I’m sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.
I’m spending more time with my family and friends and less time at work whenever possible. Life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not endure.
I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
I’m not "saving" anything; I use my good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis bloom.
"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.
It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my wife/husband/significant other/parents often enough how much I truly love them.
I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back or save anything that would add laughter and luster to my life.
And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, is special.
If you received this, it’s because someone cares for you. If you’re too busy to take the few minutes that it takes right now to forward this, would it be the first time you didn’t do the little thing that would make a difference in your relationships? I can tell you it certainly won’t be the last.
Take a few minutes to send this to a few people you care about, just to let them know you’re thinking of them.
More about the origins of this story and the number of times it has been re-written and reprinted appears on Snopes.com.
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids 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. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to 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 would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, 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 detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the 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. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: "Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything?" It didn’t seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window–and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence–deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away–no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the 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. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed…. It faced a blank wall.
Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice…it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.
The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.
If by the mere fact, you are healthy, and can read this message, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Smile… be positive… make others smile… and pass on your good fortune. This world is for those who are confident and possess a positive energy. So remember, it is when you see your cup half full instead of half empty that the world and those in it come along and fill your cup to the brim for you! Remember this!
This is a very beautiful quote, and Bessie’s grandaughter e-mailed me to let me know that Bessie submitted the poem as an entry in a contest for Brown magazine and won a small cash prize on the order of $250. That money paid off the mortgage on the house and bought a tombstone for one of her children that had died. The quote has been incorrectly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who is a worthy fellow, but didn’t write it.
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women; the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, If you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with JOY, mine or your own: if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being a human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you’re telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul, I want to know if YOU can be FAITHFUL and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty every day, and if you can source your life from ITS presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still Stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "YES!"
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know if can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
8. Meeter’s Kraut Juice (Stokely USA):
Yes, that’s sauerkraut juice, which is even worse than it sounds. The taste and smell can be a bit, well,harsh, but KJ is reputed by its fans to have certain medicinal benefits (as asource of vitamin C, cure for intestinal bugs, etc.), which adds up to aclassic case of the cure being worse than the disease.
7. Guycan Corned Mutton with Juices Added (Bedessee Imports):
The best thing about this Uruguayan canned good is the very pouty-looking sheep on the package label — he seems to be saying, "Go on, eat me already." The second-best thing is the presence of both "cooked mutton" and "mutton" in the ingredients listing, which would seem to have all the mutton bases covered.
6. Armour Pork Brains in Milk Gravy (Dial Corp.):
If you’re really looking to clog up those arteries in a hurry, you’ll be pleased to learn that a single serving of pork brains has 1,170 percent of our recommended daily cholesterol intake. All the more ingenious, then, that the label on this product helpfully features a recipe for brains and scrambled eggs.
5. Sweet Sue Canned Whole Chicken (Sweet Sue Kitchens, Inc.):
From its size (think growth-impaired Cornish hen) to its overall appearance (it’s stewed in a quivering mass of aspic goop), this product may change forever your idea of what constitutes a chicken. Gives new meaning to the old line about meat "falling off the bone."
4. Musk Life Savers (Nestle Confectionery):
You may think musk is a scent, but over in Australia, they think it’s a candy flavor. A candy flavor that tastes disturbingly like raw meat, to be precise. But what did you expect from a country where everyone happily consumes Vegemite?
3. Blind Robins Smoked Ocean Herring (recently discontinued by Bar Food Products):
Possibly the world’s most bizarre prepackaged tavern snack. Interestingly, the product’s titular robin isn’t actually blind, he’s blindfolded — the better, presumably, to avoid looking at these heavily salted herring strips, which look like giant slugs.
2. Kylmaenen Reindeer Pate (Kylmaenen Oy):
This Finnish canned good may not be particulary tasty, but at least it answers the age-old question of why Rudolph was so eager for that safe, steady job on Santa’s sleigh team — he didn’t want to end up a cracker spread.
1. Tengu Clam Jerky (Tengu Co.):
Nothing you’ve ever consumed can prepare you for the horror that is clam jerky. Still, this product does score a sort of conceptual coup: If you’re the sort who’s always found raw clams too slimy and gelatinous for your taste, these dried, shriveled mollusks will help you dislike clams on a whole new level.
Unbelievable quotes of the rich and famous. (Don’t overlook the Dan Quayle, who gets a page of his very own: Quayle-isms
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." — Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest
Recently, Dan Quayle announced his intentions to run for President of the U.S. in 2000. Since many younger voters may not have been watching the news when these were said the first time, we provide you with this list of famous Quayle quotes.
"Mars is essentially in the same orbit… Mars is somewhat the same distance from the Sun, which is very important. We have seen pictures where there are canals, we believe, and water. If there is water, that means there is oxygen. If oxygen, that means we can breathe."
— Vice President Dan Quayle, 8/11/89
"The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation’s history. I mean in this century’s history. But we all lived in this century. I didn’t live in this century."
— Vice President Dan Quayle, 9/15/88
"I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy – but that could change."
— 5/22/89
"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared’."
— 12/6/89
"May our nation continue to be the beakon of hope to the world."
— The Quayles’ 1989 Christmas card.
"Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things."
— 11/30/88
"We’re going to have the best-educated American people in the world."
— 9/21/88
"I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made."
— Vice President Dan Quayle to Sam Donaldson, 8/17/89
"Public speaking is very easy."
— to reporters in 10/88
"Illegitimacy is something we should talk about in terms of not having it."
— 5/20/92 (reported in Esquire, 8/92)
"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur."
— 9/22/90
"For NASA, space is still a high priority."
— 9/5/90
"Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our children."
— 9/18/90
"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between
a mother and child. "
— on Republican family values
"What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."
— at a fundraising event for the United Negro College Fund. He was attempting to quote the line "a mind is a terrible thing to waste"
"When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame."
— on the complex social issues behind the Los Angeles Riots
"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the
only regret I have was that I didn’t study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people"
"The loss of life will be irreplaceable."
— on the San Francisco earthquake
"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may
not occur."
"It is wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago."
"It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment.
It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."
"Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts."
"The future will be better tomorrow."
"People that are really very weird can get into sensitive positions and have a tremendous impact on history."
"We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a *part* of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a *part* of Europe."
"I am not part of the problem. I am a Republican."
"A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."
"[It’s] time for the human race to enter the solar system."
"I support efforts to limit the terms of members of
Congress, especially members of the House and members of the Senate."
"If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure."
"I have made good judgments in the Past. I have made good judgments in the future."
"The American people would not want to know of any misquotes that Dan Quayle may or may not make."
"We’re all capable of mistakes, but I do not care to enlighten you on the mistakes we may or may not have made."
The Darwin Awards, for those not familiar, are for those individuals who contribute to the survival of the fittest by eliminating themselves from the gene pool before they have a chance to breed.
NOMINEE No. 1 [San Jose Mercury News]: An unidentified man, using a Shotgun like a club to break a former girlfriend’s windshield, accidentally shot himself to death when the gun discharged, blowing a hole in his gut.
A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her name plate that the tellers name is Patricia Whack. So he says, "Ms. Whack, I’d like to get a loan to buy a boat and go on a long vacation." Patti looks at the frog in disbelief and asks how much he wants to borrow. The frog says $30,000. The teller asks his name and the frog says it’s Kermit Jagger and that it’s okay, he knows the bank manager.
Patti explains that $30,000 is a substantial amount of money and that he will need to secure some collateral against the loan. She asks if he has anything to use as collateral.
"Sure," the frog says. " I have this." He produces a tiny pink porcelain elephant about half an inch tall.
Very confused, Ms. Whack explains that she’ll have to consult the bank manager and disappears into a back office. She finds the manager and says: "There’s a frog out there called Kermit Jagger who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000 and he wants to use this as collateral." She holds up the tiny pink elephant. " I mean what the heck is this?" So the bank manager looks at her and says:
"It’s a Knick Knack, Patti Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man’s a Rolling Stone."
Three guys are out having a relaxing day fishing. Out of the blue, they catch a mermaid who begs to be set free in return for granting each of them a wish.
Now one of the guys just doesn’t believe it, and says: "OK, if you can really grant wishes, then double my I.Q." The mermaid says: "Done."
Suddenly, the guy starts reciting Shakespeare flawlessly and analyzing it with extreme insight.
The second guy is so amazed he says to the mermaid: "Triple my I.Q." The mermaid says: "Done."
The guy starts to spout out all the mathematical solutions to problems that have been stumping all the scientists of varying fields: physics, chemistry, etc.
The last guy is so enthralled with the changes in his friends,that he says to the mermaid: "Quintiple my I.Q." The mermaid looks at him and says: "You know, I normally don’t try to change people’s minds when they make a wish, but I really wish you’d reconsider."
The guy says: "Nope, I want you to increase my I.Q. times five, and if you don’t do it, I won’t set you free." "Please," says the mermaid "You don’t know what you’re asking…it’ll change your entire view on the universe…won’t you ask for something else…a million dollars, anything?" But no matter what the mermaid said, the guy insisted on having his I.Q. increased by five times it’s usual power. So the mermaid sighed and said: "Done."
