Don't Call Me Bev!

Have you ever sat on a train next to someone screaming into his or her cell phone? Encountered someone spitting on the sidewalk just as you walk by? Or met an individual who makes up a nickname for you and uses it constantly, despite your dislike of it. Beverly Washington's Don't Call Me "Bev" comes to the rescue with "rudeness survival tips," encouraging us to deal constructively with rudeness. After all, the author says, "If we don't address these annoyances, we will internalize the frustration, and that can lead to stress." Beverly advises us to be proactive in such situations, but without retaliation. She tells us how to gracefully take control The motivation for Don't Call Me "Bev" came from day-to-day experiences in which Ms. Washington noticed that some individuals are oblivious to the need for societal courtesies. She realized that certain people use rudeness as a way to get what they want, or, conversely, as a way of avoidance. The author eventually came to the conclusion that such individuals will try to get away with as much as they can and it's up to the rest of us to try and stop them from doing so. We must protect ourselves physically, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally. Beverly Washington has a clear, strong message: it's critical to speak up, to let go, and, in some cases, to move on. We can maintain a healthy sense of self by deciding how much we are willing to take from others. As the author succinctly puts it in the title of her book, Don't Call Me "Bev"