How High Does The Eyebrow Arch?

About the Book

How High Does The Eyebrow Arch? is a spiritually oriented book which records the humorous and sometimes almost inane behaviors observed in our neighbors, friends, and the strangers among them as they travel through their everyday life experiences. The author is convinced that humor can be found in the most routine activities, if we merely look around us, take the time to enjoy our observations, and have the ability to empathize with the experiences of others.

While the author is a strong advocate of traditional values and ethics, he would also argue that a lot of good can be seen in routine human interaction, especially when people react spontaneously and drop their need to manipulate others through impression management. In the everyday marketplace, there is little time or opportunity for narcissism and self-adulation. When a motorized super center cart comes tearing around a shopping aisle corner and someone is trapped between a display of vegetables and canned meat, there is little time to smile for an imaginary camera. When one calls out to a neighbor for assistance and discovers that the would-be rescuer is raking his yard in the buff, this is not a time for social niceties. When a frustrated traveler turns to her suitcase as a conversational partner, it is superficial for the observer to question her choice of companionship, even if the suitcase does not verbally respond. When one gets up in the middle of the night to take a painkiller for a headache and the pill container cap will not open, it is not a time for questioning, but for action.

Mr. Vierkant has collected a sampling of the strange and funny situations that he has observed and challenges the readers to gather their own observations and to reexamine them for the humor and learning opportunities found therein. We can learn much from the fantastic behaviors of others, but most importantly we, through understanding the individuals in their personal conundrums, can appreciate them more as relatives, friends, and neighbors. As a result of such observations, the status of “stranger” no longer exists.

About the Author

Arlyn Vierkant, after extensive experience as a Marriage and Family Counselor and a Clinical Social Worker, is now an instructor in sociology, psychology, and social work at Jacksonville College and at the University of Texas-Tyler. He is a graduate of Drake University and of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His primary avocation is the observation and analysis of human behavior.