By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Here is the latest installment of Rules to Live By.
1. Send invitations to family members in your city just as you do to friends and out-of-town relatives.
2. If you must borrow something, return it on the date promised and in the same condition. If it is damaged, offer to pay for a replacement, and do it.
3. Never snoop through another person’s email or cell phone.
4. Don’t take another person’s medication. It was prescribed specifically for them. Although your symptoms may be similar, you might not have the same illness.
5. Carry your own pencils and pens. It’s annoying when you show up to class without them.
6. Bad news, such as a break up, should be delivered in person or on the phone. A text or email is too impersonal.
7. Don’t ask to borrow personal items from strangers, such as lipstick, comb, brush, eye shadow and eyeliner. The owner might have an infection that is passed along to you.
8. Chip in to buy gas or pick up the tab for a meal if a friend is always carting you around in her car. Gas is expensive.
9. Go mute when your BFF’s boyfriend starts asking questions about her. Suggest that he go directly to the source. Stay out of their business.
10. Be honest when a girlfriend asks how an outfit looks on her. If you don’t tell her it’s not flattering, who will?
11. By the same token, if you ask that question, be prepared to live with the answer. Don’t get angry if it’s not what you want to hear. The truth is painful sometimes.
12. If you get caught in a lie, come clean instead of trying to cover up the lie. Lying is a lot of work, and it takes skill and a good memory to keep your lies straight. Telling the truth is a lot easier in the long run.