Prior Date

Archive Index

Next Date

WITandWISDOM(tm) - June 7, 2007 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: We are made to persist. That’s how we find out who we are. - Tobias Wolff ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Mom grew up with two deaf parents. A lot of people might be frustrated by that situation, but Mom embraced it She devoted her life to helping the deaf as a sign-language interpreter. From the time we were little, my sister and I picked up all the signs, especially the one for "I love you" - the two middle fingers bent inward, the index finger, pinkie and thumb extended. That's how we always said goodbye. When she was in her forties, Mom got sick. Cancer. Even so, she cared more about me and my sister than she did about herself, always making sure we were okay. "Don't worry about me; focus on your work," she said about my job at Buffalo Wireworks, making screens and cutting sheet metal. Were they treating me well? she wanted to know. Did my work gloves protect my hands? Mom grew weaker. After a year-long battle, she died. It was two weeks before I could drag myself back into work. Walking into the metal shop that first day, I tried hard to focus. But I just missed Mom so much. I walked over to my station to grab my gloves and goggles and get ready for the day. The first thing I noticed were my gloves, on the table, not usually where I left them, lying neatly side by side, as if someone had put them there. That's strange, I thought. Then I noticed something startling. The right glove was crumpled a bit. The two middle fingers were bent inward, the index finger, pinkie and thumb extended. The sign for "I love you." By Jeff Kuwik, West Seneca, New York Source: Guideposts, Copyright (c) March 2007, http://www.guideposts.org ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Things You Don't Want To Hear From Tech Support "Do you have a sledgehammer or a brick handy?" "Do have a heavy door you need held open?" "...That's right, not even McGyver could fix it." "Duuuuuude! Bummer!" "Looks like you're gonna need some new dilythium crystals, Cap'n." "We can fix this, but you're gonna need a butter knife, a roll of duct tape, and a car battery." "In layman's terms, we call that the Hindenburg Effect." "Hold on a second... Mom! Timmy's hitting me!" "What do you want first, the bad news, or how much it will cost?" Submitted by Brad Murray ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Seinfeld's take on clothes ... I once had a leather jacket that got ruined in the rain. Why does moisture ruin leather? Aren't cows outside a lot of the time? When it's raining, do cows go up to the farmhouse, "Let us in! We're all wearing leather! Open the door! We're going to ruin the whole outfit here!" ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Ananova – June 6, 2007 Britain's oldest man turns 111 today - as guest of honour on board Lord Nelson's iconic flagship Victory. Vintage aircraft will perform a fly past, and the Band of the Royal Marines will play Happy Birthday for First World War hero Henry Allingham, reports the Daily Mirror. Henry, who only recently moved into a care home in Brighton is now too frail to walk and is losing his sight and hearing. Over the past year, he has made 60 public appearances, including meeting Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, a visit to 10 Downing Street to see Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, a garden party at Buckingham Palace, TV interviews and school talks. Dennis Goodwin, chairman of the World War One Veterans' Association, looks after Henry's diary, takes him to events and is credited by Henry's family for giving him a new purpose to life since tracing him six years ago, when he was living as a recluse in Eastbourne. Henry's memories of war - seeing men dying in the trenches or burned alive in planes - were so horrific he kept them secret and avoided veterans' get-togethers for 86 years. But Dennis helped the old man, who took part in the battles of the Somme, Ypres, Jutland and Passchendaele, and was shelled, bombed and shot, realize the historic importance of his recollections. Dennis says: "It is another proud day for us all to see him reach 111 - although Henry is so modest he thinks it's terribly funny to see so much fuss just for living so long." Source: Ananova http://www.ananova.com