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WITandWISDOM(tm) - December 18, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: We are told that people stay in love because of chemistry, or because they remain intrigued with each other, . . . because of luck . . . But part of it has got to be forgiveness and gratefulness. - Ellen Goodman Source: Arizona Humor, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arizona_humor/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Angel on a Doorstep By Shirley Bachelder When Ben delivered milk to my cousin's home that morning, he wasn't his usual sunny self. The slight, middle-aged man seemed in no mood for talking. It was late November 1962, and as a newcomer to Lawndale, California, I was delighted that milkmen still brought bottles of milk to doorsteps. In the weeks that my husband, kids and I had been staying with my cousin while house-hunting, I had come to enjoy Ben's jovial repartee. Today, however, he was the epitome of gloom as he dropped off his wares from his wire carrier. It took slow, careful questioning to extract the story from him. With some embarrassment, he told me two customers had left town without paying their bills, and he would have to cover the losses. One of the debtors owed only $10, but the other was $79 in arrears and had left no forwarding address. Ben was distraught at his stupidity for allowing this bill to grow so large. "She was a pretty woman," he said, "with six children and another on the way. She was always saying, 'I'm going to pay you soon, when my husband gets a second job.' I believed her. What a fool I was! I thought I was doing a good thing, but I've learned my lesson. I've been had!" All I could say was, "I'm so sorry." The next time I saw him, his anger seemed worse. He bristled as he talked about the messy young kids who had drunk up all his milk. The charming family had turned into a parcel of brats. I repeated my condolences and let the matter rest. But when Ben left, I found myself caught up in his problem and longed to help. Worried that this incident would sour a warm person, I mulled over what to do. Then, remembering that Christmas was coming, I thought of what my grandmother used to say: "When someone has taken from you, give it to them, and then you can never be robbed." The next time Ben delivered milk, I told him I had a way to make him feel better about the $79. "Nothing will do that," he said, "but tell me anyway." "Give the woman the milk. Make it a Christmas present to the kids who needed it." "Are you kidding?" he replied. "I don't even get my wife a Christmas gift that expensive." "The Bible says, 'I was a stranger and you took me in.' You just took her in with all her little children." "Don't you mean she took me in? The trouble with you is, it wasn't your $79." I let the subject drop, but I still believed in my suggestion. We'd joke about it when he'd come. "Have you given her the milk yet?" I'd ask. "No," he'd snap back, "but I'm thinking of giving my wife a $79 present, unless another pretty mother starts playing on my sympathies." Every time I'd ask the question, he seemed to lighten up a bit more. Then six days before Christmas, it happened. He arrived with a tremendous smile and a glint in his eyes. "I did it! I gave her the milk as a Christmas present. It wasn't easy, but what did I have to lose? It was gone, wasn't it?" "Yes," I said, rejoicing with him, "but you've got to really mean it in your heart." "I know," he said. "I do. And I really feel better. That's why I have this good feeling about Christmas. Those kids had lots of milk on their cereal just because of me." The holidays came and went. On a sunny January morning two weeks later, Ben almost ran up the walk. "Wait till you hear this," he said, grinning. He explained he had been on a different route, covering for another milkman. He heard his name being called, looked over his shoulder and saw a woman running down the street, waving money. He recognized her immediately - the pretty woman with all the kids, the one who hadn't paid her bill. She was carrying an infant in a tiny blanket. "Ben, wait a minute!" she shouted. "I've got money for you." Ben stopped the truck and got out. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I really have been meaning to pay you." She explained that her husband had come home one night and announced he'd found a cheaper apartment. He'd also started a night job. With all that had happened, she'd forgotten to leave a forwarding address. "But I've been saving," she said. "Here's $20 toward the bill." "That's all right," Ben replied. "It's been paid." "Paid!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean? Who paid it?" "I did." She looked at him as if he were the Angel Gabriel and started to cry. "Well," I asked, when Ben had finished recounting the story, "what did you do?" "I didn't know what to do, so I put an arm around her. Before I knew what was happening, I started to cry, and I didn't have the foggiest idea what I was crying about. Then I thought of all those kids having milk on their cereal, and you know what? I was really glad you talked me into this." "You didn't take the $20?" "No," he replied indignantly. "I gave her the milk as a Christmas present, didn't I?" Source: Reader's Digest, Copyright (c) December, 1992, http://www.readersdigest.com/ Reprinted in Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work: 101 Stories of Courage, Compassion and Creativity in the Workplace, By Canfield, Jack; Clauss, Tim; Hansen, Mark Victor; Rogerson, Maida; Rutte, Martin, Published by Health Communications (Sep 1, 2001), ISBN: 1558749217, http://isbn.nu/1558749217 Submitted by Sherri Rimmer ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Old Favorite Christmas Songs By Dave Arns mailto:davea@arnspub.com Part 2 of 2 [Dec 17, 18] 13. The benevolent senior nobility whose name I shan't say because it would give away the answer to this puzzle. 14. A verbal utterance, addressed toward a coniferous member of the plant family, often used as the centerpiece of yuletide gatherings. 15. Multiple highly polished, colorless, metallic, cup-shaped devices that give forth a ringing sound when struck. 16. Celestial heralds at a great altitude; specifically, those whose announcements have already been listened to and understood by us. 17. Haste hence, and publish the news in the alpine regions. 18. May the Almighty grant to you a recuperative repose, all you festive males of chivalrous character. 19. The original utterance, as well as a repetition, of a plea for the arrival of the One whose presence brings God Himself to us. 20. There exists in the atmosphere a musical selection. 21. During the dimly-lit extent of time wherein those persons who enjoyed a bucolic relationship with the domesticated stock in their charge, monitored them for their safekeeping. 22. Enlighten me as to the identity of this offspring. 23. The trio of us, the most authoritative examples of monarchical governmental leadership. 24. A temporal duration characterized by reverence, awe, and the sun's position being beneath the horizon. Answers: 13. The benevolent senior nobility ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Good King whose name I shan't say because it would ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (Wenceslaus) give away the answer to this puzzle. 14. A verbal utterance, addressed toward a ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ O, coniferous member of the plant family, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Tree often used as the centerpiece of yuletide gatherings. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Christmas 15. Multiple highly polished, colorless, metallic, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Silver cup-shaped devices that ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bells give forth a ringing sound when struck. 16. Celestial heralds at a great altitude; ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Angels on High specifically, those whose announcements have already been listened to and understood by us. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ Have Heard We 17. Haste hence, and publish the news in the alpine regions. ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Go, Tell it on the Mountains 18. May the Almighty grant to you a recuperative repose, ^^^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ God You Rest all you festive males of chivalrous character. ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Merry -men Gentle- 19. The original utterance, as well as a repetition, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ O Come, O Come, of a plea for the arrival of the One whose presence brings God Himself to us. ^^^^^^^^^^^ Emmanuel 20. There exists in the atmosphere a musical selection. ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There's in the Air a Song 21. During the dimly-lit extent of time wherein ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ by Night While those persons who enjoyed a bucolic relationship ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Shepherds with the domesticated stock in their charge, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ Flock Their monitored them for their safekeeping. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Watched 22. Enlighten me as to the identity of this offspring. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ What...is This Child 23. The trio of us, ^^^^ ^^ Three We the most authoritative examples of monarchical governmental leadership. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Kings 24. A temporal duration characterized by reverence, awe, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (O) Holy and the sun's position being beneath the horizon. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Night Source: Arns Publishing and Design, http://arnspub.com/ Copyright (c) 1985, For more literary oddities, see Dave's "Poetry" section for everything from nursery rhymes to quantum mechanics. ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Searching through row upon row of Christmas trees, my husband Norm and I picked one we liked. Then I noticed the one being held by a woman nearby "the" perfect tree. I watched as she carried it around the lot and couldn't believe my eyes when she set it aside. I ditched ours and ran over to grab the coveted tree. "Aren't we lucky?" I said to Norm. "I do feel a little guilty, however, for taking it before she could change her mind." "I wouldn't worry," he replied. "She just ran over and snatched ours." Contributed to "Life In These United States" by Vicki Salvensen Source: Reader's Digest, http://www.readersdigest.com/ ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: How much energy does matter contain? Albert Einstein's most famous formula is widely known: E=mc2, which relates mass to energy. It says that the energy contained in matter is equal to its mass times the speed of light squared. Since light travels very fast (300,000 kilometers per second, or 186,000 miles per second), there's a lot of energy wrapped up in a very small bit of matter. The energy of one gram (1/28 ounce) of matter would keep a 100-watt light bulb glowing for 28,500 years. One of the most noticeable examples of the mass-energy relation is in the sun, where hydrogen is converted into helium by nuclear fusion. During the reaction, 0.7% of the hydrogen's mass is released as various forms of energy. A tiny fraction of that energy keeps the Earth from turning into a ball of ice. From: The Learning Kingdom Source: Nybble Weekly Newsletter, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nybble |