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WITandWISDOM(tm) - April 17, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy. - E James Rohn - The Treasury of Quotes Source: Peter's Pearls, www.peterspearls.com.au ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: The date is June 24, 1859. Suddenly, there he is, atop a hill overlooking the plain of Solferino. Napoleon's troops prepare for battle with the Austrians below, and Henri Dunant has a box seat view from his place on the hill. Trumpets blare, muskets crack and cannons boom. The two armies crash into each other as Henri looks on, transfixed. He sees the dust rising. He hears the screams of the injured. He watches bleeding, maimed men take their last breaths as he stares in horror at the scene below. Henri doesn't mean to be there. He is only on a business trip -- to speak to Napoleon about a financial transaction between the Swiss and the French. But he arrived late and now finds himself in a position to witness first-hand the atrocities of war. What Henri sees from his hill, however, pales in comparison with what he is soon to witness. Entering a small town shortly after the fierce encounter, Henri now observes the battle's refugees. Every building is filled with the mangled, the injured, the dead. Henri, aching with pity, decides to stay in the village three more days to comfort the young soldiers. He realizes that his life will never be the same again. Driven by a powerful passion to abolish war, Henri Dunant will eventually lose his successful banking career and all his worldly possessions only to die as a virtual unknown in an obscure poorhouse. But we remember Henri today because he was the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (in 1901). We also remember him because of the movement he founded -- the Red Cross. Steve Goodier, lifesupport-subscribe@topica.com Submitted by Phil Sarlo ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: CLEAR ORDERS A new soldier was on sentry duty at the main gate. His orders were clear. No vehicle was to enter unless it had the proper sticker on the windshield. Now, a huge Army car came up with a general seated in the back. The sentry said, "Halt, who goes there?" The chauffeur, says, "General Wheeler." "I'm sorry, I can't let you through. You've got to have a sticker on the windshield." The general said, "Drive on!" The sentry said, "Hold it! You really can't come through. I have orders to shoot if you try driving on without your sticker." The general repeated, "I'm telling you, corporal, drive on!" The sentry walked up to the rear window and said, "General, I'm new at this. Do I shoot you or the driver?" Source: Clean Hewmor, clean-hewmor-subscribe@welovegod.org ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: The following is a quote by Steve Spurrier, Florida football coach, telling Gator fans that a fire at Auburn's football dorm had destroyed 20 books, 1991. "But the real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored yet." Source: Straight From the Heart thunder27@aol.com ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: CHILDREN'S WAKE-UP CALLS: If you have a child who tends to come into your room and get you up before the crack of dawn, try buying a digital clock for their room. Cover up the minute numbers and tell your child that it is OK to wake up mom and dad when there is a 7 on her clock. Most kids love having their own clock, and most parents love having extra sleep. TipSource: http://www.Parent-tips.com, one of 350+ lifetips.com sites Copyright: lifetips.com, Inc. The place to go when you need to know. |