NATIONAL CLICHE DAY

Today is National Cliche Day.   My brother asked, "Is saying 'OLD cliches' actually a cliche;  are there any NEW cliches?"  I answered, "I think it's a redundancy."

I've written before that in my family, cliches are frowned upon, thus we have as our family motto, "Where there's a will, there's a relative." 

Among other NON-CLICHES cherished by my family:  "Absence makes the heart ponder.", "Cold hands, warm liver.", and "That isn't half-bad, more like 3/4!", and "I love you with all my pancreas.".  When Gerald and I saw the movie Goodbye, Columbus in 1969, I loved the scene where Ali MacGraw's character Brenda says, "I'm not a planner, I'm a liver." and Richard Benjamin's character Neil answered, "I'm a pancreas!"

When a family member commits a gaffe, one can only expect to be greeted with a SCREAM from the CLICHE POLICE, and it better be funny!  Although we don't know WHO made the rules, one is NOT allowed to confront non-family members with a SCREAM!
At a dinner party awhile ago there were several guests who are not family members and during the conversation I said, "That's like calling a kettle."  I did not have the opportunity to complete that cliche as my niece Tracey screaked, "EBONY AND IVORY!"  All family members laughed uproariously but I had to explain the SCREAM to the others.  

Several years ago I accompanied a couple to a doctor's office, using their car, and the doctor ordered the wife taken to the hospital for evaluation. When the wife was admitted, the husband naturally wanted to stay with her. There I was, stuck without a car;  I thought of calling a cab but I'd left my purse in my car at the couple's house.  I was denigrating myself for my lack of planning.  I tried to call Gerald to come to rescue me but he didn't have his cell phone with him.   I called a friend and she came quickly and took me to get my car. 

As I was alighting from her vehicle, thanking her profusely, she said, "A friend in need...", but I didn't allow her to complete her phrase, and said, "A friend in need is a pest!"