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REPLY #13 TO
"CHEWING GUM" (R) I am a 16 year old high school student in Plymouth, MN. I go to one of the most prestigious school in the nation, Wayzata High School. You have some of the richest people going to my school but it also seems some of the most ill mannered also. (MB) Unfortunately, neither high levels of income nor prestige seem to overcome high levels of barbarism. I hope you're taking advantage of the programs that your school has to offer. Those studies will serve you very well long after the gum chewers have become veterans behind the counter at McDonald's. (R) I am in a speech class to help with my debate skills and we were assigned to do an Opinion speech. (MB) Those are always great fun! Where else can you vent your spleen and get a good grade for doing so? (R) My teacher told us that most often that these speeches can be about one of your pet peeves. When I heard this I thought of "gum chewing." Or you could say more like cows walking in our halls! (MB) That's the best analogy of what it looks like. Another good one can easily be seen if you've ever watched a documentary that shows apes feeding. (R) When I started my research my teacher wasn't sure that I would find anything on that kind of topic and then I stumbled onto your page! I must tell you that I was ecstatic, and I know exactly what you mean! (MB) It seems as though the only ones who *don't* know it are the gum chewers themselves. This is part of the reason for my speculation that gum chewing deadens the synapses of the brain. (R) I had a boy sit next to me during one of my class and all the time every day, even on test days when things were supposed to be quiet, he sat there smacking his gum and popping bubbles! I told him repeatedly that what he was doing was bothering my concentration. (MB) Sometimes, it's effective to fight fire with fire. Get a piece of bubble wrap and start popping and cracking the small bubbles whenever the guy starts up his noisy gum chewing. It can also be fun to tell the guy that he reminds you of a documentary on primitive tribesmen that showed them eating locusts and cockroaches. (R) It is great to see that people out there feel the same way I do about the topic. I think it is just plain rude and inconsiderate of people to sound like cows and look like them at the cost of others people peace. (MB) One wonders how many of those folks even realize what they sound and look like and just how much it bothers others. Then, again, maybe they too engrossed in their own self-gratification to care. (R) I was reading through some of your replies from some people and I think that some of their answers are childish and stupid. (MB) You must agree, however, that such answers would fit their gum-chewing personas, right? *grin* (R) Again, some people might still consider me a child being only 16, but those that do don't know me as a person and what I have been through in my life. (MB) It doesn't matter how old you are if your observations are right on the money. Ask these folks if they've ever seen a top executive, leading intellectual, or other such person chomp and smack away on gum while in public or on the job. (R) Same as those people who said your report sucked and said that you were wasting your time and that there are more important things to be doing. Well, if those people insist that there are more important things to be doing then criticizing people who smack their gum, then why are they wasting their precious time to save the world arguing with you? It is a simple observation. (MB) Excellent! It's apparent to me that these folks are simply being overly defensive about their bad habit and/or are very sensitive about having it pointed out to them. (R) I think what you are doing is wonderful and to hell to all of those other people!! More power to you! Thank you so much for writing the essay and it being there to help me with my research! (MB) Thank you for your comments! I'd like to read a copy of your speech when you complete it.
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