Welcome to Nobody Asked Us
Let’s face it, we've all cringed at someone else's “what-were-they-thinking?” moment. Mary Lynn and I have done our fair share of cringing too, and that's exactly what inspired us to write these pamphlets.
The idea to write pamphlets was born out of one too many “Oh no they didn't!” moments. Like that time my grandfather, my dad's father, turned our TV nights into a soundscape of hacking and honking. Picture this: two armchairs, my wonderful grandmother in one, and him in the other, spitting on the carpet so often that it left a permanent mark. And thus, our first pamphlet idea— “No hacking, horking, honking, or picking your nose”—was born.
We were additionally inspired by the unseemly habit of so many men in public who spit on the sidewalk, or on a playing field in the case of sports.
At one point we wrote our common-sense rules about no hacking, etc. on a folded card that we’d put on our table at restaurants. It was a joke. Mostly. No one could read the card from other tables. But it made us laugh. “We’re going to Molina’s tonight. Don’t forget the card!”
Over the decades, Mary Lynn and I have come up with other topics. We always called them pamphlets because that moniker was much funnier than saying we’re going to write a book or even a guide. Pamphlets also suggest the practice of political thinkers who wrote pamphlets in the late 1700s to rouse citizens of the forming United States to support liberation. Think Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.”
Who were we to write pamphlets?
If you have a position or well-founded opinion on something, who are you not to write a pamphlet? Mary Lynn likes to say, “Who else’s opinion am I supposed to have?”
Despite the mounting ideas, we never wrote any of our pamphlets… until now.
We tended to come up with ideas while eating out at restaurants, going through an airport, or strolling in walkable cities—anywhere we could observe other people. Oh, so much inspiration abounds.
Mary Lynn says that “we’re not judging; we’re just commenting.” Okay, maybe we’re judging a little bit!
I moved back to Texas, where Mary Lynn never left. We see each other multiple times a week (We live in spitting distance from each other!). We have come up with more pamphlets in my first year home than we did in all the previous decades before.
You’ll see that many of our pamphlets cover “common sense” topics. These are our ideas of what common sense is. If you disagree… well, that’s your opinion. And your opinion is wrong! Write your own pamphlets!
We chose the title “Nobody Asked Us… But They Should Have!” because, honestly, who doesn't need a little help navigating the bizarre world of modern manners? Don’t worry, if you’ve ever dressed like a pajama-clad tourist on a flight, this book’s got your back!
Now it’s time to share our pearls of wisdom with you!
The pamphlets contained here are not exhaustive. (They’re not exhausting either!) We’ve compiled some of our favorites and most urgent. Come on, you don’t want to be caught hacking, horking, honking, or picking your nose. Someone can always see what you’re doing, after all.
So, get ready to nod in agreement—or better yet, laugh out loud. We know you’ve got some opinions too, so let’s compare notes!
As women who have seen it all, we know that common sense isn't so common anymore. These pamphlets are our take on life's little moments where a bit of guidance could go a long way.
