Today’s Sound Off is about entitlement:

Dear Heloise: Is it me, or does it seem as though too many people today have an entitlement mentality? I recently read about a woman who refused to remove her handbag from a seat on a crowded subway so someone else could sit down.

I was on a flight where a young man was in the wrong seat and refused to go to his assigned seat because he said he didn’t feel like walking to the back where his seat was.

When did we get to this point where people believe that they should have everything handed to them rather than put in some effort to get what they want? As far as I can tell, we’re only entitled to live and die. The rest is up to us. — Bess H., Warren, Michigan

Well readers, what do you think? Are we developing an “entitlement” mentality? — Heloise

FAST FACTS

Some uses for used gift cards and old credit cards:

— Scrape ice off windshield.

— Clean mud or snow off your shoes.

— Use as a straight edge when designing something.

— Use the corner to turn a screw or tighten a bolt.

JOURNALS

Dear Heloise: My mother passed away a couple of months ago, and while cleaning out her personal belongings, my sister and I came across her journals.

We didn’t know she had even kept a journal, much less a set of 12 journals. It was such a delight to read about her life and discover things we never knew about her.

She won her state spelling bee while in her teens, met my dad at a dance and turned down his first six requests for a date. She wrote of their first Christmas together, the day she found out she was going to be a mother and the sad day her own mother died.

It was so nice to hear her voice in written words and to read about the stories we never knew. It’s encouraged me to keep a journal and to let my own children one day hear my thoughts. — Debbie N., Reno, Nevada

PICTURE THIS

Dear Heloise: I sent my husband to the grocery store to pick up a few items. He called and asked which brand of butter I wanted, as well as coffee and vanilla. I took pictures of the brands we use and sent them by way of my cellphone, which made shopping easier for him. — Carrie G., Atlanta

RUN OUT OF SILVER POLISH?

Dear Readers: If you are getting ready for a big family event and realized you don’t have any silver polish to clean your silverware of silver-plated items, here are two homestyle solutions that will work in a pinch. Give them a try.

1. If the silver is not badly tarnished, just wash it by squirting a good dishwashing liquid onto a sponge and then rubbing. Do not use any abrasive product. Rinse thoroughly under warm water and shine with a soft microfiber cloth.

2. To quick-clean large pieces (but never on thin silver plate or antique pieces), lay a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the kitchen sink or a glass baking dish. Place the silverware on top and cover with very hot water and a couple teaspoons of baking soda. Let sit for several minutes. Rinse under warm water with a sponge and polish with a soft cloth. –Heloise