People Can Be Funny…But It’s No Laughing Matter!

Acworth, GA June 11, 2007
“Treat others as you would like to be treated” is the fundamental of moral principle found in all major religions or cultures around the world. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is The Golden Rule as often quoted from the Bible, and it means the same thing. Similarly, there is also a Universal Law that says, “What you put out is what you get back,” akin to what my mother always told me, “What goes around comes around.” Well, this past Saturday afternoon the Golden Rule and/or Universal Law kicked in like nobody's business, and justice was served [to me] on a silver platter.

Our family has lived in the Woodstock/ Acworth, Georgia area almost 35 years, so Towne Center Mall in nearby Kennesaw is no stranger to me. I’ve been there many times with my family and friends or all by my lonesome. Whenever I see one of those surveyors or anyone else about to approach me with a flyer or a clipboard in their hand, I just look in the opposite direction, in other words I don’t make eye contact and usually avoid being ‘put on the spot.’


This particular Saturday afternoon I had a scheduled book-signing event at Waldenbooks so my display table was set up at the entrance of the bookstore on the lower level next to Sears. I was there to greet customers, promote my novel, “Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember,” and autograph copies sold. I had planned to have my neat little bookmarks to present to passers-by and say, “Would you like a free bookmark?” When they accepted, I would then point out that it has information about my book on it. Of course, I was at a table with my books neatly stacked and displayed. If that weren’t enough of a clue, the poster with the book’s cover saying “meet the author” right behind me left no question in regard to the purpose for my being there. I inadvertently left my bookmarks in the trunk of the car my husband was driving, and since he refuses to own a cell phone he was out of reach. Luckily the store still had some of the colorful flyers I had created for them to pass out, so I quickly gathered a handful and proceeded to execute my initial plan of approach, using flyers instead of the neat little bookmarks.

Even though I’ve done it myself many times, I haven’t quite figured out what is so profoundly foreboding about flyers when a stranger offers one to us that make we people act funny. One lady accepted it as if it were a report card with failing grades, or a dirty Pamper, then I watched her dispose of it in the trash receptacle without even glancing at it. I didn’t really have time to let that get to me because if I did, I would not have been able to continue my afternoon’s event. Instead, I continued to enjoy my afternoon, meeting and talking with those who stopped, or who looked at the flyer and turned around to learn more about the book. Not that there weren’t others who avoided making eye contact with me as they passed by. Of course, then there were some who didn’t speak English, or they looked at me as though I were the alien speaking the foreign language.

Afterward, when my husband asked if it was a good experience, I was genuinely excited as I reassured him, "It was a blast! I really got a kick out of one lady who told me she is an avid reader and has tons of books at home in Florida, but this is the first and only one autographed by the author--and that I was the first author she had ever met! I think I was more excited than she was to meet someone so enthusiastic. I was only there a little less than two hours but I met so many wonderful people and the sales went well, too. I couldn't ask for much more than that!” It wasn't surprising to see several people I know, but I was still excited to see them, because of course that made the good day even better. My husband and I were expected at another engagement or I would have stayed longer, but I'm really looking forward to next week at Waldenbooks at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Georgia.


All in all, I would say my hour and ½ spent at the entrance of Waldenbooks on Saturday afternoon proved to be very valuable. I don’t mean valuable in the sense that a ton of people bought my book, (although sales went well), but rather in the sense that I learned a very valuable lesson in the things I observed. I learned that people can be awfully funny about their personal space—the area encompassing a three foot parameter of themselves, however some consider eye contact as a violation of their space. I also realized how those people I’ve avoided through the years must have felt in the past when I acted similarly. Now that I have walked in their shoes and know, first hand, how it feels, I vow never to act that way again. I will try to remember they are just doing their job, and they’re not going to bite.

Several decades ago there was a funny television show hosted by Art Linkletter. It was called “People Are Funny.” That is still true today, people really CAN be funny, especially when it comes to their space…but it’s no laughing matter!



["Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember" is a novel based on true events in the author's life, so Wofford calls it "faction." It is about the healing progression of young woman whose mind has shut down as a defense mechanism to block out back-to-back traumatic events, however other memories are blocked as well. The riveting story is told through the eyes of the author's alter ego, through an emotional journey of laughter, sorrow and hope and with an underlying message of unconditional love between two people.]

[To learn more about Darlene Wofford and "Edgewise: An Assignment to Remember," as well as view the schedule for her Atlanta summer book-signing tour, visit www.darlenewofford.com . To "Browse the Book" and see reviews from some of the book's readers, visit www.amazon.com . Blog directly with the author at "Darlene Wofford's Newsroom": http://community.myfoxatlanta.com/blogs/darlenewofford.]Wife/ Mother/ Author/ Speaker/ Former Atlanta radio talk-show co-host/ Certified Image Consultant/ Owner, Imagize image development business/ Graduate of London Image Institute/ Graduate Division Director/ Marketing Director, Mortgage Consulting Services Institute



Organizational memberships:

Association of Image Consultants International; Association of Women Writers; Association of Baby Boomer Women; Boomer Women Speak; eWomen Network; officer and CTM --Toastmasters International.

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