This is one of the first jokes I ever learned when I was a kid and its lesson is one I never forgot. It’s all about delivering bad news.

A man is house sitting for his brother — feeding the cat, getting the mail, etc. The brother calls to check in. “I’m sorry,” says the man, “but your cat died.”

“What do you mean the cat died? How could you do this to me? You should have prepared me for the shock,” says the man’s brother.

“How was I supposed to prepare you?” asks the man.

“Well,” says the brother, “first you should have told me, the cat is on the roof, but don’t worry, we’re calling the fire department. Then the next time we talked you should have said, the fire department was doing everything it could and not to worry. Then the next time I called you can tell me that the cat had fallen, but not to worry – the vet was doing everything she could to resuscitate him. Then, finally, you could have told me, the cat had died.”

“Sorry, I should have thought first” said the man, who was quite embarrassed at this point.

“So anyway, how’s mom?”

“She’s on the roof.”

The truth does set you free but how can you know that you are really being told the truth? The answer is body language.

Body language is authentic. Words can always betray but the window to the truth is body language. If you can read the subtleties of body language, you will be a successful parent and spouse. You will kick-ass in business and negotiations and you will be a world class poker player. It’s all about paying close attention to details. In poker, they call little body language quirks, “tells.” It’s a tell when someone does something as simple as rubbing their thumb, index and forefinger together. If it is done consistently under certain situations, there is a reason for it.  Perhaps it’s a bluff or a sign that the player is holding a big winning hand. Body language will reveal a lot about a couple; how close they sit to one another, whether they engage each other’s eyes, or whether they share stolen smiles. You can see these things every single day and in every single circumstance.

I bring this up because I recently noticed what I thought was a “tell” that I want to share with you. On Friday, I watched President-elect Obama’s first press conference. Though he covered such mundane issues as getting a new dog and his conversations with ex-Presidents, the primary topic was the economy. Obama wanted to set the tone for his impending Presidency by outlining his critical initiatives. On the previous two days, Obama spent hours with his economic advisers and getting briefed by the outgoing administration. At his press conference, the lanky ease of Obama’s candidacy was gone. I believe that what I saw was a new seriousness and a clearer understanding by Obama of the problems that we face. I think what he learned in the two days after his election was the depth and severity of our economic problems. Obama, like all of us, wears his emotions on his face but he can’t hide his face muscles with baby fat. Even though Obama is an incredible poker player, I think that if you watch this man closely, you are going to know long before he tells you that the cat is on the roof.

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• Aye Wonder Tuesday, the Inauguration Special
• Forewarned is Forearmed
• Week 25 – 5 x 5
• The Prez and the Hocker