“You can’t sit there!”, was my first greeting at Colonial Village last February and it hasn’t changed since. It seems that everywhere my neighbors ‘take a seat’, that seat belongs only to them. I recall that to be the case at churches also. It was as if the people paid for an annual ticket with a specific seat reserved. I was late to worship last week, and thought it best to slip in the back door and take the first empty seat. I hadn’t even bent to sit when I was told, “You can’t sit there!” “Why?”, I asked. “That’s Mozelle’s seat”. “But, she’s not here”. “Well, she will be soon.” So, I chose another seat while Mozelle slipped in the other door and took an empty seat there. Unfortunately, it seems to be same just about everywhere, especially with our elders. Pastor Adrian Rogers called it, “Ridiculous” in one of his sermons and as the camera panned the folks, some looked awfully unhappy. Here at the Village, all are told that the dining room is open seating, but the majority ignore the rule. New residents or guests are escorted by management and usually know seats that are not ‘reserved’. Regardless of the matter, when told, “You can’t sit here” in a worship service, the visitor never came back. So, if you feel a particular seat is reserved, reconsider. That’s what I get from My Box of Chocolates. AMEN