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WITandWISDOM(tm) - December 26, 2003 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise." Source: Quotes of the Day, mailto:rheamo@centurytel.net?subject=Subscribe_Quotes_of_the_Day ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: The Value of Simple Pleasures Eleven-year-old Zlata Filipovic, like so many girls her age, kept a diary in 1991. "We gave ourselves a treat today," she wrote one July day. "We picked the cherries off the tree in the yard and ate them all up. We had watched it blossom and its small green fruits slowly turn red and now here we were eating them. Oh, you're a wonderful cherry tree!" Zlatas words read like any young girls whimsical musings. But this innocent summer activity held a much deeper meaning: Zlata wrote the diary entry in the midst of war in her hometown of Sarajevo. "I miss fruit a lot," she continued. "In these days of war in Sarajevo, there is no basic food or any of the other things a person needs, and there is no fruit. But now I can say that I ate myself silly on cherries." That simple pleasure brought tremendous joy to a girl who witnessed brutality daily. Simple pleasures can do that if we take the time to appreciate what the moment offers. Adapted from Zlata's Diary, http://isbn.nu/0613048393 By Zlata Filipovic Viking Press Source: Bits & Pieces, Copyright (c) Economic Press, Inc http://www2.ragan.com/html/main.isx?sub=226 Submitt ed by Barbara Henry ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Prague, Czech Republic (Ananova): A British tourist accidentally ordered a $1,702 bottle of wine in a Prague restaurant. Andy Freegard was dining with girlfriend Helen Kelly when he picked a Chateau Margaux 1987 Premier Grand Cru Classe which he thought was $34. Mr Freegard, an estate agent from Sandhurst, Berkshire, misread the price on the wine list. He got worried when waiters started flocking to his table to sniff the cork, says The Sun. Miss Kelly then asked the head waiter for the price in sterling, she said: "He just coolly replied '£1,000'. We were both completely shell-shocked." Mr Freegard added: "We realised something was not right when the standard of service improved dramatically. And when they brought out the decanter I was very concerned. "After we learned the truth we knew we couldn't send it back. Taking each sip was heartbreaking, knowing it was $85 worth a gulp. In my defense, I was tired and it was dark in the restaurant." Wine expert Alex Britton said: "The Margaux is undeniably one of the best wines in the world." Source: White Board News, http://www.joeha.com/whiteboard/ ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: When I worked for the security department of a large retail store, my duties included responding to fire and burglar alarms. A side door of the building was wired with a security alarm, because it was not supposed to be used by customers. Nevertheless they found the convenience of the exit tempting. Even a sign with large red letters, warning 'Alarm will sound if opened," failed to keep people from using it. One day, after attending to a number of shrieking alarms, I placed a small handmade sign on the door that totally eliminated the problem: "Wet Paint." Contributed by L. J. Hines Source: Reader's Digest, Copyright (c) December 2000, http://www.readersdigest.com/ ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: What do Social Security Number Mean? http://people.howstuffworks.com/social-security-number2.htm Source: How Stuff Works, http://www.howstuffworks.com |