Through An 'Old Timer's' Eyes
By Howard 'Mac' McDonald

Like Art Linkletter points out, "Sometimes kids can say the darndest things!"

One day last week, to help my wife I took four-year-old Aaron for a ride and asked him if he would like a milkshake. When it comes to anything sweet, his answer is always yes, so we stopped at the Cabin Kitchen and split a vanilla milkshake.

This week, we took a ride to the Third Street Playground and after an hour of vigorous climbing on the monkey bars and the big slide he decided he was thirsty and asked me to take him to the "Kitchen Cabinet" for another milkshake.

I told owner Jim Thomas that his restaurant had a new name and he had to laugh. He said Aaron was about as smart as the auditors.

It seems that one time the firm that audits his books thought that the name of his place was the Kitchen Cabinet and figured it was a firm that made kitchen cabinets.

Back when Art Linkletter hosted that TV show, sometimes he would have to bleep out some of the kids' answers. A lot of family secrets were laid bare on that show.

Oh, to be a kid again. The Speech Police today would be in hog heaven correcting the things that come out of our kids' mouths.

I often wonder about the strain our troops are under these days overseas. Their "terms of engagement" put them between a rock and a hard place. The on-scene commander must make a decision about returning fire because there may be some civilians killed.

Where in the devil would we have been if this was a decision in WWII? During the bombing raids in Germany, just stop and think how many innocent people were killed.

The death of innocents wasn't a factor when the terrorists hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

I am still in a quandary trying to figure out why it is so important that Afghanistan and Iraq become democracies. When our founding fathers wanted a democracy, we did our fighting to accomplish this. When Mr. Bush started that mess there was no mention of trying to get them to accept our ways.

I guess we will have to let history figure that one out. I know that the troops are getting fed up.

There is a big scare going on about strep infections. Kids are the ones most likely to get it because of exposure at school. Open cuts and scratches are one way the bacteria can get into the body. Washing your hands often is a good way to help stop the spread of this dreadful disease.

Several products on the market will kill this germ. Where I work, I use good old chlorine bleach. Its odor offends some of the more tender noses, but until they make a disinfectant that smells like roast beef they will have to put up with it.

Germs have some hot spots where they like to hang out and wait to ambush you: doorknobs, toilets, faucets, phones, countertops, TV and game remotes and the computer keyboard. I must remember to wash up after writing this column.

Some infections are very contagious, but there are other things that are just as contagious.

Good manners is one of them. Being nice to your fellow human being can reap you a harvest of good feelings. Holding the door open and letting someone enter an establishment in front of you will usually get a warm response.

Boy Scouts are noted for their good manners and willingness to help someone. This old lady was standing on a busy street corner when this Boy Scout stepped up and took her by the arm.

She could not move very fast and he practically dragged her to the safety of the other side of the street. When he let go of her arm, she whacked him with her umbrella and said, "I didn't want to cross the street, you dummy, I had just gotten to the other side."

Remember -- look before you leap.