere new (whether an hour down the road or a 12+ hour journey), she insists on not only printing out maps and directions but studying them to have a good idea of exactly where she’s going. She’s just not willing to wait for some electronic “voice” or map on the dashboard to tell her where to go.
In fact, before Red drove her daughter from Houston to Nashville to start college, she first visited her local AAA to get printed TripTiks. And although she didn’t download the app, she wondered if the electronic versions were as specific and detail-oriented as the paper versions – which were almost more than she needed. But she admitted,
I like being old school. I like knowing I have something tangible to help me if all else fails. Especially since I don’t trust technology because your phone can die or you can lose connectivity.
Black knew exactly what Red was talking about because that’s what happened when we were traveling to Silsbee, Texas (don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of it, it’s about 100 miles from Houston, and we had never heard of it) to give what ended up being one of our most memorable presentations at the high school. Red was driving while Black was playing navigator, when suddenly Black announced,
You know how your precious paper maps were too vague? Well, we have now fallen off the iPad!
That’s when critical thinking came into play … as we spotted a big yellow school bus and decided to follow it!
We were able to enjoy the rural scenery (ok, Red enjoyed it, Black just wanted to “get there”), but it made us realize that technology usually focuses on the most efficient or direct route, not necessarily the most scenic or interesting way. And, it turns out, more and more people are turning to physical maps, with some even discovering old-fashioned maps for the first time.
And while Red enjoys this feeling of vindication for sticking to her old-fashioned way of “doing” directions, Black prefers to look at the bigger picture,
Sometimes the journey is as important as reaching the destination.
When the news is challenging or life’s stressful, there’s something comforting about Girl Scout cookies. Always has been, which is why we’re rerunning this post from several years ago.
Girl Scouts, though, are about so much more than cookies, as year-round girls learn important life skills, gain confidence, and discover leadership skills. But buying cookies is such a sweet way (sorry, we couldn’t resist) to support the organization. Red’s favorite is the classic shortbread (now known as Trefoils), and Black buys a large assortment and gives them all away.
But hurry! Cookie season ends on March 23.
P.S. - If S’mores and Toast-Yay! are your favorites … make sure you stock up as this is the last year they’ll be available.
Let's play word association. If we say, "Girl Scouts," what's the first word that comes to mind? Ok, what's the second word?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: When Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout meeting – hoping to create an organization that redefined what was possible for girls everywhere – there was no way for her to know the difference it would make in the lives of millions of girls and their communities.
Many people's first (and sometimes only) image of Girl Scouts is as cookie salespeople – either selling door-to-door or at a make-shift table at a grocery or other store (or having their parents hand you an order form). But if you've been a Girl Scout (both of us have) or know someone who has, you know that Girl Scouts are about so much more.
So, as we celebrate the Girls Scouts being around for over 100 years, we should celebrate the years of fun and friendships, and for helping girls learn important qualities such as responsibility, courage, strength, and independence. Qualities that are as important in 2021 as they were in 1912.
And what better way to celebrate than to buy some Girl Scout cookies? Guilt-free as you're helping a good cause.
Today’s turbulent times for Jews may overshadow the celebration of the Jewish New Year, one of the holiest of the Jewish holidays. Yet, ironically, we feel it should strengthen its significance, as the holiday is a time for reflection on the past and hope for the future.
If you think today’s politics are ugly … let’s talk about a man who named himself “dictator for life” of the Roman empire, and is then assassinated by a group of senators, including his best friend. (However, there’s a “pretty” part – Cleopatra was his mistress.) Food trivia and leadership lessons aside, the fact July is named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …
Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?
BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.
Which is what got Red to realize, much to her surprise (shock, if truth be told), that even as a straight-A student with a love of history, that when it came to Julius Caesar, a famous historical figure and possibly one of the greatest generals and statesmen of all time, she couldn't tell you dates or battles or anything "historical" associated with him.
Even as a theater major in college, she never read Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," although she knew just enough about the play to know that it was where the fortune teller warned Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March." Instead, her knowledge of Caesar came from her love of movies.
My first, and probably my most enduring, memory is of a brilliant general who not only commanded armies as he conquered lands far from home but was a great statesman who was also involved with one of the world's most beautiful women. And while he was Julius Caesar and the woman was Cleopatra, to me, they'll always be Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, a movie almost as controversial as the general himself.
And Black? Besides knowing that Caesar Salad was invented by a different Caesar, she appreciates Julius Caesar's leadership skills and way with words,
There is much we can learn about leadership from Julius Caesar, whether on the battlefield, in politics, or in business (start small, take risks, communicate well), including what ultimately led to his death (always consider worst-case scenarios, never get complacent or arrogant). Many of his quotes speak (pun intended) to his powerful way with words, and the ability to not only deliver a message but to inspire (and story tell), with my favorite being, "I came, I saw, I conquered."