You know, you put your heart and soul out there to share with the public and well, I reckon sooner or later somebody is gonna? notice it. Same with writing a column. The way I cipher-it, I’ve pen and typed something close to 1,500 columns — most of them under the column name Don’t Rush Me.
Most of the time folks just write to complain. Back in the days before e-mail I would get a few letters and that meant I really ruffled somebody’s feathers. I miffed them off enough to take the time to find paper and pen; write, then fold, put in an envelope and spend money to stamp it and mail it.
I remember one column from the mid-to-late 1980s where I just commented about what I saw whilst driving around the mean streets of Oxford. In front of one home I noticed a mom and what I assumed was her daughter, trowels in hand, leveling out wet concrete that would be part of their home’s sidewalk. I don’t remember how I phrased my observations, but the following week I received a letter which went sort of like this:
‘Don, you chauvinistic pig. Your column has insulted women. This letter has been chemically treated. In 24 your man parts will fall off.?
For some reason it wasn’t signed?
These days, with the advent of e-mail and social media it’s a lot easier for folks to communicate with me. Again, mostly I get stuff telling me what I did wrong — the city manager of Clarkston loves to send me this type of message and I think she has even made it a weekly or monthly agenda item for City Council. It’s nice to know I have endeared myself to her so much so that she’s always thinking of me.
I have that affect on women.
Other times, I write something that rallies the troops or inspires readers to do something, I think. No reader has ever told me, or communicated with me in any fashion I have inspired them, but in over a thousand tries, I have had to inspire somebody, somewhere hadn’t I?
Recently, I published another ‘gem? of a column, this one on back to school fashion. I harkened back to the days of yore when my very own mother had to take me to Grants or K-Marts to buy school clothes. Pants were the worse . . . Husky was the size that bummed me out and unfortunately, I donned.
Two readers wrote me about said column.
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Hi Don,
Just finished reading your column when I spotted the dreaded word “husky” while reading about fashion.
Fashion??!! Don Rush AND fashion??!!
Yep, there it was, right in front of me in black and white…… A couple weeks ago, I ordered Levi’s for my 13-year-old son for school pants. They come in slim, regular and the dreaded husky! And you know how Levi’s puts a big patch on the back waistband telling all the world what size you wear? Well, they put a capital H next to the size so all the world knows you wear a HUSKY, too!
**sigh**
Poor kids…. I was the chubby little girl who had to wear the chubby girl clothes so I know how having “Husky” on their rear might not make some kids feel real good about themselves. And why give bullies more ammo to hurt people?
I’m hoping you can use your celebrity and send a memo to the fashion industry, now that you’re a Fashion Blogger and all, TO STOP THE HUSKY MADNESS!!!!
Thanks Don, even if the word Husky never goes away, I feel better getting it off my chest!
Michelle
Okay, movers and shakers in readerland, it’s time to write all the fashion folk and department stores. Let’s get Husky banned!
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And this, little short note: “Don, I read your article last week on fashion and I laughed so hard I cried…it was fantastic! I read it out loud at the office, Darlene.?
Thank you, Darlene and Michelle.
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And, then I get stuff like this, from Orion Township reader, Bill Kalmar, sent to my e-mail: ‘Me and Officer Collin Allcars at the Greenfield Village 64th Old Car Festival. After much discussion Officer Allcars agreed not to arrest Don Rush for impersonating a weekly columnist. Don will now be free to pursue his ultimate goal of becoming a rodeo clown. Don, for years, has been spreading the bull and now he will be able to interact with bulls on a regular basis! Congrats Don! You can thank me later for my role in this.?
Thanks, Bill. I think?
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Send your comments and complaints or concerns to, Don@ShermanPublications.org