My Opinionitis

                                                     MY OPINIONITIS

"So, where are we going?" I asked as we piled into the car.
"My son recommended the new restaurant on Sunrise Highway, " said Amy, "so we thought we'd go there!"
"Sounds good," we all agreed. We lived at the Senior Home and every once in a while my friends and I  went out for lunch together, always locally.
In  a few minutes we got to the restaurant  and went inside. We were led to our table, and picked up our menus. As we gave our orders and started to eat I scanned the room.
"What's the matter?" Norma asked me. "Why do you look like that?"
She had read my face.The decor was a mismatched mess; blue flowered carpeting, upholstery in plaid beige and orange tones, striped draperies...
I pointed it out to them; "Didn't any of you notice?"
"We didn't look,"explained Marge. "We were enjoying our salad."
"And each other's company..."added Alice. 
"Well, so was I!" I said,defensively.
They all laughed, "Yes,but you can't help it. You have opinionitis."
"Uh, uh, there is nothing wrong with me!! I had a  complete checkup last week!"
"Dear," said Marge, her tone of voice was as though she was talking to a moron,
" 'Opinionitus' is not a  real disease...It's more like a personality trait..."
"Of being very opinionated" said Alice.
"Very. very."added Sophie and the others nodded in agreement.
I explained patiently; "As we live longer...get older, become more mature... wiser... our observations and conclusions become a part of us."  
I stood up, "Have to make some phone calls. See you gals later."
I went into the waiting room and called my daughter. I was anxious to talk to Debbie, to tell her what just happened. She didn't pick up so I left a message; " Hon,  I have to talk to you. Call me back as soon as you can..."
I went back to the table where my friends had changed the subject. I joined them for a pleasant afternoon but I was waiting and hoping for the phone to ring. 
I've always depended on Debbie...she was a good listener and her advice was always thoughtful and insightful.
My friends and I finished with our lunch and were back in our Senior Home when Debbie called me. As soon as I heard her voice I started to tell her what had happened. But she spoke first, telling me that she had just come from the monthly meeting of her new
company, a hotel on the outskirts of town. and she was distressed. It was conducted in a way that wasn't the way she thought it should be. The minutes of the previous meeting should be read by the individual departments, not a summery read by the secretary.
She followed that point with her other suggestions on how to strengthen the meeting. Her narrative on the phone went on and on and I couldn't get a word in edgewise.
When she finally stopped  I asked,"Did the rest of them agree with you?"
" Uh...uh,well no, most did not agree with my opinion!'' She laughed,"In fact some of them were annoyed, thought I had too many...'millions of opinions' someone said.
"And that you have that disease?" I almost said, but stopped
myself. Like her mother she had opinionitis, and was healthy 
as a horse with it!
So my darling daughter was 'a chip off the old block...the
very old block, and how lucky they are to know her...whether
they think so or not!
                                   THE END