Issue 395 - Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

So we've lurched into December, and as I walk around the shops I can now grudgingly accept the shops being full of Chrstmas stuff.

Regular readers will know that I get driven to distraction when the Christmas products start appearing in mid-September.
In my view it implies that the last 3 months of the year are not worth anything, they are little more than waiting months until Christmas, which is complete baloney maloney.
I can understand the market forces behind it - if shop A stocks Christmas stuff, then shop B has to, or they will be losing custom.

Last year, I bought some Christmas fruit cake slices which had a best before date of mid November!
This year I decided to ask the shop about it, (not that I held a bitter and twisted 12 month grudge of course!)
At the end of September I took a deep breath and ventured into the Christmas aisle, and sure enough, individual Christmas fruit cake slices, best before date of November 11th.
I had to smile, and since they were buy one get one free, my smile was that bit larger as I shoveled a couple of boxes into my wonky-wheeled trolley.

After the 11th Nov had passed, I went to Tesco's website, where rather bizarrely there isn't an email contact to be seen!
I decided to write snail mail, asking for an explanation as to how Christmas cakes could have a best before date of 11th Nov, meaning you either had to eat them 6 weeks before Christmas, or eat them at Christmas 6 weeks out of date.
I still havn't had a reply, and let's be honest, my letter is still probably flying around the Tesco's internal email system, or has been filed in the 'nutcase' draw.

So I decided to ring them up.
I got a stonewall answer, the chap kept saying that they were definitely Christmas cakes, but obviously still had a best before date.
I realised fairly early on in the conversation that -

a) He wasn't going to grasp the 'Christmas not being 11th November' concept
b) Tesco's were not about to send me a year's supply of fruit cake, which had been my main goal all along.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like Tesco, remember earlier this year when I lost my keys on an early marathon training session, it was Tesco's that found my address from my keyfob and sent them back to me, but in this case they have got it wrong.

To me it doesn't make any difference, I can see the funny side, but I can well imagine some old duffer who bought their cake slices nice and early, only to find them tasting a bit peculiar come Christmas.

It brings up one of my favourite life sayings, and it's this -
'Say what you mean, and mean what you say.'

I'm a big fan of acting with integrity, and if you follow the 'say what you mean' mantra, you won't go far wrong.
There is nothing better than having friends and colleagues, dare I say it loved ones, know that when you say something, you mean it.
It makes you a rock that can be relied on, and also means that whenever you need help, people will be all the more willing to give it.

Ok, that's it for today, if you got your Christmas goodies early, get the cupboard open and check those best before dates!

Have a good week.

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon
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