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WITandWISDOM(tm) - September 19, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. - Pope John 23rd Source: Peter's Pearls, http://www.peterspearls.com.au ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: The 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Bopsy, (Frank "Bopsy" Salazar) did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?" "Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true." The Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted the Phoenix, Arizona Fire Department and met Fireman Bob Walp, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. They explained Bopsy's wish and asked if it might be possible to give the seven year old boy a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have Bopsy ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! "And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat - not a toy one - with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast." Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Bopsy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Bopsy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Bopsy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Bopsy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room? About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Bopsy's third floor open window and 5 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Bopsy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. Later that evening Bopsy passed away. From: Chicken Soup for the Soul For more information visit: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/fireman.htm Submitted by Thurman Petty ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Here is a very simple little test comprised of four questions to determine the level of your intellect. Your replies must be spontaneous and immediate, with no deliberating or wasting time. 1: You are competing in a race, and overtake the runner in second place. In which position are you now? Answer: If you answered that you're now first, then you're wrong. You overtook the second runner and took their place, therefore you're second. 2: Take 1000. Add 40. Add another 1000. Add 30. 1000 again. Plus 20. Plus 1000. And plus 10. What is the total? Answer: If you answered 5000 you're wrong. The correct answer is 4100. 3: Marie's father has five daughters: 1. Chache 2. Cheche 3. Chichi 4. Chocho 5. ???? Question: What is the fifth daughter's name? Think quickly...you'll find the answer below... Answer: Chuchu? No. It is Marie. Source: Marty's Joke of the Day, http://www.geocities.com/martysjotd ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: An advertising salesman was seeking advertisements for the local paper. He stopped in the village store to make his pitch, but the old, grizzled proprietor was adamant. "Don't need 'em," he said. "Been in business nearly 80 years and never advertised." "Could you tell me what that building is on the hill?" inquired the salesman. "That's the village church." "Been there long?" was the next question. "Oh, 'bout 300 years," reckoned the storekeeper. "Well," said the persistent salesman, "they still ring the bell every week, don't they?" From: Pastor Tim's Illustrations, http://www.cybersaltlists.org Source: A Joke a Day http://www.topica.com/lists/ajokeaday7 ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Here is how life in the United States has changed over the past 15 years: Part 2 of 2 [Sep 18, 19] Per capita annual consumption of bottled water, in gallons: Then: 4.5 Now: 13.2 Total cost of personal health care annually: Then: $404 billion Now: $1.1 trillion Number of people who participate in mountain biking annually: Then: 1,512,000 Now: 7,854,000 Average hours a week men spend cleaning the house: Then: 16 Now: 16 Average hours a week women spend cleaning the house: Then: 31 Now: 27 Source: Health, July/August 2002, http://www.health.com |