November 2008 – Page 3

Get Well—Letting People Down

I’m one of those people who hates to admit being sick, even more than I hate actually getting sick. If I wake up feeling nauseous and light-headed with clogged sinuses, I’m much more likely to groan my way to the shower, and then grin-and-bear-it through another day at work, than I am to pick up the phone, call in sick and go back to sleep.

And so on those rare occasions when I actually do decide that I’m too sick to actually leave the house, my friends, family and co-workers know I must be feeling really, really crummy.

If you’re like me, you really feel like a failure on those days: you feel like you’ve let your coworkers down, forcing them to take a larger burden at work; you feel like you’ve let your friends down, having to give up on whatever obligations you may have had to them; and you feel like you’ve let everyone who lives with you down, potentially exposing them to whatever it was that got you sick in the first place.

Times like those, when feeling bad physically combines with feeling down in the dumps emotionally, nothing brings a smile to your face quite like a little reminder that the people you care about are thinking about you, and aren’t angry with you at all.

So how can you show that you care? Chicken soup’s a good standby, as if just picking up the phone, calling your sick friend or loved, and making sure they’re okay. Now, you can add to that list free e-cards from GotFreeCards.com. Our animated e-cards are quick, completely free, and a funny way to put a smile on an ailing friend’s face. Give it a try!

Free Ecards

There comes a time in the calendar year when we start to think about the people who have slipped our minds for one reason or another. All year long there may have been small reminders of them, and we think to ourselves, “Oh, I’ll call them next week.” But next week, and then next month, comes and goes and alas, we have forgotten again. And then – wham! November is here and thus the holiday domino effect: Thanksgiving leads to Christmas leads to New Year’s Eve leads to January and time to put everyone off once again.

We certainly don’t mean to do it, but the hustle and bustle of our to-do-lists can be to blame. So what can we do? Well, since it’s November, it is a time to be thankful for the relationships we are lucky to have, so we can send some “Thank You” ecards to make up for lost time. Or we can send an “I’m sorry” card for all those times we thought about picking up the phone but didn’t. Here at Got Free-eCards there are cards waiting to be sent for these very reasons. And remember, there is someone out there who needs to send you a card too…

Ecards and etiquette

Informal offices and casual dressing may be in, but is etiquette on its way out?

Today’s office cubes mix fun with work seamlessly. You are on first name basis with your CEO. You wear shorts to work, surf the internet, watch TV and work out. At work. With today’s unrestricted casual settings, the mantra is – get the work done on time and have fun along the way. But are we getting carried away with casualness?

Take ecards for example. Sending and receiving ecards on special occasions is common practice. Most people check their emails at work. So ecards also get opened at work.

Ecards cheer you up, make you feel better. But, they could also be distracting. Especially to coworkers. Most offices have an open floor plan. What goes on in one cube is visible and audible in nearby cubes. So, while you are chuckling at a great ‘Knock Knock’ joke ecard or smiling at a funny musical birthday ecard, your colleague in the next cube is probably cringing as he tries to concentrate amidst the racket. The same goes for people talking loudly, using cell phones or playing loud music or video games. Yes, it’s your free time to spend as you please, but, we also need to be considerate of those around us.

We enjoy many perks at work that previous generations did not. But it is our responsibility to use those perks carefully. Why not use headphones, as you open the free ecard? Or use your lunch break to play music or games.

Work place restrictions may be ancient history, but etiquette is timeless. Do you agree?

Election Day—Finally!

No matter what happens on November 4th, the entire nation will be breathing a big sigh of relief, because it will finally, finally, finally all be over. After two years, thirty debates, hundreds of millions of dollars spent on advertisements, and just as many hours of television, print and radio media coverage, we will have a new president heading these United States.

I’ll be looking at November 4th as a holiday, regardless of who wins. Just as holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas are times for us to reflect and be thankful, so, too, is election day a time to reflect and be thankful: reflect on the crazy campaign season it has been, and be thankful that it’s over and done with (at least until next time).

To commemorate this election day, the very first thing you should do is vote. The second thing you should do is browse through the free e-cards at GotFreeCards.com, and check out our collection of election-related animated e-cards. Whether you support John McCain, Barack Obama, or none of the above, you’re sure to find election themed ecards that you like, and that you can send to a friend, who’s just as happy as you that it’s finally over.