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WITandWISDOM(tm) - September 16, 1999 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." - Danny Kaye (E-zine: POWERQUOTE Mailto:powerquote-list- request@discian.com?Subject=Subscribe) ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: The last to board the plane from Seattle to Dallas were a woman and three children. "Oh please don't sit next to me," I thought. "I've got so much work to do." But a moment later an eleven-year-old girl and her nine-year-old brother were climbing over me while the woman and a four-year-old boy sat behind. Almost immediately the older children started bickering while the child behind intermittently kicked my seat. Every few minutes the boy would ask his sister, "Where are we now?" "Shut up!" she'd snap and a new round of squirming and whining would ensue. "Kids have no concept of important work," I thought, quietly resenting my predicament. Then in my mind a voice as clear as a song simply said, Love them. "These kids are brats, and I've got important work to do," I countered to myself. My inner voice simply replied, Love them as if they were your children. Having heard the "Where-are-we-now?" question repeatedly, I turned to the in-flight magazine map, in spite of my important work. I explained our flight path, dividing it into quarter-hour flight increments and estimated when we would land in Dallas. Soon they were telling me about their trip to Seattle to see their father who was in the hospital. As we talked they asked about flying, navigation, science and grown-ups' views about life. The time passed quickly and my "important" work was left undone. As we were preparing to land, I asked how their father was doing now. They grew quiet and the boy simply said, "He died." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "Yeah, me too. But it's my little brother I'm most worried about. He's taking it real hard." I suddenly realized what we'd really been talking about was the most important work we ever face: living, loving and growing in spite of heartbreak. When we said good-bye in Dallas the boy shook my hand and thanked me for being his "airline teacher." And I thanked him for being mine. By Dan S. Bagley from A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk (E-zine: CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL http://www.soupserver.com/) ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: EVER WONDER WHAT YOUR CAT WAS THINKING? DAY 759 - My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. DAY 761 - Today my attempt to eradicate my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. DAY 762 - Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night. DAY 765 - Caught a mouse and brought them the body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was . . . Hmmm. Not working according to plan. DAY 768 - I am finally aware of how cruel they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called shampoo; What minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the bite mark on their thumb. DAY 771 - There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices; I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of allergies; Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. DAY 774 - I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches.; The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue (something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time. (E-zine: THE FUNNY LIST http://www.egroups.com/list/thefunnylist) ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Delivering a speech at a banquet on the night of his arrival in a large city, a visiting minister told several anecdotes he expected to repeat at meetings the next day. Because he wanted to use the jokes again, he requested the reporters to omit them from any accounts they might turn in to their newspapers. A cub reporter, in commenting on the speech, ended his piece with the following: "The minister told a number of stories that cannot be published." (E-zine: SERMON FODDER http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Sermon_Fodder) ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: ANIMALS: A hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute on average. Reindeer like to eat bananas. A chicken will lay bigger and stronger eggs if you change the lighting in such a way as to make them think a day is 28 hours long. The opening to the cave in which a bear hibernates is always on the north slope. Unless the bear lives in the southern hemisphere. (E-zine: TODAY'S USELESS FACTS Mailto:Useless_Facts-subscribe@listbot.com) |