Thursday, March 13, 2008

Calling Dr. Phil


Years ago my mother and her sister came to visit us in Vancouver. During their visit they kept referring to some guy named Regis - as in "Regis says Araxi has the best food in Whistler" or "I think Regis had a similar experience with his mother". I couldn't figure out who Regis was and decided he was either their hair dresser or dog groomer. It wasn't until much later that I realized Regis was a TV talk show host, as in "Regis and Kelly". I thought it was just another one of their cute idiosyncrasies - but at the same time I felt a little smug, after all I was way too cool and hip for it to ever happen to me.

Universal Rule – Once you say it is never going to happen to you, it’s only a matter of time. I've recently started quoting Dr. Phil, a person that I'm not even that crazy about. It started when my son's friend Maturos spent the summer with us. During her visit she watched Dr. Phil every afternoon, apparently he's big in Thailand. Since then, Dr. Philisms just keep pouring out of my mouth.

Here are a few of my favourites:
  • So, how’s that working for you?

  • You're either nurturing or contaminating this relationship - which is it going to be?

  • Sometimes by saying no, you're actually saying yes to yourself.

I've used these lines on Tom, Tyler, the pugs and in the boardroom - trust me folks, they work in almost every situation. Turns out I’m not so hip and cool, just another geek. And the sad thing is I’m not even a cool geek – you know the one I’m talking about, the person that grows up to be Bill Gates and dominates the world – I’m more the Dr. Phil quoting kind.

5 comments:

Tyra said...

I too quote Dr. Phil...I mean, come one, he's a Texan for crying out loud! I don't watch his show anymore but his "words of wisdom" have stayed with me. Just the other day I said to a friend..."So, how's that working for you?" She looked at me in disgust.

I just got finished with a parenting seminar called "Love and Logic". Their number 1 rule is "empathy not anger". I have become the most irritating person on the planet..."Awww...how sad!"

Dil said...

Oh don't worry...I still find myself quoting Martha Stewart...like " always do your preserves in a jamming room".
or " save those little dust bunnies,you never know when they just might come in handy" or of course " It's a good thing".

Marot said...

you can also try quoting Oprah
" I love Spanx "

Pheobe Kaatz said...

My mom has me quoting Dr. Phil, too. "Keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting what you're getting." Or something like that.

Chris has an amazing memory for quotes from The Simpsons.

Not sure which is worse...?

Anonymous said...

Not to keep talking about my vacation (but I am...) last week, when Scott was trying to escape a snowy tree-well with skis on, our mountainguide kindly asked if he ever made alpine turns on his telemark skis. Yes, he replied, and she asked ... of course.... "So how's that working for you?" As in, for the love of god make some decent turns on those skis or you'll never get down off this mountain. I'm sure Dr. Phil would concur.