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WITandWISDOM(tm) - April 26, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. We must not permit anything to stand between us and the book that could change our lives. - Jim Rohn Source: Jim Rohn's Weekly E-zine February 4, 2003, http://www.jimrohn.com/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," he said as he struggled to get off the escalator. I'll admit to it. There have been times when walking or driving behind an older person I've gotten impatient and upset. I've huffed and zoomed around them because I was in a hurry to get nowhere. Perhaps I'm more aware of it now because I see myself there one day soon. Today I saw myself in this old man's shoes and it caused me to slow down, stop and ask for his forgiveness. He was about five or six people ahead of me. I was in a hurry and saw him as an obstacle. I've seen people get off the end of an escalator and stop dead in their tracks, gather their things and suddenly there's a pile up of angry people behind them. You can't stop an escalator full of people behind you. Like the Energizer bunny, they keep on goin'. This man was well aware of the challenge. He tried desperately to step aside. Fumbling with his small packages, struggling to gain his footing, you could see how troubling this was for him. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," he said as he struggled to get off the escalator. I suddenly saw this in a whole new light. It was like I was watching my future. I felt sorry for him. I felt sick to my stomach because this man was apologizing to everyone, when we should have been helping him and calming his fears. One by one, people zipped around him. I heard a few angry comments whispered as one lady passed by him. I saw me. By the time I got to him he was just about steady on his feet. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was more," he said. "No, sir. No more with me," I said. This really hit me hard. I realized right then how sad it was that the world was in such a hurry. That, of course, included me. But...no more with me. Count me out. This wonderful man paid his dues. For whatever time he had spent on this earth, he most likely walked many rough roads and too many important miles. Now he should be apologizing for moving slower? My heart ached as I looked into his eyes. I wished that I could see what he had seen all those years. His face weathered from life itself, was creased and wrinkled. The small soft pockets under his eyes and the gentle lines that curved up and around them told me he had many happy moments, too. Those were traces left behind from laughter and a smiling, happy man. "My friend, can I help you with those things?" I asked. Hesitant at first, he finally said, "Well, yes, thank you!" I placed my hand under his left arm and walked with him a safe distance away from the rush of people. "So what are you shopping for, sir?" "Oh, just a little something for my neighbor. She's a young Mother raising kids on her own. She's always so nice to me. I thought a box of candy for Mother's Day..." he said, stopping suddenly as he searched his inside pocket of his sport coat. "Do you need something?" I asked. "Oh, no. Here. I think I have it right here. I always carry them with me," he said. Then pulling out a hand full of papers he shuffled through them and handed me a business card that read: "John A. Pomicter Friend to all...enemy to no one! I said a prayer today and you were the answer. Thank you!" "That's for you," he said. "Thanks for stopping to help an old man." "My friend, you helped me. I discovered that I was unhappy with the world and I was part of the problem. Now I'll be part of the solution. No more with me!" "Then this was meant to be," he said smiling. "You know God sends me gifts every day and always at least one special person. You were my gift for today! Let's go get some chocolates, my friend." "I believe in You!" and "I wish you enough!" By Bob Perks, Copyright (c) 2007 mailto:Bob@BobPerks.com http://www.bobperks.com Bob Perks is a professional Speaker, Trainer, Vocalist and Author. He is a member of Pennwriters, http://www.pennwriters.org/ He was a 10 year member of the National Speakers Association 1996-2006 He is an Inspirational Columnist for Beliefnet: http://www.beliefnet.com/author/author_148.html To receive his free weekly messages, ‘I Believe in You!,” visit: http://www.bobperks.com/ Submitted by Angelwings ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Homemaking Hijinks ©Lisa Barker My house is decidedly a ‘deconstruction zone’ where each child and pet tries to outdo the other in wrecking the place. “Mom, I slid on the floor and accidentally put my knee through the wall.” My dinners are done when at least three smoke detectors go off and my sheets haven’t been washed in so long they don’t need to be ironed. If you show me a list of things to do, I’ll show you how to make a paper airplane. I don’t sit around the house all day eating bon-bons and watching the soaps. I’m not a soccer mom. I haven’t joined the P. T. O. I don’t even home school my kids! Here’s the real scoop on what this homemaker does all day. My eldest son (age ten) and I went for a drive. Whenever I get this child alone with me I am sure to learn every intimate detail of the happenings at school and in the neighborhood. “Hey, Mom,” he said. “Did you know that if you drink soda and then hold your breath and pinch your nose that it will come out the other end?” I’d never heard such a thing, but my son exclaimed that it was true. Do you see where I am going with this? A more mature woman would have either ignored this tidbit of information or asked her child to stop the potty talk. Not me. As soon as my kids were gone to school for the day and the little one was happily busy with his toys in another room, I tested the soda story. And wouldn’t you know it the results had the same effect on my three-year old as does the crinkle of a candy wrapper—he was at my side in no time. And he informed me that somebody had just tooted. Bright boy. “Don’t you have something to do in the other room, like play with your trucks or something?” He just stood there grinning because all boys secretly take great pleasure when Mom, a GIRL, does something gross. He wanted to bond. “Momma, I can burp my A, B, Cs!” “That’s great. Why don’t you go do that with your toy dog.” Off he skipped burping all the way. I needed a moment to myself. My twentieth high school reunion looms in the not so distant future and I have been taking stock of my life as a homemaker. Just what have I achieved? Besides bringing five loving and compassionate human beings into the world, I write this column and tell the truth about 21st century stay-at-home moms. And it makes me proud to know that at least one person will test the soda story after reading this. By Lisa Barker a syndicated humor columnist and mom of five. Her latest book is 'Just Because Your Kids Drive You Insane ... Doesn't Mean You Are A Bad Parent!' http://www.JellyMom.com Please forward this to friends and family. Keep it intact from top to bottom and tell them where they can get more Jelly Mom: http://www.jellymom.com Won't you stop by and sign up for your very own subscription? It's on me! And you will get a new column in your email box every Thursday--something fresh and new before anyone else on the Internet: http://www.jellymom.com ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: The story is told that a man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Pete r who led him down the golden streets. They went past mansions after beautiful mansions until they came to the end of the street where they stopped in front of a shack. The man asked St. Peter why he got a hut when there were so many mansions he could live in. St. Peter replied, "I did the best I could with the money you sent us." Submitted by Malladi Murthy in India ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: How many songs did Irving Berlin write? Irving Berlin was prolific, writing more than 900 songs, 19 musicals, and the scores of 18 movies. Some of his songs that have become beloved classics include "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Easter Parade," and "White Christmas." Source: ArcaMax - Trivia, http://tinyurl.com/9kf44