Oh, Absolutely

My husband is British but not in the BBC/PBS-Masterpiece-Theatre sort of way. He helped me to see that every country -- despite the stereotypes -- is full of down-to-earth, friendly people.

Still, the stereotypes exist for a reason.

I was thinking back on an occasion when I was in England and ran smack-dab into a truly stereotypical Brit...two, to be exact.

Stuart and I were visiting some place along the southern coast -- a castle, maybe? -- and as we were wandering the grounds, we came upon two very posh gentlemen talking with "frightfully nice" accents.

The conversation went like this:

"Where's Cynthia?"

"Oh, she's pahrking the cahr."

"Oh, absolutely."

Stuart and I looked at each other to verify that we'd each heard what we thought we'd each heard, the laughter bubbling within us and threatening to burst out.

We hurried away so that these two proper gentlemen wouldn't have to be "bahthered" by our giggles, amazed that people actually talked like that.

After that, it became a little, private joke between us. We'd reenact the little ditty between these men, exaggerating their tones and accents.

Of course, we found it funny, but we highly doubt poor Cynthia would have understood our mirth once she returned from parking the car.

Come to think of it, some gentlemen they were, having her park the car...