Why you should never arrive to a dinner party empty-handed
Hey Trinity,
My very well-to-do friends invited me to a dinner party. When I didn’t arrive with anything, another friend said, “You should have brought something.” I disagreed explaining that they said not to bring anything, just myself. What’s up? Bring or don’t bring?
Guest Quest, Philadelphia, Pa.
Hey Guest Quest,
Good question, but not the best decision. Being a guest means bringing a present, period. Whether you’re a party guest or an overnight guest, you can always bring a box of cookies, wine, flowers, a dollar store knickknack or anything, but never arrive empty-handed, sweetie, no matter how wealthy they are. And also make sure to hand your gift to the host.
Dear Trinity,
I just started dating someone who was recently divorced. Is there anything I should know or be careful of before continuing to date?
Divorce Doubts, Spokane, Wash.
Dear Divorce Doubts,
Besides being careful of gun-slinging, jealous ex-spouses, making sure he or she really is divorced and being aware that you’re not getting into anything too complicated, like multiple incarcerated ex-spouses or across-state-line custody battles over Siamese twins, then there really is nothing to be to careful of. And sometimes, darling, getting someone with a bit of experience can be beneficial for many “intimate” reasons.
Dear Trinity,
Isn’t it true that when someone takes you on a date it looks good to order the most expensive item(s) so that it makes you look valuable?
It’s On Them, Houston, Texas
Dear It’s On Them,
Order whatever you like but not the most expensive items, please. Unless, of course, you want your date to think of you as “The Last Supper” or “The last time I ever invite that over-priced @!%# to dinner!” Pumpkin, being a good date means being polite, inquisitive, leaving your problems at home and ordering moderately.
Dearest Trinity,
I was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and recently beat it. But now when people ask, “Are you going to do things differently?” I don’t know what to say. What would you say?
A New Lease, Denver, Colo.
Dearest New Lease,
When people say, “If I could have done things differently.” or “I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” I want to barf. Lets get real, honey! If I was given a second chance to fix my mistakes, establish better relationships and live each day smarter, then, duh, of course I would do things differently. So for the future let’s start practicing:
Trinity’s Second Chance Suggestions For Living Life Smarter and Brighter
1. Spend more money when you have it and be more careful with it when you don’t!
2. Don’t be so quick to break off relationships just because she’s late a few times or he isn’t everything you dreamed he’d be.
3. Charge more on your credit cards and don’t be so neurotic about paying them off so fast or so lax about paying them off so slowly.
4. Eat more (dark) chocolate, drink wine more often with dinner like the Québecois and eat all the mints on the pillows in those fancy hotels.
5. Ask more handsome men to dance and don’t be so discouraged if they say, “No.” Keep at it.
6. Allow yourself to feel your feelings more often.
7. Pull the car over longer to look at the blossoming trees.
8. Spend more time with your grandparents and less time avoiding them just to be with your “friends.”
9. Study harder, travel more often, fall in love deeper and get up earlier to those gorgeous sunrises.
10. And, lastly, take more pictures of yourself while you’re younger. Even though you think you’re not perfect it won’t be till much later that you realize, “Damn, I was way cuter than I thought.”
Don’t let your answers go unanswered!
— With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity was host of “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama and now performs globally.
<
