Krui IHn-u Cnucu iTomtty ICtbranr
The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OP
EASTERN NORTH
Uj
5^0
VOLUME 16
NEW BERN, N. C. 28560, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1973
NUMBER 35
Consider yourself an average
New Bernlan If you’ve found
that purchasing a greeting card
for someone else to send Is al
most always a big mistake.
Never again will we run such
an errand for a relative or
friend. Few things differ as
widely In Oils life as the pref
erences all of us have for a
“certain kind" of card to mall
an ailing acquaintance or a loved
one Imreaved by death.
Sorting through the many
messages displayed on a card
rack, we try to And just the
right thing. Quite often It Isn't
there, although the variety of
sentimental lines seems end
less.
If you lean toward the con
servative In expressing your af
fection, concern or dlstres.s,
you don't want something
“mushy” or "gooey.” And even
If the message doesn't spread
It on too thickly, you shy away
from a card that is excessively
decorated.
Surprisingly, cards that are
simple and In the minds of some
of us show good taste are few
and far lietween. Since dlls Is the
case, and greeting manufactur
ers are in liuslness to make
money, it Is rather clear that
the majority of purchasers pre
fer something with glowing ad
jectives and an ornate overdtme
cover.
Most of us are awkward in
expre.ssing condolences face to
face, and no Idss awkward in
extending .sympathy from a dis
tance through the' medium of a
card. Instinctively, we realize
that this or that printed mes
sage jii.st doesn't .soural right.
Ina.smuch as Oils is tlie prob
lem confronting us when we
sho|> for our own cards, you
can Imagine the pickle .someone
else is in when we assign the
chore to them. The results,
except in rare instances. :iro
unsatisfactory.
And, :ifter all is said :md
done, we’re apt to totally over
look tlie fact that picking out a
card tliat will And a responsive
chord in tlie heart of the reci
pient is more imporkint than
c;h>M>.siiig somettilng we would
prefer b) receive under simi
lar drciim stances.
For example. It may lu* tliat
you couldn’t care less for hum-
orous cards, and we use the
term luuiiorous advl.sedly, but
Intend to insill a "gel well”
missive to an acqualnhuice who
appredates sometlilng .silly
ratlier than .serious.
Regardless of your own
sfiueamlsliiiess alHiut being Alp-
pant at such u time as this,
you probalily wiU do tlie rlglit
thing If you setth* for a card
tliat approaches the situaUon
wittily.
Several years ago we callixi
on a friend who was recovering
from .1 serious illness in a lo
cal hospital. Fiir from being
shallow, he could be clussiAel
us a deep tlilnker and ratlier
religious, the sort of person
who orcUiuirlly wouldn’t attract
a get well written In a lighter
vein.
So what was the Arst thing
he did, when we entered his
room? Pushing a stuck of ser
ious cards to one side,hehand-
(Continued on page 8)
ONC® nrON A miE—This jroung man, 1^ a His greatest performance (see Sports Reflections'
giartwback f« to ^on ^cons of Wake was against to school that to Bears play host to
Forest, made gridiron history at New Bern High. Friday night. ^