Is your summer calendar looking sparse? Do you have friends and family with boats and summer homes or Mountain cabins yet you never seem to get an invite? Are there summer parties and bar-b-ques that you aren’t invited to anymore?
1. Do you stay longer than 3 nights?
You know the saying;”Fish and houseguests start to smell after 3 days”.
2. Do you ever host a gathering, party, Thanksgiving or Christmas feast at your home?
You do know the excuses that your house is too small or that you don’t have the time, NO ONE Believes? You do realize you are only getting an invitation because you are a family member? Does that explain why everyone is aloof to you?
3. Do you ask what you can bring to a potluck, dinner or party invitation and then don’t bring it?
How many Thanksgiving dinners have gone with-out rolls because you forgot? It’s rolls for Pete’s Sake!
4. Have you ever brought something for a potluck and surveyed the table and put your contribution back into your car?
You know we did see you do it!
5. Have you ever brought a frozen vegetable in the plastic bag with-out a dish to heat or serve it in?
Have you ever brought a dish that you needed to cut up, mix and assemble with-out a serving dish, knife, peeler or baking tray?
Have you ever been asked to bring an appetizer but arrive an hour late?
Have you ever brought your kids with their friends?
Have you ever drunk too much and got too familiar, obnoxious or sick?
Have you ever brought your pet?
You know we notice all of this and you are still wondering why you aren’t invited more often?
Here are some suggestions to blaze the trail to become a good guest:
Summer is a great time to reciprocate hospitality. Get off your hiney, stop making excuses and learn to be gracious!
Start with family. Invite them for dinner and ask them to bring NOTHING.
Don’t want to clean your home than take them out to dinner or brunch and pick up the tab.
Tell them you are doing this to make up for all the times they hosted you.
Now repeat with friends.
Grow up and become a ‘Mench’ and maybe your calendar will fill up with invitations for next year!
