Smile. You are on.

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Commercials.

We can’t live with them.  But most of the time, we sure could live without them.  MOST of the time.

Take or leave… those commercials sure have come a long way.  My first memories of them, are wide and long.

A few standouts come to mind.  Of course, there was  Mr. Whipple squeezing the gosh darn Charmin.  Why, Mr. Whipple, whhhhyyyyy?  It must have been some sort of tick, or disorder.  I mean, he was constantly getting busted for it.  But he kept it up, no matter.  Please don’t squeeze the Charmin.  Puuuhhhhlllleeeaaassssse.

There was Imperial Margarine.  The guy would take a bite of the oleo-slathered toast, and “POOF”……  he would be crowned a King.  As a family, the Kronenberger’s  were chained to Chiffon Margarine.  It was the spread that Bob Braun advertised. So Mom bought it,  we ate it,  and we never found our Royal Roots.

The Tidy Bowl Man.  Little Boat. Cute little Yachting Outfit.  All in the tank of your toilet.  I used to check our tank daily, when I was a kid.  I never found the dude. Not even once.

But yes. Commercials.  They have evolved.  Not all, but some.   There are plenty which are dumber than dumb.  Boring.  Excruciating to watch.

Then.  There’s “Little Man”… the miniature horse with a dog door.  Or the little pig on the walk with his owners.  And Shaggy’s “Boombastic” song playing in the background.  Classic.

There really are a big gob of good ones.

But perhaps the  one’s which are funniest to me…. are the “tourism” commercials being aired by various states.  The one running in our area right now is for the great state of Misery.  I mean, Missouri.

I don’t have anything against Missouri.  I’ve liked it well enough, the few times I’ve been to St. Louis.  But let’s face it.  The games shows aren’t giving away a lot of trips to the Show Me State.

The guys in the tourism commercial are “doing it all.”  They go fishing and you see them selecting some cool lures.   And they ride in a golf cart.  Then they golf.  I think there are some Milwaukee’s Best cans involved here and there.   Missouri.  The Great Adventure.

Pure Wow recently released a “list” of the most beautiful places to visit in each of the 50 states. Missouri’s listing was the water hole at Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park.  I’m not kidding.

Let’s just say, I’m not planning a big trip there any time soon.

On the defense for them.  Ohio’s most beautiful spot is a Lighthouse.  Specifically, the Marble Head Lighthouse.

So those of us tromping around in the proverbial  glass house should not throw stones.  No news there.

Yes, but back to commercials.    I think we need them, ultimately.  They can be our life teachers.  And with that.  Just remember.  It does a body good.  Your mind is a terrible thing to waste.  So, just do it.  And when all else fails, reach out and touch someone.  When you care enough to send the very best.   It’s the real thing.

So.  Be all you can be.  And.  Please.  Raise your hand if you’re sure.


“You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.
You are not meant for crawling, so don’t.
You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.”
― Rumi