Meaningless words

A friend tried an experiment. Whenever someone said, "Hi, how are you?" she would respond with "I'm dying, thanks and you?" in the most upbeat way possible with a huge smile.

Very few people paid any attention making the question, meaningless, a throwaway phrase.

After every American mass shooting the phrase "thoughts and prayers" are uttered over and over by alleged leaders.

Yet many of them never do anything and often do things that would prevent the next mass shooting.

And you think they get down on their knees and pray for the victims?

Do you think they take the time to find out about the victims: their favorite color, their job, their love, their family. Do they know if among the victims there was:

• A man who played Little League as a kid and is now a Little League coach
• A woman, who graduated at the top of her high school class
• A mother read Dr. Seuss to her three year old at bedtime

Do they visit them and bring them a casserole, send flowers three months after the death to say "you are still in my thoughts" or get down on their knees, night after night to pray?

I suspect the mumble the words in their message that get them some air time and go on to the next meeting, next dinner, next sporting event. They go home to their families who are not about to be buried.

Enough of the thoughts and prayers. If you can't do something meaningful, shut up.