Throughout the year good ol’ George Bailey saunters into my mind’s eye, pulls up a chair and hangs out for a bit.  For those of you not familiar, George is the fictional main character in the heartwarming, classic holiday movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.  

George Bailey

The cliff notes version of this must see film is that as a consequence of the untimely death of his father; George’s dreams of world travel are dashed.  He morphs into a troubled soul; certain he has left no indelible mark on humankind.  Through a series of events with Clarence, the bumbling angel assigned to George’s “case,” George discovers his life in small town Bedford Falls had a categorical impact on the lives of others despite his notion to the contrary.  

I adore George but my only bone of contention with him comes when he is a boy of about twelve. Violet, a local girl, moseys in to “old man Gower’s” drugstore where George works afterschool.  She bellies up to the ice cream counter, the kind that waxes nostalgia, and orders a scoop of her favorite flavor, rather indecisively.  Following a brief exchange of age appropriate flirtations, Violet is ready to head out; satisfied she had made enough of an impression.  Making her way off the stool she says, “Georgie, help me down?” to which George annoyed responds, “Help ya down?”   

Aunt Steph is not impressed.  The good news is throughout the movie he matures as does his chivalrous acumen.

Courtesy of Cecilia

“Aunt Steph, you know what you should write about this time?”  Cecilia, my twin-sister’s daughter asked me, a sense of urgency clear in her tone, during a phone conversation from her apartment in New York City.  “Sounds like you have an idea,” I replied.  She sure did!  She said I need to write about this new practice of asking a girl out on a date via text messaging or Blackberry messenger.  

Just last week she and her girlfriends met a very pleasant group of young guys, students from an Ivy League College, interning in the city.   By all appearances they seemed consummate gentlemen.  However, a few days after their initial get together; one of the young men gathered the courage to ask her out on a date…via text message.  

I sound like my Dad

Hold on to your hats, I am about to sound like my father…“the kids these days” seem to have lost the art of dating, real dating.  Still have your hats on?

 “Aunt Steph, seriously!?”

When I go on the record objecting to some of the modern day accepted dating habits my nieces and nephews clue me in on, I often get this exasperated response.  “Yes, seriously!”  I shout back, not the slightest bit worried about maintaining my cool factor.  Notwithstanding my excitement for Cecilia, I was conflicted about the text message invite.  

“Maybe it’s a cultural shift; the new dating paradigm,” I thought, wrestling with how I felt.   Then my alter-ego, Gene DiCerbo (my Dad) raised- old –fashioned- girl inside me retorted, “Heck no it’s not! Social media, modern communication phooey! A phone call is a requirement.”

The victor on this issue still not definitively determined, Cecilia called and said, “Aunt Steph you should write about how inviting a girl out on a date via text messaging is a NO-NO!” That settled it; the victory was awarded to my old-fashioned self.    

No Game

Aunties, let’s help keep chivalry alive.  Encourage your nephews to reach for the phone and make the call.  Too, let’s support our nieces in insisting on it.

This aunt has at least one nephew who reached out.  God bless him, he wrote to me on Facebook when he heard this topic and said, “Geez, Aunt Steph, I have no game on the phone.  I’d be lost without texting!” In the name of valor let’s help these guys out!  

Join the Crusade!

Who’s up for joining the campaign to keep the spirit of good, old-fashioned dating courtesies alive?  Say “Aye!”

A phone call is a requirement as is a hand down from the ice cream counter or anywhere else.  

Hugs and kisses ‘til next time.