jayosmond.com Blog

My brother Donny emailed me something funny, and I wanted to share it with you.  It points out the importance of being clear in our communications with each other, and taking the time to be concise.  Hope you enjoy it.

A couple from Minneapolis decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to thaw out during one particularly icy winter.  Because both had jobs, they had difficulty coordinating their travel schedules.  It was decided that the husband would fly to Florida on a Thursday, and his wife would follow him the next day.

Upon arriving as planned, the husband checked into the hotel.  There he decided to open his laptop and send his wife an e-mail back in Minneapolis.  However, he accidentally left off one letter in her address, and sent the e-mail without realizing his error.

In Houston, a widow had just returned from her husband’s funeral.  He was a minister of many years who had been ‘called home to glory’ following a heart attack.  The widow checked her e-mail, expecting messages from relatives and friends.  Upon reading the first message, she fainted and fell to the floor.  The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To:  My Loving Wife

From:  Your Departed Husband

Subject:  I’ve Arrived!

I’ve just arrived and have been checked in.  I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow.  Looking forward to see you then!  Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S.  Sure is hot down here!

Back in the 80s, I was called to run a column in my Ward’s paper entitled “Letters to The Advisor.”  People would submit questions to “The Advisor,” and I would answer.  Recently I found a few issues of this paper in my archives, and thought I would share a few of the letters I answered as “The Advisor.”  The funny thing about this was, no one knew who “The Advisor” was.  I had a lot of fun with this, and thought some of you might like to read through these old letters.  If you are interested, e-mail Terri, and we’ll see what we can do about making copies available.

From the January 1985 Issue –

Dear Advisor:

I just wanted to write and thank you for the wonderful advice you gave me last month.  I was very depressed because I couldn’t spend Christmas with my family.  You told me to find some other single people in the ward and spend Christmas day together.  I did, and we had a wonderful time.  Now my problem is that I met this guy on New Year’s Eve and he keeps calling me.  The problem is that I don’t want to go out with him, but he doesn’t seem to get the hint.  What should I do?  Thanks again for all your advice.

Sincere, Confused

Dear Confused:

I appreciate you writing back and letting me know about your party.  I’m glad it was a success for you.  Now, this guy, who keeps calling you needs to know if a tactful, honest way that you’re just not interested.  Honesty is always the best policy.  If he continues to pursue and still doesn’t get the hint, then forget worrying about hurting his feelings and tell it like it is!  And if he still persists, change your phone number.  If that doesn’t work, CALL THE COPS! 

Signed, The Advisor

Dear Advisor:

I went over to see a girl who was a bit ill, but she wasn’t dressed properly when I came in so she didn’t want me to see her.  I was extremely offended and I returned home.  I went back to her place and mowed her down with my shotgun.  Am I justified or was I a bit harsh?

Signed, Bullet

Dear Bullet:

I think you did the right thing.  If it were me, I would have used a grenade, but everybody’s different.

Signed, The Advisor

Dear Advisor:

What do you do for a living?  How old are you?  Are you going to school?  I’m curious because I want to find out more about you.  I’m 18 and going to BYU.  I want to be a dancer for the Cougarettes.  Please answer my letter.  I’m anxious to find out more about you.

Signed, Curious

Dear Curious:

I’m old enough, I will always be in school, and I do many things for a living.  Now, my question to you is, if your goal is to become a Cougarette dancer, what are you going to do for a living!

Signed, The Advisor

I’m sorry to be a little late with my post this week.  I just returned from the cruise that Wayne, Jimmy and I performed on last week.  We have received so many e-mails asking if we have plans to celebrate the Osmond Brothers’ 50th anniversary.  The brothers and I have been able to discuss this recently and we think it would be great to start the celebrations next year with a 50^th Anniversary Get-Together. You all have been such an important part of these crazy years, so we want to have something where all of you can celebrate with us.  Keep checking our websites for more details!

Love, Jay

I sure enjoyed Merrill’s GT party at Club Vegas in Branson this past Saturday evening.  It was like a family reunion to me.  So many fans were there, who have turned into friends over all these years, and it was a very positive experience for both Eric and me.  I was sorry I couldn’t take everyone up on their invitations to go for ice cream, but I sure enjoyed seeing all of you. 

Thank you also for your kind comments about my blog, it gives me encouragement to continue with this effort.  Several of you have said that my efforts to write my in my blog were helping, and to keep it up. You have no idea how much this means to me. It is amazing how just a few words from someone can make your whole day.  Thank you for all the sweet comments being left on my blog.  I am trying real hard not to be preachy or to give a bunch of advice, but I am trying to relate, a little at a time, my views about my life as it unfolds.  It’s not easy at times, as you know, to deal with the challenges we face. So, since we are all here together, let’s keep trying to lift one another every chance we get!

Until next week, Jay