Last week’s cartoon was about family celebrations that turn into awkward confrontations. Especially those between mothers and dear daughters.

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I wrote a version of this cartoon a few years ago, when restaurants were just beginning to hang out No Smoking signs nationwide. (We've had a No Smoking ban here in California since 1995.) I just extended the idea to No Sulking. :)

Sulking or pouting seems to happen mostly in families and intimate relationships. Perhaps you don't see much of this broody behavior in your own family, and it's certainly nothing you've been guilty of yourself.

For me, I'll take the fifth. However, I've seen examples of sulking in books and movies, so I'm familiar with it. It works especially well in eateries, where one person can put the freeze on another and pretend he's just concentrating on the food.

I do like Marie Hartwell-Walker's ideas on why we do this, and the choices she offers on some other actions we can take, when the going gets rough in relationships.

But the bottom line remains: if you don't behave, no dessert for you.

This is part of my newspaper feature on restaurants, Just Desserts. If you want to see it in your paper, contact me.

 

    Last reviewed: 1 Dec 2014