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WITandWISDOM(tm) - April 13, 2005 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: A promise is a debt. - Irish Proverb Source: DailyInBox Presents, http://dailyinbox.com ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Several years ago there was a well-known television circus show that developed a Bengal tiger act. Like the rest of the show, it was done "live" before a large audience. One evening, the tiger trainer went into the cage with several tigers to do a routine performance. The door was locked behind him. The spotlights highlighted the cage, the television cameras moved in close, and the audience watched in suspense as the trainer skillfully put the tigers through their paces. In the middle of the performance, the worst possible fate befell the act: the lights went out! For twenty or thirty long, dark seconds the trainer was locked in with the tigers. In the darkness they could see him, but he could not see them. A whip and a small kitchen chair seemed meager protection under the circumstances, but he survived, and when the lights came on, he calmly finished the performance. In an interview afterward, he was asked how he felt knowing that the tigers could see him but that he could not see them. He first admitted the chilling fear of the situation, but pointed out that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. He said, "I just kept cracking my whip and talking to them until the lights came on. And they never knew I could not see them as well as they could see me." This experience gives us a vivid parable of human life. At some point in our lives, all of us face the terrifying task of fighting tigers in the dark. Some face it constantly. Many people cope daily with internal problems that are capable of destroying them. They cannot visualize their problems or understand them, but their problems seem to have them zeroed in. Thomas Lane Butts, Tigers in the Dark James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 205. Source: A Dose of Inspiration, http://www.quietstones.com/mydailydose ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: The other day I was in the check out line at a local Super Target with a friend. While waiting we had a conversation that later I realized must have sounded very strange to others standing near by. You see my friend has an artificial leg but it is nearly impossible to tell when he wears slacks. People standing near us listening to our conversation would have no idea my friend is an amputee. Our conversation went something like the following: Me: Do you have a foot? Richard: Oh yes, and it even has toes and nails. Me: Really! Richard: Yes. I could paint my toes if I wanted to. Me: Is your leg supposed to last a lifetime? Richard: I am on my second leg. I broke a toe so they gave me a new leg. Me: Why didn’t they just super glue the toe back on. Richard: I don’t know. By Kiri Hyatt ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: I was going away for a few days and left my husband a list of chores. For fun, I put down as Item 5: Think about your wife a lot. After I returned, my husband proudly reported that he had completed every job. When I saw the list, however, each item except No. 5 had been crossed off. "What's this!" I exclaimed. "Didn't you think about me while I was gone?" My chagrin vanished when he replied cheerfully, "I started to, but just never finished." Source: Marty’s Joke of the Day, http://www.egroups.com/group/martysjotd ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Tax Time Rush The big day is right around the corner - April 15. Yes, its the day your tax returns are due. If you're a procrastinator or know one, use today's site or pass it on. The IRS Web site offers tremendous assistance to get your taxes done. For instance, you can download forms and publications. There are links to sites that allow you to file your taxes for free. And if you just cannot get it all done on time, there's information on filing an extension. Tax laws change every year, so avoid a costly mistake. Read up on the tax law changes. Or find out how to get professional help preparing your taxes. To visit this site, go here: http://www.irs.gov/individuals Copyright 2005, The Kim Komando Show. All rights reserved. Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day http://www.komando.com/newsletter.asp