| Prior Date | Archive Index | Next Date |
|
WITandWISDOM(tm) - March 4, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "It is what we give up, not what we lay up, that adds to our lasting store." - Hosea Ballou Source: Heart Touchers, http://storiesfrommyheart.com/home_page Subjects: Priorities, Wealth ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: ANOTHER WAY TO WIN By Rubel Shelly Kay Poe and Esther Kim have been best friends since they were seven years old. Among other things they have in common, the two young ladies from Houston both compete at the highest levels in taekwondo. How good are they? Esther and Kay advanced to the finals in the Women's Olympic Flyweight division at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials on May 20 in Colorado Springs. "I don't think of her as just a friend. I think of her more as a sister," Kay says. "We've grown up together, and we always push each other and help each other out the best we can training wise." What a story was unfolding! Reporters and photographers were poised to record the outcome of so intense a competition between two girls who have been close for so long. But a sports story would soon be overshadowed by a far more important friendship story. Kay had dislocated her left kneecap in her semi-final match of the round robin tournament. Though ranked number one in the world at her sport, it was questionable that she could compete against her best friend. She could barely stand, so it was a foregone conclusion that Esther would win, travel to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and represent the United States in the international competition these two had trained and worked toward for so long. On the day of the match, Esther Kim shocked the crowd by forfeiting rather than defeat her friend in an unfair competition. In allowing the better taekwondo fighter to represent the United States in Sydney, she won a personal battle over ego and selfishness. Amidst frequent stories of cheating and taking unfair advantage in order to win at any price, Esther showed how to win by losing. "Even though I didn't have the gold medal around me," said Esther, "for the first time in my life, I felt like a real champion." Her generosity of spirit was honored with the Citizenship Through Sports Award and with an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2000 Olympic Games from the International Olympic Committee. In the Bible, Paul wrote about giving up certain "rights" for the sake of people he loved (see 1 Corinthians 9:1-15). Parents do it all the time for their children. And occasionally friends make magnanimous gestures like Esther's. The next time you are inclined to bemoan the selfishness of the masses, recall this story of a twenty-year-old athlete's largess. The next time you have the chance to show magnanimity, let it inspire you to rise to the level of her example. (c) 2000 Rubel Shelly, whcoc@edge.net Used by permission. From Rubel Shelly's "FAX of Life" posted every Monday morning. See http://www.faithmatters.com for previous issues of the "FAX of Life." Source: Heart Touchers, http://storiesfrommyheart.com/home_page Subjects: Taekwondo, Olympics, Unselfishness ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: HEALTH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS QUESTION: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? ANSWER: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it, don't waste them away on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap. QUESTION: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables? ANSWER: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable slop. QUESTION: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? ANSWER: Well, if you have a body, and you have body fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc. QUESTION: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? ANSWER: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain - Good. QUESTION: Aren't fried foods bad for you? ANSWER: You're not listening. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you? QUESTION: What's the secret to healthy eating? ANSWER: Thicker gravy. QUESTION: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? ANSWER: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach. I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had. Submitted by Braxton Hagele Subjects: Health, Irony, Diet, Exercise ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: I had been posted to a small Air Force radar site. One Friday after finishing my paper work, I leaned back and propped my feet on the desk. Just then the captain came into my office. "Sergeant," he snapped, "sitting like that shows the troops poor military bearing and image!" Then he said, "Come with me. The commander wants to see us." When we arrived at the colonel's office, he was leaning back with his feet propped up on the desk. I whispered to the captain, "Well, sir, would you like to tell him, or shall I?" Source: The Funnies, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/andychaps_the- funnies Subjects: Posture, Air Force ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: ICELAND: BUN DAY On the Monday before Lent, Icelandic parents wake up to their children smacking them with colorful sticks decorated with paper and ribbons. The number of smacks they succeed in giving is the number of cream buns their parents are obliged to give as gifts. The children chant "Bolla, bolla" (bun, bun) while enacting this custom thought to have begun in about 1700. This day, celebrated on the Monday before Lent, is also known as Bolludagur. A recipe for the cream buns: http://www.isholf.is/gullis/jo/desserts.htm#bollur Basic facts about Iceland: http://www.icenews.is//basics.html Source: Gentle Humor, mailto:words@iop.com?subject=S ubscribe Subjects: Iceland, Lent |