Places We Popped Into and What Resulted

Bart and I had brunch today at one of our favorite haunts in Andersonville. Nothing like a delicious Swedish breakfast.

After boring him with musings about Peter Pan, I somehow remembered that I'd been meaning to read Mary Poppins. I love the Disney movie. Color me silly, but Disney's Mary Poppins is a movie of the sort that movies should be. Delightful, tender, meaningful, mysterious and all around fun. Yet I never read the source from P.L. Travers. Shame on me. Thus, we popped into a bookstore and I picked it up.

I began it as I waited outside for Bart who wanted to browse around a shop I didn't have interest in today. Alrady there are some noticeable changes even as early as page 2. To be expected, right? Apparently there are two other children, John and Barbara, the Twins. And Mary Poppins did not, in fact, come to the house descending gently through the air via an umbrella. She has an umbrella tucked under her arm in the original illustrastions by Mary Shepard. But no mention is made in the text. What actually happens is a gust of wind blows her through the gate to their front door, a bang, and the house shakes. She does slide up the banister, though.

I'll give a full report later, of course.

As we strolled along, Bart suddenly realized how "funny" that I purchased Mary Poppins and the result of his shopping had been a new umbrella. Unintended.

What "Props" Up Conversation? Show Some Respect.

While I waited in our favorite sushi restaurant for Bart and Lage, my eyes gravitated to the large flatscreen TV. Normally we eat on the “other side” (two sections) of the restaurant so watching it there proved somewhat of a novelty. It has the closed captioning on so as not to disturb the atmosphere. Not that I had been interested in the program. The Espys. Justin Timberlake hosted, which I found strange, until I remembered that he is a golfer as well. But none of that is the point.

I heard (or rather saw) him say, “I have to give you props.” Does this bother anyone as much as it does me? The first time I heard it, I said, “Props? What? Like giant comedy sunglasses and a walking stick? Why are props needed?” Then, of course, I had been corrected and told the meaning. Not that it made the situation more clear.

Color me bitter, but I think this term has to be one of the worst pop culture has to offer. First of all, it just sounds silly. “Give you your props.” Come on, really? Second of all, it’s damn lazy. I wouldn’t have a problem if one said, “Give you your proper respect.” Oh wait. Yes, yes I would. What ARE said proper respects? Isn’t it rude to accentuate giving proper respect and then not even bothering to list or explain why or how or what that respect entails? And then to make it even worse by truncating it down to just “props.” Sorry, I’m too slothful and cool to tell you how I really feel about you, so, take your damn “props.” Here, here’s a mug and an umbrella.

* I found this photo on the 'net in Google image search under "giant sunglasses." If this is your photo, please excuse me using it, I meant no harm...it proved too perfect for this post. Thanks.