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Subject: Blogs
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armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:22pm
Diogenes lived naked, and he
was a strong man. Four people
who were hijacking people and
selling them as slaves in the
market thought, This is a great
catch, this man can bring us a lot
of money. We have sold many
slaves, but none of them were so
strong, so beautiful, so young.
We can get as high a price as we
demand; and there is going to be
a great competition in the
marketplace when we put this
man on the pedestal for sale.
But, they thought, four are not
enough to catch him. He alone
could kill us all.
Diogenes heard what they were
saying about him. He was sitting
by the side of the river, just
enjoying the cool breeze of the
evening, underneath a tree; and
behind the tree those four were
planning what to do. He said,
Don't we worried. Come here!
You need not worry that I will kill
you, I never kill anything. And
you need not worry that I will
fight, resist you no. I don't fight
anybody, I don't resist anything.
You want to sell me as a slave?
*
armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:24pm
Embarassed, afraid, those four
people said, That's what we
were thinking. We are poor... if
you are willing.
He said, Of course I am. If I can
help you in your poverty in
some way, it is beautiful.
So they brought out chains. He
said, Throw them in the river;
you need not chain me. I will
walk ahead of you. I don't
believe in escaping from
anything. In fact, I am getting
excited about the idea of being
sold, standing on a high pedestal,
and hundreds of people trying
to get me. I am excited about
this auction I am coming!
These four people became a little
more afraid: this man is not only
strong and beautiful, he seems
to be mad also; he could be
dangerous. But now there was
no way for them to escape.
Diogenes said, If you try to
escape, you will be risking your
own life. Just follow me, all four
of you. Put me on the pedestal in
the market.
*
armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:26pm
Unwillingly, they followed him.
They wanted to take him, but he
went ahead of them! He told
those people, DOn't be afraid,
and don't try to escape. You
have given me a great idea, I am
grateful to you. This is my
responsibility; I am going to the
marketplace. You put me up for
auction.
What type of man was this?
they wondered. But there was
no way to back out now, so they
followed him. And when he was
put on a high pedestal so that
everybody could see, there was
almost silence, pin-drop silence.
People had never seen such a
proportionate body, so
beautiful as if made of steel, so
strong.
Before the auctioneer said
anything, Diogenese declared,
Listen people! Here is a master
to be sold to any slave, because
these four poor people need
money. So start the auction, but
remember, you are purchasing a
master.
*
armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:27pm
A king purchased him. Of course,
he could do it more and more
money he offered at the auction.
Many people were interested but
finally a sum, larger than any
that had ever been heard of
before, was given to those four
people. Diogenes said to them,
Are you happy now? You can
leave now, and I will go with this
slave.
On the way to the palace as they
were riding in the chariot, the
king said to Diogenes, Are you
crazy or something? You think
yourself a master? I am a king,
and you think me a slave?
Diogenes said, Yes, and I am not
crazy, but you are crazy. I can
prove it right now. At the back
of the chariot was the queen.
Diogenes said, Your queen is
already interested in me, she is
finished with you. It is
dangerous to purchase a
master.
*
armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:28pm
The king was shocked. Of course,
he was nothing in comparison to
Diogenes. The king took out his
sword and asked his queen,
What he is saying, is it true? If
you say the truth, your life will
be savedthat is my promise. But
if you say an untruth, and I find
it out later on, I will behead you.
Fearful, afraid, still the queen
said, It is true. Before him, you
are nothing. I am enchanted,
allured; the man has some magic.
You aare just a poor guy
compared to him. This is the
truth.
Of course, the king stopped the
chariot and told Diogenes, Get
out of the chariot. I set you free;
I don't want to take such risks in
my palace.
Diogenes said, Thank you. I am
a man who cannot be made a
slave, for the simple reason that
every responsibility I take on
myself. I have not left those four
people feeling guilty they did
not bring me there, I came of my
own accord. They must be
feeling obliged. And it is your
chariot, if you want me to get
out, that is perfectly good. I am
not accustomed to chariots at all,
my legs are strong enough. I am
a naked man, a golden chariot
does not fit with me.
*
armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:41pm
**LEARNING THE TRADE**Noticing that his father was
growing old, the son of a burglar
said, Father, teach me your
trade so that when you retire I
may carry on the family
tradition.
The father did not reply but that
night he took the boy along with
him to break into a house. Once
inside, he opened a closet and
asked his son to find out what
was inside. No sooner had the
lad stepped in tan the father
slammed the door shut and
bolted it, making such a noise in
the process that the whole house
was awakened. Then he himself
slipped away quietly.
Inside the closet the boy was
terrified, angry, and puzzled as
to how he was going to make
his escape. Then an idea came to
him. He began to make a noise
like a cat; whereupon a servant
lit a candle and opened the closet
to let the cat out. The boy
jumped out assoon as the closet
door opened and everyone gave
chase. Observing a well beside
the road, he threw a large stone
into it and hid in the shadows;
then he stole away while his
pursuers peered into the depths,
hoping to see the burglar drown.
Back home again the boy forgot
his anger in his eagerness to tell
his story. But his father said,
Why tell me the tale? You are
here. That is enough. You have
learned the trade.
*
armaansx 4.06.10 - 08:46pm
*~HOLD MY HAND~*
Once a little girl and her father
were crossing a bridge. The
father was kind of scared so he
asked his little daughter,
Sweetheart , please hold my
hand so that you don t fall into
the river.
The little girl said, No, Dad. You
hold my hand.
Whats the difference? asked
the puzzle father.
Theres a big difference, replied
the little girl.
If I hold your hand and
something happens to me,
chances are that I may let your
hand go. But if you hold my
hand, I know for sure that no
matter what happens, you will
never let my hand go.
*
texan09 5.06.10 - 04:27am
donadi n aarmansx :) appreciate ur contributions 2 de grp as well *
xtash 5.06.10 - 04:44am
yea gr8 going guys de group is more active *
shail_86 6.06.10 - 12:18pm
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them
fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit
was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The
two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit
with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop,
that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took
heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down
and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again,
the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He
jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the
other frogs said, Did you not hear us? The frog explained to
them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the
entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging
word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it
through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes
to kill them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your
path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand
that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak
words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in
difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time
to encourage another. *
texan09 6.06.10 - 12:40pm
dats a gud 1 bro :) *
armaansx 6.06.10 - 12:47pm
great encourgng story shail bro. *
armaansx 6.06.10 - 12:58pm
One day a tiger was hunting
around in a forest. An unlucky
fox was met and caught by the
tiger. For the fox, the inescapable
destination was very clear --
death. Despite the danger, the
fox thought hard to find a way
out.
Promptly, the fox declared to the
tiger, How dare you kill me!
On hearing the words the tiger
was surprised and asked for the
reason The fox raised his voice
a bit higher and declared
arrogantly: To tell you the truth,
it's I who was accredited by God
to the forest as the king of all the
animals! If you kill me, that will
be against the God's will, you
know?
Seeing that the tiger became
suspicions, the fox added: Let's
have a test. Let's go through the
forest. Follow me and you will
see HOW THE ANIMALS ARE
FRIGHTENED OF ME. The tiger
agreed.
So the fox walked ahead of the
tiger proudly through the forest.
As you can imagine, the animals,
seeing the tiger behind, were all
terribly frightened and ran
away. Then the fox said proudly:
There is no doubt that what I
said is true, isn't it?
The tiger had nothing to say but
to acknowledge the result. So the
tiger nodded and said:
You are right. You are the king.
*
shail_86 6.06.10 - 06:10pm
armaan & ron :) *
xtash 12.06.10 - 12:22pm
It's in INDIA - Karnataka - Bangalore
A 10 year old boy, had eaten pineapple about 15 days back, and fell
sick, from the day he had eaten. Later when he had his Health check
done......
doctors diagnosed that he had AIDS.
His parents couldn't believe it...Then the entire family under went a
checkup... none of them suffered from Aids. So the doctors checked again
with the boy if he had eaten out....The boy said 'yes'. He had pineapple
that evening. Immediately a group from the hospital went to the
pineapple vendor to check.
They found the pineapple seller had a cut on his finger while cutting
the pineapple; his blood had spread into the fruit.
When they had his blood checked...the guy was suffering from AIDS...but
he himself was NOT aware. Unfortunately the boy is suffering from it
now.
Please take care while u eat on the road side and pls fwd this mail to your dear one's..
PEOPLE TAKE CARE *
xtash 12.06.10 - 12:23pm
Really a Good One...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why Indian Students are attacked abroad...
It was the first day of a school in USA and a new Indian student named Chandrasekhar Subramanian entered the fourth grade.
The teacher said, Let's begin by reviewing some American History.
Who said'Give me Liberty , or give me Death'?
She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chandrasekhar, who had his hand up:?
'Patrick Henry, 1775' he said.
'Very good!
Who said 'Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish from the Earth?''
Again, no response except from Chandrasekhar.
'Abraham Lincoln, 1863' said Chandrasekhar.
The teacher snapped at the class, 'Class, you should be ashamed. Chandrasekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about our history than you do.'
She heard a loud whisper: 'F ___ the Indians,'
'Who said that?' she demanded.
Chandrasekhar put his hand up. 'General Custer,1862.'
At that point, a student in the back said, 'I'm gonna puke.'
The teacher glares around and asks
'All right! Now, who said that?'
Again, Chandrasekhar says, 'George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.'
Now furious, another student yells, 'Oh yeah? s*ck this!'
Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher,
'Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky,1997'
Now with almost mob hysteria someone said 'You little s**t. If you say anything else, I'll kill you.'
Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice,
'Michael Jackson to the child witnesses testifying against him, 2004.'
The teacher fainted. And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor,
someone said, 'Oh s**t, we're screwed!'
And Chandrasekhar said quietly, 'Lehmann Brothers, November 4th, 2008'
*
xtash 12.06.10 - 12:26pm
12 Ways To Know That You Love Someone
TWELVE:
You talk with him/her late at night and when you go to bed you still think of him/her.
ELEVEN:
You walk really slowly when you are with him/her.
TEN:
You don't feel Ok when he/she is far away.
NINE:
You smile when you hear his/her voice.
EIGHT:
When you look at him/her,you do not see other people around you.You see only him/her.
SIX:
He/She is everything you want to think..
FIVE:
You realise that you smile every time you look at him/her.
FOUR:
You would do anything to see him/her.
THREE:
While you have been reading this, there was a person in your mind all the time.
TWO:
You've been so busy thinking of that person that you didn't notice that number 7 is missing.
ONE:
You are going to check above if that's true and now you are silently laughing to yourself.
NOW MAKE A WISH! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT THE MOST.......
*****
*
texan09 18.06.10 - 01:48pm
A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.
Your son is here, she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.
Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.
The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.
Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.
Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her, Who was that man? he asked.
The nurse was startled, He was your father, she answered.
No, he wasn't, the Marine replied. I never saw him before in my life.
Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?
I knew right away there had been a mistake,
but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here.
When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.
I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.
His son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name?
The Nurse, with tears in her eyes answered,
Mr. William Grey.............
The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.
**************
WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A
TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
HAVE A GREAT DAY AND BLESS SOMEONE ELSE IN SOME LITTLE WAY TODAY!
GOD IS SO GOOD.
*
texan09 18.06.10 - 02:12pm
Family Problem
Two men, one American and an Indian were sitting in a bar drinking shot after shot.
The Indian man said to the American, 'You know my parents are forcing me to get married to this so called homely girl from a village whom I haven't even met once.' We call this arranged marriage. I don't want to marry a woman whom I don't love... I told them that openly and now have a hell lot of family problems.'
The American said, talking about love marriages... I'll tell you my story.
I married a widow whom I deeply loved and dated for 3 years. 'After a couple of years, my father fell in love with my step-daughter and married her, so my father became my son-in-law and I became my father's father-in-law.
Legally now my daughter is my mother and my wifes my grandmother.
More problems occurred when I had a son. My son is my father's brother and so he is my uncle. Situations turned worse when my father had a son. Now my father's son, my brother is my grandson. Ultimately, I have become my own grand father and I am my own grandson..
And you say you have family problems...
The Indian fainted
*
texan09 4.07.10 - 08:14am
Taiwan: A woman suddenly died unexpectedly with signs of bleeding from her ears, nose, mouth & eyes.
After a preliminary autopsy it was diagnosed death due to a*senic poisoning death.
Where did the a*senic come from?
The police launched an in-depth and extensive investigation. A medical and a
school professor was invited to come in to solve the case.
The professor carefully looked at the contents from the deceased's
stomach, in less than half an hour, the mystery was solved. The
professor said: 'The deceased did not commit suicide and neither was
she murdered, she died of accidental death due to ignorance!'
Everyone was puzzled, why accidental death?
The professor said: 'The a*senic is produced in the stomach of the deceased.' The deceased used to take 'Vitamin C' everyday, which in itself is not a problem. The
problem was that she ate a large portion of shrimp/prawn during dinner. Eating shrimp/prawn is not the problem that's why nothing happened to her family ever though they took the same shrimp/prawn. However at the same time the deceased also took 'vitamin C', that is where the problem is!
Researchers at the University of Chicago in the United States , found
through experiments, food such as soft-shell shrimp/prawn contains a
much higher concentration of - five potassium a*senic compounds.
Such fresh food by itself has no toxic effects on the human body!
However, in taking 'vitamin C', due to the chemical reaction, the
original non-toxic - five potassium a*senic (As anhydride, also known
as a*senic oxide, the chemical formula for As205) changed to a three
potassium toxic a*senic (ADB a*senic anhydride), also known as a*senic
trioxide, a chemical formula (As203), which is commonly known as
arsenic to the public!
Arsenic poisoning have magma role and can cause paralysis to the small
blood vessels, mercapto Jimei??, inhibits the activity of the liver
and fat necrosis change, Hepatic Lobules Centre, heart, liver, kidney,
intestine congestion, epithelial cell necrosis, telangiectasia.
Therefore, a person who dies of a*senic poisoning will shows signs of
bleeding from the ears, nose, mouth & eyes.
Therefore; as a precautionary measure,
DO NOT not take shrimp/prawn when taking 'vitamin C'.
After reading this; please do not be stingy. Forward to your friends
and family!!
*
texan09 4.07.10 - 08:27am
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village.
A tourist complimented the local fishermen
on the quality of their fish and asked
how long it took him to catch them.
Not very long. they answered in unison.
Why didnt you stay out longer and catch more?
The fishermen explained that their small catches were
sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.
But what do you do with the rest of your time?
We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children,
and take siestas with our wives.
In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.
We have a full life.
The tourist interrupted,
I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you!
You should start by fishing longer every day.
You can then sell the extra fish you catch.
With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.
And after that?
With the extra money the larger boat will bring,
you can buy a second one and a third one
and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers.
Instead of selling your fish to a middle man,
you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants
and maybe even open your own plant.
You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City , LosAngeles , or even New York City !
From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.
How long would that take?
Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years. replied the tourist.
And after that?
Afterwards ? Well my friend, thats when it gets really interesting, answered the tourist, laughing. When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!
Millions? Really? And after that? asked the fis hermen.
After that youll be able to retire,
live in a tiny village near the coast,
sleep late, play with your children,
catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife
and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.
With all due respect sir, but thats exactly what we are doing now. So whats the point wasting twenty-five years? asked the Mexicans.
And the moral of this story is:
....... Know where youre going in life....
you may already be there!!
*
armaansx 11.07.10 - 04:55pm
A man had been on a long flight.
The first warning of the
approaching problems came
when the sign on the airplane
flashed on: Fasten your seat
belts. Then, after a while, a calm
voice said, We shall not be
serving the beverages at this
time as we are expecting a little
turbulence. Please be sure your
seat belt is fastened.
As he looked around the aircraft,
it became obvious that many of
the passengers were becoming
apprehensive. Later, the voice of
the announcer said, We are so
sorry that we are unable to
serve the meal at this time. The
turbulence is still ahead of us.
And then the storm broke. The
ominous cracks of thunder could
be heard even above the roar of
the engines. Lightening lit up the
darkening skies and within
moments that great plane was
like a cork tossed around on a
celestial ocean. One moment the
airplane was lifted on terrific
currents of air; the next, it
dropped as if it were about to
crash. The man confessed that
he shared the discomfort and
fear of those around him.
As he looked around the plane,
he could see that nearly all the
passengers were upset and
alarmed. Some were praying. The
future seemed ominous and
many were wondering if they
would make it through the
storm. And then, he suddenly
saw a girl to whom the storm
meant nothing. She had tucked
her feet beneath her as she sat
on her seat and was reading a
book. Everything within her
small world was calm and
orderly.
Sometimes she closed her eyes,
then she would read again; then
she would straighten her legs,
but worry and fear were not in
her world. When the plane was
being buffeted by the terrible
storm, when it lurched this way
and that, as it rose and fell with
frightening severity, when all the
adults were scared half to death,
that marvelous child was
completely composed and
unafraid.
The man could hardly believe his
eyes. It was not surprising
therefore, that when the plane
finally reached its destination
and all the passengers were
hurrying to disembark, he
lingered to speak to the girl
whom he had watched for such
a long time. Having commented
about the storm and behavior of
the plane, he asked why she had
not been afraid. The sweet child
replied:
Sir, my Dad is the pilot and he is
taking me home.
*
texan09 29.10.10 - 07:19pm
The
Cab Ride
I arrived at the address and honked the horn.
after waiting a few minutes
I walked to the
door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a
frail, elderly voice. I could hear something
being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened.
A small woman in her 90's stood before me.
She was wearing a print dress
and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned
on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.
By her side was a small nylon
suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had
lived in it for years. All the furniture was
covered with sheets.
There were no
clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils
on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and
glassware.
'Would you carry my bag
out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase
to the cab, then returned to assist the
woman.
She took my arm and we walked
slowly toward the curb.
She kept
thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I
told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers
the way I would want my mother to be
treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good
boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave
me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'
'It's not the
shortest way,' I answered
quickly..
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said.
'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice. '
I looked in the rear-view mirror.
Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have
any family left,' she continued in a soft
voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very
long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me
to take?' I asked.
For the next two
hours, we drove through the city. She showed me
the building where she had once worked as an
elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood
where she and her husband had lived
when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in
front of a furniture warehouse that had once
been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow
in front of a particular building or corner and
would sit staring into the darkness, saying
nothing.
As the first hint of sun was
creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm
tired. Let's go now'.
We drove in
silence to the address she had given me. It was
a low building, like a small convalescent home,
with a driveway that passed under a
portico.
Two orderlies came out to
the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were
solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to
the door. The woman was already seated in a
wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?'
She asked, reaching into her
purse.
'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she
answered.
'There are other
passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.
She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an
old woman a little moment of joy,' she
said.
'Thank you.'
I squeezed her
hand, and then walked into the dim morning
light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound
of the closing of a life..
I didn't
pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove
aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that
day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had
gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient
to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run,
or had honked
once, then driven away?
On a quick review,
I don't think that I have done anything
more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think
that our lives revolve
around great moments.
But great
moments often catch us unaware-beautifully
wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY
WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM
FEEL.
Thank you, my
friend...
Life
may not be the party we hoped for, but while we
are here we might as well dance.
*
texan09 2.01.11 - 08:27am
It will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking..
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end.They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'
Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. *
texan09 8.01.11 - 12:08pm
i read this article somewhere n wanna share it :)
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being..
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze..
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody! Can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets..'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
*
texan09 5.03.11 - 05:29am
A Tale Of Two Seas
Sitting in the Geography class in school, I remember how fascinated I was when we were being taught all about the Dead Sea.
As you probably recall, the Dead Sea is really a Lake, not a sea (and as my Geography teacher pointed out, if you understood that, it would guarantee 4 marks in the term paper!)
Its so high in salt content that the human body can float easily. You can almost lie down and read a book! The salt in the Dead Sea is as high as 35% - almost 10 times the normal ocean water. And all that saltiness has meant that there is no life at all in the Dead Sea. No fish. No vegetation. No sea animals. Nothing lives in the Dead sea.
And hence the name: Dead Sea.
While the Dead Sea has remained etched in my memory, I don't seem to recall learning about the Sea of Galilee in my school Geography lesson. So when I heard about the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea and the tale of the two seas - I was intrigued.
Turns out that the Sea of Galilee is just north of the Dead Sea. Both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea receive their water from river Jordan. And yet, they are very, very different.
Unlike the Dead Sea, the Sea of Galilee is pretty, resplendent with rich, colorful marine life. There are lots of plants. And lots of fish too. In fact, the sea of Galilee is home to over twenty different types of fishes.
Same region, same source of water, and yet while one sea is full of life, the other is dead. How come?
Here apparently why. The River Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee and then flows out. The water simply passes through the Sea of Galilee in and then out - and that keeps the Sea healthy and vibrant, teeming with marine life.
But the Dead Sea is so far below the mean sea level, that it has no outlet. The water flows in from the river Jordan, but does not flow out. There are no outlet streams. It is estimated that over 7 million tons of water evaporate from the Dead Sea every day. Leaving it salty. Too full of minerals. And unfit for any marine life.
The Dead Sea takes water from the River Jordan, and holds it. It does not give. Result? No life at all.
Think about it.
Life is not just about getting. Its about giving. We all need to be a bit like the Sea of Galilee.
We are fortunate to get wealth, knowledge, love and respect. But if we don't learn to give, we could all end up like the Dead Sea. The love and the respect, the wealth and the knowledge could all evaporate. Like the water in the Dead Sea.
If we get the Dead Sea mentality of merely taking in more water, more money, more everything the results can be disastrous.
Good idea to make sure that in the sea of your own life, you have outlets. Many outlets. For love and wealth - and everything else that you get in your life. Make sure you don't just get, you give too.
Open the taps. And you'll open the floodgates to happiness.
Make that a habit. To share. To give.
*
