Thought 01AUG2008

ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE CRITICS?
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen,Health Communication,Inc, 1993
There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same - Chinese Proverb

Thought 31JUL2008

BE A QUEEN
EDITORS' NOTE : Over the years, we have been inspired by messages about love and the power of choice that great women of the world have given us. One of the most inspiring messages has come through the words, actions and examples of one of the world's most loved and respected, Oprah Winfrey. Continually she reminds us that within every women lies a queen, waiting to claim her glory. Referring to a theme used by Marianne Williamson in her book A Woman's Worth, Oprah said the following in a commencement address to the graduates of all-female Spelman College in 1993:

Be a queen. Dare to be different. Be a pioneer. Be a leader. Be the kind of woman who in the face of adversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge. Take it on! Be a truth seeker and rule your domain, whatever it is - your home, your office, your family - with a loving heart. Be a queen. Be tender. Continue to give birth to new ideas and rejoice in your womanhood ... My prayer is that we will stop wasting time being mundane and mediocre ...
We are daughters of God - here to teach the world how to love ... It doesn't matter what you've been through, where you come from, who your parents are - nor your social or economic status. None of that matters. What matters is how you choose to love, how you choose to express that love through your work, through your family, through what you have to give to the world ... Be a queen. Own your power and your glory!
Oprah Winfrey - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc; 1996
It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing - Chinese Proverb

Thought 30JUL2008

EVERY ...
Every adversity is an adventure.
Every pain is a pilgrimage.
Every trial is a trail.
Every problem is a path.
Every load is a road.
Every hurt is on the move.
It’s leading you somewhere.
Where is it taking you?
Source Unknown
When you bow, bow low - Chinese Proverb

Thought 29JUL2008

MOVE OVER
The nursing staff at a nearby hospital was having trouble with an aged man's difficult temperament. He refused to allow anyone into his room and was often so negative that staff members could not even administer medication. One day, an insightful nurse decided to ask a friend of hers to make a difference in this man's life. That evening while the man lay quietly glowering in his bed, the door slowly opened into his dimly lit room. As his eyes shot toward the doorway, ready to command a dismissal, he was struck by a figure that stood silently staring at him. It was not the usual "intrusive" staff member, but instead, a circus clown. His features shimmering with face paint, the character sprinted to the patient's bedside. "Move over!" he shouted.
Startled by the order, the old man slid aside as the clown climbed into bed with him. Adjusting the blankets, the clown settled in. He began paging through a book he had brought. "I'm going to read to you," he said. Then he began: "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after." The clown continued on through the collection of Mother Goose as the man listened intently, his body calming with each page. By the end of the reading, the once sullen old man lay nestled against his playful visitor, feeling a sense of peace no staff member had ever witnessed. The clown kissed the man on his forehead and said good-bye. That night, the patient quietly and effortlessly moved into the next life, his face showing contentment and peace.
Jeffrey Patnaude - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work' by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.
A little body often harbors a great soul - Chinese Proverb

Thought 28JUL2008

A VERY BELATED THANK YOU
When my son, Mark, was in the third grade he saved all his allowance for over two months to buy holiday presents for those he loved. He had saved twenty dollars. The third Saturday in December Mark announced that he had made a list and had his money in his pocket. I drove him to a local drug store, the modern version of what we used to call the "Five and Dime." Mark picked up a hand basket and went off on his own while I waited patiently reading a book at the front of the store. It took Mark over 45 minutes to pick out his presents. The smile on his face as he approached the checkout counter was truly joyful. The clerk rang up his purchases as I politely looked the other way. Mark kept within his budget and reached into his pocket for his money. It was not there. There was a hole in his pocket, but no money.

Mark stood in the middle of the store holding his basket, tears rolling down his cheeks. His whole body was shaking with his sobs. Then an amazing thing happened. A customer in the store came up to Mark. She knelt down to his level and took him in her arms and said, "You would do me the greatest favor if you let me replace your money. It would be the most wonderful present you could ever give me. I only ask that one day, you pass it on. One day, when you are grown, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you do help this other person, I know you will feel as good about it as I do now." Mark took the money, tried to dry his tears and ran to the checkout counter as fast as he could go. I think we all enjoyed our gifts that year almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us.

I would like to say "thank you" to that incredible woman. I would like to tell her that four years later Mark went house to house collecting blankets and coats for the people in the Oakland fire - and he thought of her. I would like to tell her every time I give food to a homeless family, I think of her. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing it on.
By Laurie Pines - from A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul - Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk
Burn not your house to fright the mouse away - Chinese Proverb

Thought 25JUL2008

LOVE LETTERS
When eight-year-old Andy Bremner needed hospital care to treat his cancer, get-well greetings poured in from school chums, cousins and neighbours. He Scotch-taped them on the walls and pasted them in scrapbooks. He read them over and over again. But when Andy left the Chicago hospital, the mail stopped. Day after day his mother, Linda, watched her little boy searched the mailbox for mail he could open, even fliers addressed to "occupant." It broke her heart. Suddenly she realized there were many things in Andy's life she couldn't control - radiation treatments, chemotherapy, his getting better. But there was one things she could control : the mail. From that moment on she started writing to him, carefully signing the letters, "Your secret pal."
Andy was thrilled to get these mysterious letters of support. One afternoon as he sat at the dinning-room table where he loved to draw pictures for his mom, he noticed her watching him and waiting. "No, Mom," he said softly. "This is different. This one isn't for you." He rolled the paper into a scroll and laid it on the table top. "It's for my secret pal." That night after she had tucked him in bed, Linda unrolled her little boy's picture. In a corner, Andy had left a message : "P.S.: Mom. I love you." The correspondence between Andy and his secret pal continued until he passed away (in 1984). Andy and his mom never spoke about their game.
While sorting through her son's closet after his death, Linda Bremner found an address book with the names of friends Andy had met at a summer camp for kids with cancer. That's when the idea hit her. She sent a note to each child and it wasn't long before she began receiving responses. "Thank you," wrote one youngster. "I didn't know anyone knew I was still alive." Over the next ten years Linda continued writing to kids with cancer and other illnesses. At the same time she established a volunteer organization called Love Letters, Inc. based in Lombard, Illinois. On a modest budget dependent on donations, the group mails over 7,000 cards and packages to children every month, as well as 1,100 Christmas toys and goodies. Numbers increase each year.
"We must keep mailing," Linda urges. "These children need to know they are not forgotten and we must send them all the love and encouragement we can." Then, with eyes misting, she adds, "I'll never leave one standing at the mailbox."
Kevin Lumsdon - extracted from 'a 5th portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul', Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communications, Inc., 1998
He that once deceives is ever suspected - Chinese Proverb

Thought 24JUL2008

GOLFERS' DILEMMA
"Mary, why don't you play golf with Jane anymore?" asked a friend.
"Would you play golf with someone who kicked the ball with her foot when you weren't watching? Mary asked.
"I guess not," admitted the friend.
"Would you want to play with someone who lied about their score?" Mary continued.
"No, I sure wouldn't," the friend agreed.
"Neither did Jane," replied Mary.
Extracted from 'Speakers Sourcebook II', Glenn Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

Rage is not without reason - Chinese Proverb

Thought 23JUL2008

MY BEST FRIENDS
The agony of the final round set in off the first tee. It wasn't Sunday. There was no tournament. It was just me and Matt, my golf partner of three years, not to mention my best friend since the third grade. We had entered the world of golf as two youngsters with cheap clubs, inspired by our fathers' stories of birdies, three-hundred-yard drives, and near-holes-in-one. For some reason these tales failed to hold true when we played with them. Expecting to go out and conquer the game, Matt and I were quite surprised (not to mention angry) when we found ourselves humbled by a little white ball. Over time though, our swings became more controlled, good shots became more frequent, scores lower and our friendship stronger. That summer, we entered a junior gold tour. We soon realized how much we had to learn, and how much we wanted to win. We had been in the game for two years already, and we figured all we needed was some fine-tuning to give our game the extra edge.

We played almost every day after school that year with the hope that the hard work would pay off with victory on the tour next summer. Then we got the news. "Andrew, my dad's being transferred to Charlotte right after school," Matt said when he broke the news to me. He was moving away following our freshman year and right before the golf season would start. We had only a month left together, so we decided to make the most of it. Golf was the only way we knew how to enjoy ourselves without facing the sorrow of separation. No matter what is going on, golf helps you forget by making you concentrate on the task at hand - beating the guy you're playing with - and that was good enough for us. We played and the time flew, and soon we found ourselves in what we realized was our final round together. We had tried to ignore it for so long, but now it hung over us. The only way to shake it was to continue the eighteen.

When all was said and done, we finished the game. Our scores were average. He beat me by three strokes. Matt had to be home so he could wake up early in the morning and head out. We stood at the practice green waiting for his mother to come get him. Finally, she arrived. "It was a pleasure playing with you." I held out my hand. He shook, and then I half-hugged him, like boys do when they want to be men. I saw him off the next morning. He played on a tour at his new home, and I competed also. One day, I received a letter in the mail. It was a scorecard and a picture of the leader board. Matt was atop it. He finally won. Over the years, I received many scorecards from Matt (unfortunately more than I sent him). I keep them in my golf bag for good luck. I guess the magic of golf isn't the course, or the swing, or the sound you hear when you hit a solid 3-iron. It's the feeling you get when you beat your best friend, or lose to him, for that matter. And sooner or later you realize that you didn't play every week because you were golfers, you played because you were friends.
By Andrew Galanopulos - from Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul, Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
To engage in conflict, one does not bring a knife that cuts - but a needle that sews - Bahumaba

Thought 22JUL2008

JESSIE'S GLOVE
I do a lot of management training each year for the Circle K Corporation, a national chain of convenience stores. Among the topics we address in our seminars is the retention of quality employees - a real challenge to managers when you consider the pay scale in the service industry. During these discussions, I ask the participants, "What has caused you to stay long enough to become a manager? "Some time back a new manager took the question and slowly, with her voice almost breaking, said, "It was a $19 baseball glove."
Cynthia told the group that she originally took a Circle K clerk job as an interim position while she looked for something better. On her second or third day behind the counter, she received a phone call from her nine-year old son, Jessie. He needed a baseball glove for Little Leaque. She explained that as a single mother, money was very tight and her first cheque would have to go for paying bills. Perhaps she could buy his baseball glove with her second or third cheque. When Cynthia arrived for work the next morning, Patricia, the store manager, asked her to come to the small room in the back of the store that served as an office. Cynthia wondered if she had done something wrong or left some part of her job incomplete from the day before. She was concerned and confused.
Patricia handed her a box. "I overheard you talking to your son yesterday," she said, "and I know that it is hard to explain things to kids. This is a baseball glove for Jessie because he may not understand how important he is, even though you have to pay bills before you can buy gloves. You know we can't pay good people like you as much as we would like to; but we do care, and I want you to know you are important to us." The thoughtfulness, empathy and love of this convenience store manager demonstrates vividly that people remember more how much an employer cares than how much the employer pays. An important lesson for the price of a Little Leaque baseball glove.
Rick Phillips - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.

Water always finds a way out - Cameroon

Thought 21JUL2008

CAPITALIZING ON CATASTROPHE
Columnist Pete Hamill reported on a turbulent situation that required adapting to change. He described a region in Puerto Rico where people with limited means live in houses made of wood. Periodically a hurricane invades, creating waves that destroy the houses. As the waters recede the dismantled wooden homes are carried out to sea. the homeless people wait for the stormy waters to subside and for the wood to float back to shore. The people then begin rebuilding their community. Homes are redesigned in different styles and configurations using the same wood.
These Puerto Rican people display the enviable ability to use their talents and creativity to capitalize on a natural catastrophe.
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

No one tests the depth of a river with both feet - Ashanti of Ghana

Thought 18JUL2008

DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL
I took my month-old son to my parent's house for a visit. During the first night back in my childhood bedroom, I heard my father get up and start down the hall. Then I listened to my mother say to him, "It's cold. Make sure the baby is covered."
Pretending to be asleep so I could observe the new grandfather in action, I soon learned that I would always be Daddy's little girl. When he came in the room, he didn't go near the baby's crib. But he made sure I was tucked in before he shuffled back down the hall.
Contributed by Brenda Collins Blume, Reader's Digest - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc; 1997.
The world lives on hope - Afghani

Thought 17JUL2008

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
An optimist and a pessimist combined their resources and went into business together. Sales were fantastic and after the first three months the optimist was elated : "What a great beginning. Customers love our products and we're selling more every week." "Sure," replied the pessimist, "if things keep going like this, we'll have to order more inventory."
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

There is a way from heart to heart - Afghani

Thought 16JUL2008

VICTORY OR DEFEAT
It is not the critic who counts, not the man that points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt
Thought breaks the heart - Cameroon

Thought 15JUL2008

YOUTHFUL HONESTY
Iowa's governor Terry Branstad tells a funny story about his first year in office when he took his family around the state to demonstrate all the things to do in Iowa. He and his wife, Chris, along with their eight-year-old, Eric, were at a crafts fair near Cedar Rapids. As planned, television cameras turned out to hear the governor extol the virtues of tourism in Iowa.
Unexpectedly, a television reporter thrust the microphone into little Eric Branstad's face. "What do you think about all this?" he was asked. The boy looked into the camera and said, "I'm hot, I'm bored and I want to go home."
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II' by Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994

Paper can't wrap up a fire - Chinese Proverb

Thought 11JUL2008

ODE TO THE CHAMPIONS
Who are these people. These doers of deeds. These dreamers of dreams. Who make us believe? Who are these people. Who still win the day. When the odds are against them. And strength fades away?
These people are champions. For they never give in. A heart beats within them. That is destined to win. They follow their dreams. Though the journey seems far. From the top of a mountain. They reach out to a star.
And when they have touched it. When their journey is done. They give to us hope. From the victories they won. So here's to the champions. To all their great deeds. They follow their hearts. And become winners indeed.
By Tom Krause - from Chicken Soup for the Unsinkable Soul Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Only the man who crosses the river at night knows the value of the light of day - Chinese Proverb

Thought 10JUL2008

BLESSED
A friend and I were standing in line at the grocery store the other day, and I was telling her how lazy my children were. I had come in from work that morning, and like most times, my house was wrecked. "I believe children nowadays are just out for what they can get. I bend over backwards for them, and they can't even help keep our house clean. It wouldn't bother me so, but it's the woman who looks bad if the house is a mess."
"Do you know how blessed you are?" a woman behind us asked. "I would love to go home and find my house a mess. I wouldn't mind my carpet being ruined or the dishes left everywhere. I wouldn't mind the dirty clothes being piled high or the many socks to match. I wouldn't even mind anyone talking about my dirty home. Matter of fact, I would love it. I would dearly love to kick my way through the house just to get to my kids and be able to hug them, kiss them and tell them how much I love them. You see, my two children were killed in an auto accident and now it's just my husband and me. My house stays clean, my clothes stay put up, the dishes are done. There are no fingerprints on my walls, no mysterious spots on my carpets. There are no sounds of arguing, no slamming doors, no laughter, no 'I love you Mom.' So you see, you are very blessed.
What I would give to be going through what you are right now. How I would love to be able to hold my kids, wipe away their tears, share their dreams. Just to watch them play. If I had my children, I wouldn't care how my house looked. I would be happy just to have them." Now if you come into my house and see a big old mess, you can think bad thoughts if you want, but I feel greatly blessed.
By Tammy Laws Lawson - from Chicken Soup for the Christian Family Soul, Copyright 2000 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Time destroys all things - Nigeria

Thought 09JUL2008

Make Each Minute Count
"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."
John Ershine, a well-known author and professor, once wrote that he learned the most valuable lesson of his life when he was only fourteen years old. It came from his piano teacher. "How many times a week do you practice, and how long do you practice each time?" the teacher asked. John replied that he usually tried to practice once a day, generally for an hour or more. The teacher warned, "Don't do that. When you grow up, time won't come in long stretches. Practice in minutes, whenever you can find them - five or ten before school, after lunch, between chores. Spread your practice throughout the day, and music will become a part of your life."
Looking back, John saw that advice as a good formula against "burnout". He also saw it as a way to live a complete life as a creative writer, apart from his regular teaching duties. He wrote the bulk of his most famous work, Helen of Troy, while commuting between his home and the university.
Source Unknown
After a foolish deed comes remorse - Kenya

Thought 08JUL2008

INFORMATION PLEASE
I used to have a job as a telephone operator. All you had to do was dial 411 and you got me. 411 provides telephone numbers; however, many people think, "Gee! Information, they know everything about everything." I would get calls for, "Ya know dat girl? She live in a brown house on dat one roa? She my frien in ma class. She got brown hair." I would also get calls like, "Can you tell me how to make egg salad?"
Well, one day I got a call and it was around Christmas time. I said, "Directory assistance, may I help you?" There was a man on the phone and in a very lonely voice he said, "Ma'am, I need .... my cat needs some food." He sounded so helpless but I had to disconnect him. It was against the rules to give out anything other than phone numbers, so I disconnected him. He called back and by some miracle I got him again. And again, in his frail voice, he said, "Ma'am, please don't hang up on me. My poor cat ... she's so hungry. All I want for Christmas is for her to have some food. Please, miss ... please help me." What could I do? This poor man sounded so sincere. I had to do something! I quickly asked him for his address and took it down on a piece of paper. I told him I would see what I could do. I just knew I had to do something for this poor old man and his cat. I went to my supervisor and asked if I could take the rest of the evening off. It was getting dark out and it was starting to snow.
I left the building and went to the store. I bought a big bag of cat food, tied a big red ribbon on it and attached a card from Santa. I got the old man's address out of my pocket and went in search of his house. It was in a bad section of the city and when I got there it was dark and snowing. I walked up to the porch and crept up the musty creaky stairs. I set down the bag of cat food, rang the door bell and ran to my car and hid. I watched from my car as a wrinkly old man opened the door. The smile on his face when he saw the food and read the card was the best Christmas present I ever received!
Molly Melville - extracted from 'A cup of chicken soup for the soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Barry Spilchuk, Health Communications, Inc., 1996
A good deed is something one returns - Guinea

Thought 07JUL2008

INTELLIGENCE
Most people think intelligence is wisdom, but this is not so.
Intelligence does not necessarily include wisdom, yet wisdom contains intelligence.
Intelligence is just an ability to measure advantages and disadvantages, gains and losses.
Greed and deceit are signs of intelligence.
Source Unknown
When the heart overflows, it comes out through the mouth - Ethiopia

DBS/DIB 1977-1980 Gathering 06JUL2008 PNB Darby Park

The Gathering was once again held at PNB Darby Park "our Club House". The regulars were there and some (thank you for coming) new faces showed up. Many cannot make it as most of us 'were sending' our children for registration at University, since the intake was last Saturday. Nevertheless, another gathering will be organised soon enough - most probably by the end of the year.

As the majority of us approach the big "50" next year in 2009 (some of us already have) - shall we (US ONLY) have a big dinner bash to celebrate your approaching setengah abad! We'll think about that!

Here are some of the photos from the last gathering

Sitting (l to r) Hjh Sandra, Aziz Alhaj, Feezah, Hjh Shima, Hawa
Standing (l to r) Hj Lokman, Wahad, Max, Faridah (Kawan Hawa), Mrs Ariff, Faeek, Hjh Rosmah, Datin Raihela, Zainal Busu, Wan Asma, Ariff, Midah, Dr Zul Saidun, Alim Shapie, Hj Raja Hisham, Shaker, Rosman, Hjh Shiha, Hamdan
Ladies Only
Faridah (Kawan Hawa), Hjh Rosmah, Datin Raihela, Hjh Sandra, Wan Asma, Midah, Hjh Shiha
Mrs Ariff, Hawa, Feezah, Hjh Shima
Hamdan, Wahad, Shaker, Hj Raja Hisham, Rosman

Wan Asma, Hjh Sandra, Datin Raihela, Midah

Faridah (Kawan Hawa), Max, Hawa, Hjh Rosmah

Zainal Busu, Dr Zul Saidun, Hjh Shima, Feezah, Faeek

Hj Raja Hisham, Faeek, Wahad, Ariff, Rosman, Alim Shapie

Wan Asma, Hj Raja Hisham, Midah, Hjh Shiha

Feezah, Hj Raja Hisham, Wahad, Ariff, Alim Shapie, Max

Max, Zainal Busu, Dr Zul Saidun, Feezah

Datin Raihela, Midah, Wan Asma, Hjh Shiha

Hawa, Hjh Rosmah, Mrs Ariff, Hjh Shima

Hj Raja Hisham, Wahad, Ariff, Rosman, Alim Shapie

Faridah (Kawan Hawa) Hawa, Hjh Rosmah

Datin Raihela, Midah, Feezah, Hjh Shiha, Wahad, Faridah (Kawan Hawa)

No matter how small or how few, we will still keep on organising gatherings like this - we must continue to maintain the beautiful relationship among us that we have started 30 years ago. For those who could not make it this time, please try harder to make it the next time.

Thought 04JUL2008

LIFE IS A RISK
To learn to walk, we must risk falling over.
To make a dollar, we must risk losing it.
In loving and caring, we risk breaking our hearts.
Getting a job is a risk.
Crossing the road is a risk.
Eating in the restaurant is a risk.
Starting a family is a risk.
Life is a risk.
Winners take more risk than losers.
That is why they win so much.
Necessarily then, winners lose more than losers,
but they are playing so often that their wins add up.
We have a choice between living and merely existing.
Extracted from 'Being Happy' by Andrew Matthews
He who learns, teaches - Ethiopia

Thought 03JUL2008

WHO WON?
I saw a beautiful example of kindness in 1968 during the Special Olympics track and field meet. One participant was Kim Peek, a brain-damaged, severely handicapped boy racing in the 50-yard dash.
Kim was racing against two other athletes with cerebral palsy. They were in wheelchairs; Kim was the lone runner. As the gun sounded, Kim moved quickly ahead of the other two. Twenty yards ahead and 10 yards from the finish line, he turned to see how the others were coming. The girl had turned her wheelchair around and was stuck against the wall. The other boy was pushing his wheelchair backward with his feet. Kim stopped, went back and pushed the little girl across the finish line. The boy in the wheelchair going backward won the race. The girl took second. Kim lost.
Or did he? The crowd that gave Kim a standing ovation didn't think so.
Dan Clark - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne & Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.
Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors - Ethiopia

Thought 02JUL2008

THE OTHER FELLOW
When the other fellow acts that way, he's ugly. When you do it, it's nerves.
When he's set in his ways, he's obstinate. When you are, it's just firmness.
When he doesn't like your friends, he's prejudiced. When you don't like his, you are simply showing good judgment of human nature.
When he tries to be accommodating, he's polishing the apple. When you do it, you're using tact.
When he takes time to do things, he is dead slow. When you take ages, you are deliberate.
When he picks flaws, he's cranky. When you do, you're discriminating.
Anonymous - Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA (From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid)
Those who are absent are always wrong - Congo