We are well into the new year that is 2020 and with that said, I do need to clean up some communications readers have sent me. I mean, come on, if you’re gonna’ take the time to write, I should have the common courtesy to use/share.
Thank you readers for reading and caring enough to write. Keep it up! Here we go!

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A few weeks ago I whipped up another gem of a Don’t Rush Me headlined, “I guess I like the rapey song better” (Dec. 18, 2019). That column was about the holiday song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” As the headline suggests, I like the old version. Most folks who responded, wrote commentary like this:
Hi Don — I couldn’t agree with you more about Political Correctness. I’m so tired reading about another PC objection to something harmless. Who are these snowflakes who are so sensitive and easily offended? Are they real people or is this just media-manufactured hysteria? If they’re real people, I’d like to know who they are so that we can boycott them.
I’m hoping that you’re getting overwhelming support. Keep up the good work. — Andy S.
However, I did receive a few like this:
Mr. Rush, I usually pass over your weekly column because I don’t find it to be interesting, well-written, relevant to my life, valuable, or enriching. This week you really “hooked” me by joshing around about rape! So nice work (?).
I don’t feel that you “hate women” or “like rape culture.” This isn’t “hate mail.” I do feel that you are doing a disservice to our communities by choosing to write about your lyrical preferences for a song that some feel is no longer fitting to our current times. Especially at Christmas, a perfect time to instead highlight many of the positive acts happening in our towns.
Does this make me one of the people you reference in your column who is a wimp who is always offended? No, I think it makes me, a mother of 3 daughters, who has an inclination to notice sleazy, old boomers who reminisce about the good old days when they could say and do what they wanted at work and at home with fewer consequences.
I am around a lot of our local students during the week, and I hope you know what an accepting, empathetic, caring, smart, focused, cultured, fully-present, forward-thinking, and respectful generation we have now. The future is bright. — Marissa P.
Andy and Marissa, thank you! I agree with you both.

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I received the following just after Christmas:
Hi Don, As a former editor & reporter, I have a special fondness for community newspapers and value their worth. Thanks for all you do to get news and information to the greater Clarkston community every week. Mr. Sherman surely is smiling on you. 🙂
Your dandelions comment reminded me of my very Italian grandmother, my “Nonnie,” whose friends visited us in “the north country” every year to pick dandelions for wine (she lived with my parents). Her “paisans” (countrymen) also came by to wander the area for mushrooms. As I got older, I wondered how they knew which ones were truly “safe to eat” and always prayed they did not get poisoned! My equally Italian mother, who learned American ways quickly, always bought ours at the grocery store! As far as I know, nothing bad ever happened to them, though, so I guess there is something to be said for “the old ways!” (If you know what you are doing!)
Best wishes for 2020 & I’m among those looking forward to columns 1,700+! — Barb B.

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In last week’s column I wrote about getting a “new” name using Professor Poopypants name generating chart. The chart renamed me Gidget Gizzardshorts. Since then, I have heard from these readers: Pinky Pottybuns, Buttercup Monkeychunks, Snotty Doofusbooger and Flunky Pottybrain. Glad you all had fun reading and finding your own new names. Thank you!

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And, this weekend I received the following email which is so deep and profound it really has me scratching my noggin’:
Hi Don, Now that we are through the first week of 2020, (is that number an indication of our collective perfected eyesight) I am reminded of a quote by Albert Einstein who, in essence, said, “What they say about ‘it’ being all an illusion is correct, albeit a very persistent one.”
That sentiment is confirmed by nuclear scientists who now say that the hydrogen atom is 99.9999999999996% SPACE. I suspect that is true for other atoms as well. Upon examination of the constituent parts of the electrons, protons and neutrons, quarks etc., they simply disappear. Giving rise to the statement; “The more we look at matter, the more it looks like thought,” which begs the question, “who’s thought?” — Best regards, Haley H.
Whoa . . . mind blown.

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Now, if I can — er ah, would — clean the clutter out of my desk, house, life like I did my e-mails, 2020 would be totally sweet! Send your commentary, concerns or ideas to DontRushDon@gmail.com

  don rush, don’t rush me, readers