WORDS OF WISDOM Life is like a rock falling into a pool of water. For a few seconds, it makes ripples in the water, and then the water is the same as it was before, but the rock isn't there anymore. Happiness is a butterfly -- The more you chase it The more it flies away from you and hides. To a worm in horse manure the whole world is horse manure. God may use you but he doesn't need you. What a man knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is, for the most part, incommunicable. All the observations about life which can be communicated handily are as well known to a man at twenty who has been attentive as to a man at fifty. He has been told them all, he has read them all, but he has not lived them all. What he knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is not the knowledge of formulas or forms of words but of people, places, actions, a knowledge not gained by words but by touch, sight, sound, victories, failures, sleeplessness, devotion, love -- the human experiences and emotions of this earth and oneself and other people; and perhaps too a little faith and a little reverence for things you cannot see. Adlai Stevenson Life is like a good book; the further you get into it the more it begins to make sense. Harold Kushner As you ramble on thru life, brother Whatever be your goal, Keep your eye upon the doughnut And not upon the hole. These Remember: Body Mind Soul Relationships These Care for: Family Home Work Religion Community The bird of time has but a short way to fly! and lo, the bird is on the wing! Whatever will be, will be. The future's not ours, to see. Life is a series of moments to live each one is to succeed. Corita Kent Go eat your bread in gladness and drink your wine in joy, for your action was long ago approved by God! Ecclesiastes When you are up to your ass in alligators don't forget to drain the swamp! Whatever you do Do with all your might! . . . . . . . . . . . Ecclesiastes Take time to smell the roses along life's way. THE IMPOSTER PHENOMENON The feeling of many apparently successful people that their success is undeserved and that one day people will unmask them for the frauds they are. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. Fame cannot tempt the bard who's famous with his god, nor laurel him reward who has his maker's nod. Thoreau May you live in interesting times old chinese blessing May you live in interesting times old chinese curse A bell does not unchime because you seek to unring it. Think with the sage and saint. Talk with common men. . . . . . . . . . . . Theodore Parker And two men ride of a horse one must ride behind. Sitting quietly, Doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself. The thief left it behind, the moon at the window. When you have eaten your breakfast, go wash your bowls. Remember yesterday, Plan for tomorrow, Sleep this afternoon. Snoopy Home is where we keep our most treasured possessions and defend them against all threats. - Duane Bristow Our parents are our buffer between ourselves and our death. When our parents are gone there is no buffer and we are left face to face with death. We cheat death by the lives of our children. Duane Bristow The Eternal Truths 1. This is it. 2. There are no hidden meanings. 3. You can't get there from here, and besides, there's no place else to go. 4. We are all already dying, and we will be dead for a long time. 5. Nothing lasts. 6. There is no way of getting all you want. 7. You can't have anything unless you let go of it. 8. You only get to keep what you give away. 9. There is no particular reason why you lost out on some things. 10. The world is not necessarily just. Being good often does not pay off, and there is no compensation for misfortune. 11. You have a responsibility to do your best nonetheless. 12. It is a random universe to which we bring order. 13. You don't really control anything. 14. You can't make anybody love you. 15. No one is any stronger or weaker than anyone else. 16. There are no great men or women. If you have a hero, look again: You have diminished yourself in some way. 17. Everyone lies, cheats, pretends (yes, you too, and most certainly myself). 18. Progress is an illusion. 19. Evil can be displaced but never eradicated, as all solutions breed new problems. 20. Yet it is necessary to keep on struggling toward solution. 21. Each of us is ultimately alone. 22. We must live within the ambiguity of partial freedom, partial power, and partial knowledge, and all important decisions are made on the basis of insufficient information. 23. But we are responsible for everything we do, for no excuses will be accepted; you can run but you cannot hide. 24. All the significant battles are waged within the self. 25. You are free to do as you like. You need only face the consequences. _________________________________________________________________________ 25 signs that you have grown up 1. Your potted plants stay alive. 2. Having sex in a twin sized bed is absurd. 3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge. 4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to sleep. 5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator. 6. You carry an umbrella. You watch the Weather Channel. 7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hookup and breakup. 8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 7. 9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as 'dressed up.' 10. You're the one calling the police because those darn kids next door don't know how to turn down the stereo. 11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you. 12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore. 13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up. 14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's. 15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt. 16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 p.m. 17. Dinner and a movie - The whole date instead of the beginning of one. 18. MTV News is no longer your primary source for information. 19. You go to the drugstore for Ibuprofen and antacids, not condoms and pregnancy test kits. 20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer 'pretty good stuff,' 21. You actually eat breakfast foods at breakfast time. 22. Grocery lists are longer than macaroni & cheese, diet Pepsi & Ho-Ho's. 23. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again." 24. Over 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for work. 25. You don't drink at home to save money before going to a bar. ---------------------------------------- THE NIGHT BEFOR Y2K! In case we're not all neurotic enough, here's a little something to keep us going. Hope this ins't a repeat... 'Twas the night before Y2K, and all through the nation, We awaited The Bug, the millennium sensation. The chips were replaced in computers with care, In hopes that ol' Bugsy wouldn't stop there. While some folks could think they were snug in their beds, others had visions of dread in their heads. And Ma with her PC and I with my Mac, had just logged on the Net and kicked back with a snack, When over the server there arose such a clatter, I called Mister Gates to see what was the matter. But he was away, so I flew like a flash, off to my bank to withdraw all my cash. When what with my wandering eyes should I see? My good old Mac looked sick to me. The hack of all hackers was looking so smug, I knew that it must be the Y2K Bug!!! His image downloaded in no time at all, he whistled and shouted, "Let all systems fall!!" Go Intel! Go Gateway! Now HP! Big Blue! Everything Compaq, and Pentium, too! All processors big, all processors small, Crash away! Crash away! Crash away all!! All the controls that planes need for their flights, all microwaves, trains, and all traffic lights. As I drew in my breath and was turning around, out through the modem, he came with a bound. He was covered with fur, and slung on his back was a sack full of virus, set for attack. His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! As midnight approached, though, things soon became scary. He had a broad little face and a round little belly, and his sack filled with virus quivered like jelly. He was chubby and plump, perpetually grinning, and I laughed when I saw him though my hard drive stopped spinning. A wink of his eye, and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know a new feeling of dread. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, he changed all the clocks, then turned with a jerk. With a twitch of his nose, and a quick little wink, all things electronic soon went on the blink. He zoomed from my system, to the next folks on line, he caused such a disruption, could this be a sign? Then I heard him exclaim, with a loud, hearty cry, Happy Y2K to all, Kiss your PC's goodbye!!! ---------------------------------------- Because I'm a mother... "Why do you cry?," he asked. Because I'm a mother" she told him "I don't understand," he said His mom just hugged him and said, "You never will" Later the little boy asked his father why Mother seemed to cry for no reason. "All mothers cry for no reason" was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry. So he finally put in a call to God and when God got on the phone the man said "God, why do mothers cry so easily." God said, "You see son, when I made mothers they had to be special. I made their shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave them an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from their children. "I gave them a hardiness that allows them to keep going when everyone else gives up, and to take care of their families through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave them the sensitivity to love their children under all circumstances, even when their child has hurt them very badly. This same sensitivity helps them to make a child's boo-boo feel better and helps them share a teenager's anxieties and fears. I gave them a tear to shed. It's theirs exclusively to use whenever it is needed. It's their only weakness. It's a tear for mankind." ---------------------------------------- THE CROSS ROOM The young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish." The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord,"he whispered. And the Lord replied," My son, that is the cross you just brought in." When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined. ---------------------------------------- Do It Anyway People are often unreasonable, Illogical, and self-centered... Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives... Be kind anyway. If you are successful, You will win some false friends and some true enemies... Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, People may cheat you... Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, Someone could destroy overnight... Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness Someone may be jealous... Be happy anyway. The good you do today People will often forget tomorrow... Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have. It may never be enough... Give the world the best you've got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, It is between you and God; It was never between you and them... anyway. ---------------------------------------- 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE. I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER. WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED? I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT. SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY. THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS." THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP. I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT. THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE." ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT." This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The following is his request. I think it is reasonable..... PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed. ---------------------------------------- T H E R A G G E D J A C K E T Although I'm but a working man, I live by honest labor. I always do the best I can To assist a needy neighbor. Content and health are all my wealth, With honesty to back it, My motive pure, although I'm poor, I respect the ragged jacket. Let people say what ever they may Of broadcloth and who wore it, It's not the coat that makes the man, But the deeds through life that bear it! So always help a fellowman If assistance, he should lack it, Do him all the good you can Though he wears a ragged jacket! All men were equally born at first Of this, and every nation, The rich among the poor would be But for health and education, And when we're laid beneath the sod, With a hundred years to back it, Who can tell which were the bones That wore the Ragged Jacket! Author Unknown. ---------------------------------------- On Family It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. Frederick Douglass (1817-1895) Abolitionist Cited in BITS & PIECES Syndicated columnist Erma Bombeck once wrote a piece that likened children to kites. "You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground. You run with them until you're both breathless. They crash. They hit the rooftop. You patch and comfort, adjust, and teach. You watch them lifted by the wind and assure them that someday they'll fly. "Finally, they are airborne. They need more string and you keep letting it out. But with each twist of the ball of twine, there is a sadness that goes with joy. The kite becomes more distant, and you know it won't be long before that beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that binds you two together and will soar as it is meant to soar, free and alone. Only then do you know that you did your job." Cited in More of...The Best of BITS & PIECES