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WITandWISDOM(tm) - March 6, 2000 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Victor Frankl in his book "Man's Search for Meaning" (E-zine: INSPIRATION A DAY! Mailto:inspiration_a_day-subscribe@listbot.com) ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: You might be tossing about in a sea of despair. You might even feel as if your life may crash about you and you will never again be healed, whole or happy. They say Robert Louis Stevenson told the story first. It's worth retelling: It seems a storm caught a sea-faring vessel off a rocky coast. The wind and waves threatened to drive the boat to its destruction. In the midst of the terror, one daring passenger, contrary to orders, made his way across the ship. Groping along a passageway, he found the pilot house. There he beheld an intriguing sight; the ship's pilot was lashed to his post. Secure against the raging elements, he held the wheel fast, turning the ship, inch by inch, once more out to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. The daring passenger found his way below deck where other passengers huddled. Encouragingly, he said, "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well." There are times we need to hear that. Especially when we feel tossed about by a raging storm, it helps to remember that the pilot smiles. Can you imagine the pilot smiling now? - Steve Goodier, publisher of Your Life Support System (E-zine: YOUR LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM Mailto:lifesupport-subscribe@topica.com) ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: My three year old son had a lot of problems with potty training; and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at taco bell for a quick lunch in between errands, it was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny so of course I checked my seven month old daughter and she was clean. Then I realized that Matt had not asked to go potty in a while, so I asked him and he said no. I kept thinking, oh Lord that child has had an accident and I didn't have any clothes with me. Then I said, Matt are you sure you did not have an accident? I just knew that he must have had an accident, cause the smell was getting worse. SOOO, I asked one more time MATT DID YOU HAVE AN ACCIDENT? This time with a little smirk on his face he jumped up and yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled, "SEE MOM IT'S JUST GAS!!!! While 100 people nearly choked to death on their tacos, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down to eat his food as if nothing happened. I was mortified, but some kind elderly people made me feel a lot better, when they came over and thanked me for the best laugh they had ever had. - Author Unknown (Sarah Stanley) ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: The galley officer rose when the commander entered the galley. The two men exchanged words, after which the Roman officer left. Standing behind his drums, the officer said, "I have good news and I have bad news," he said. "The good news is that we won't, in fact, be going into battle with the Macedonian pirates. The bad news," he went on, "is that Commander Arrius wishes to go water-skiing." (E-zine: GIGGLES & GRINS Mailto:mailto:gigglesngrins- subscribe@topica.com) ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Why do we read from left to right? . . . Part 1 of 2 [March 6 & 16] Obviously, we read left to right because that's the way the words are written. But to dig a little deeper into our language history, we need look no further than our old friends the ancient Greeks. But they started out writing from right to left, as many present day languages still do. The Greeks then adopted a style known as "boustrophedon" a reference to turning the way an ox turns a plow. This super efficient style went from left to right and right to left on alternate lines, saving the eyeballs the trip back to the right side to start a new line. Around 500 BC, the Greeks began to write exclusively from left to right. The reasons for the change are uncertain, but may have to do with a new-split reed pen that was easier to move in that direction. - Source: WHY IN THE WORLD? Reader's Digest (E-zine: THE DAILY TRIVIA Mailto:trivia-on@mail-list.com) |