ASK MISS MANNERS

When I was in junior high school, we all had to take a Miss Manners class in our homemaking class. Miss Manners was a book on etiquette. She dealt with situations from which fork to use at a dinner party to solutions as to how to handle life's little problems politely. It was the hope of our homemaking teacher that we would become polite and proper young ladies.

There are certain siutations which require a polite response from us and we know how to do so without discomfort. Someone gives you something, you say "thank you"; someone sneezes, you say "God bless you", someone has a piece of spinach stuck in his teeth and you quietly bring that to his/her attention; etc. But sometimes something comes up that is not listed in Miss Manner's book, something that is awkward or embarassing to handle, but it has to be dealt with. Some times we are trapped in the situation and are forced to figure out an appropriate and least conspicious response.

Well, today I found myself in one of these situation. There is one gentleman who takes aquatics with me. He has a moustache and a beard, is well groomed and is also a very sharp dresser even when is "just hanging out". It is obvious that his appearance is very important him. He was standing next to me when he let out one of the loudest sneezes I had ever heard. Now this is the point where you imagination must take control of this story. I turned to say "God bless you" to him and there it was!!!...one of those uncomfortable and awkward situations that Miss Manners never put in her book.

I was in the midst of a dilemma...do I look away?, do I tell him and embarass him? do I ignore it and let him go about his way and have more people being drawn to his Faux Pas and embarrass him even further? In the midst of my trying to figure out the most tactful way to handle this problem, I looked back at him, trying not to focus on his mustache, and to my relief he had taken care of it. Whew!!!

Miss Manners, you never told us how to handle a situation like this!!!! I learned a lot from your book, but was at a loss in this situation. In the overall picture of Life, I think I would have preferred a solution to my above problem over how to sit in a chair balancing a tea cup and saucer on my lap and still look lady-like. Well, regardless, I was off the hook this time!!!

ANSWER TO LAST TRIVIA QUESTION: What does LSMFT stand for? Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco...a cigerette jingle

TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Whose image appeared on the first cover of TV Guide? THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.