Friday, July 27, 2007
Thought for the day
Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. -Eddie Cantor
May we all be coffee...
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life
and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as though just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with
water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a
boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.
She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She
pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the
coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the
carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break
it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee...
daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter
then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the
same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected
its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water,
its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were
in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks
on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?'
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity
do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes
with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the
hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the
water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the
bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do
you elevate yourself to another level?
How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a
coffee bean?
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes
along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you
was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling
and everyone around you is crying.
It's easier to build a child than to repair an adult...
May we all be COFFEE...
and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as though just as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with
water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a
boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.
She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She
pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the
coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the
carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft.
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break
it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee...
daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter
then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the
same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected
its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water,
its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were
in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks
on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?'
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity
do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes
with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the
hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the
water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the
bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do
you elevate yourself to another level?
How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a
coffee bean?
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes
along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you
was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling
and everyone around you is crying.
It's easier to build a child than to repair an adult...
May we all be COFFEE...
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Thought for the day
I don't know tha key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. -Bill Cosby
So much to catch up on!
I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write in a while, not because I don’t have a lot to say, I just haven’t had a lot of time – the little free time that I have had I would much rather spend doing something else. So instead of posting several different posts, I’m just going to put it all into one large one, so please bare with me! Here we go….
Mom’s out of the country again. She and Doug went up to Canada to visit some friends. She’ll only be gone for about a week, so I should be great full that it’s just a short trip. But I miss talking to her. It’s generally a daily occurrence, so I feel a little lonely when I want to hear her voice, but can’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy for her (as well as a little envious) that she now has the opportunity to travel and do all the things that probably seemed unimaginable to her for so long. I just miss her so much when she’s abroad.
I’ll be switching to my new hours on Monday. I’m excited and sad at the same time. With the exception of one person, I really like my team, and the thought that I will only be sitting with them for one more day really makes me sad. It’s not as though I won’t see these people with my new shift, but I won’t be working closely with them, and I know the bonds that we have formed will eventually disappear. But I'm excited to go back to the evening shift. The hours suit me better – you know how I hate mornings! Also, the hours actually allow me to make appointments and get things done that I either couldn’t, or would have to schedule time off for because the 9-5 shift doesn’t leave much lee-way to do things to go to the bank, go to the doctor, etc. because they are only open during the hours I’m stuck at work. I’m a little apprehensive about taking on a new team, but I’m sure we will all get used to each other.
My new part-time job has thus far cost me more than I have earned. I get my first check tomorrow, which will be pretty small since it only has about 16 hours on it, plus they will be deducting the cost of my pretty green Harmons shirt I have to wear. Other than that expense, I had to order a special "invisible" nose ring that I can keep in while I’m working, since they have a no-facial piercing policy, and it just hurts too much to take it out and put it back in again. The price wasn’t bad for that – I think I actually spent more for express shipping than I did for the jewelry. But the thing that really hurt was the shoes. I have two pairs of really comfortable shoes; a pair of white New Balance runners, and a pair of brown Sketchers. Unfortunately, the dress code requires black shoes – and I own no comfortable black shoes – at least not ones that are comfortable enough to make it through 8 hours of being on your feet. So I went on a quest to find a good pair of shoes. Went to four different stores. Everything that I found that I liked weren’t available in my size. The things that I did find in my size were either really ugly of didn’t have enough support. So I broke down and went to REI – they had the shoes I wanted, and in my size. Unfortunately they were $70 more than I had, but I ended up getting them (that’s what overdraft is for, right?). And they’re worth it – they are the most comfortable things I’ve ever worn, plus they’re real leather, and the brand is famous for its comfort and durability. Still, it freaks me out because I’ve never spent that much on a pair of shoes!
We finally got some rain! It had been over a month since we’ve had any precipitation. I was so excited last night when it started to pour that I ran outside and just stood there getting soaked. Then I got cold and came back in. Probably wasn’t the best idea since they had been announcing sever thunderstorm warnings and advising everyone to stay inside. But it felt wonderful!
Well, I think I should post what I have written so far, and finish up later...
Mom’s out of the country again. She and Doug went up to Canada to visit some friends. She’ll only be gone for about a week, so I should be great full that it’s just a short trip. But I miss talking to her. It’s generally a daily occurrence, so I feel a little lonely when I want to hear her voice, but can’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy for her (as well as a little envious) that she now has the opportunity to travel and do all the things that probably seemed unimaginable to her for so long. I just miss her so much when she’s abroad.
I’ll be switching to my new hours on Monday. I’m excited and sad at the same time. With the exception of one person, I really like my team, and the thought that I will only be sitting with them for one more day really makes me sad. It’s not as though I won’t see these people with my new shift, but I won’t be working closely with them, and I know the bonds that we have formed will eventually disappear. But I'm excited to go back to the evening shift. The hours suit me better – you know how I hate mornings! Also, the hours actually allow me to make appointments and get things done that I either couldn’t, or would have to schedule time off for because the 9-5 shift doesn’t leave much lee-way to do things to go to the bank, go to the doctor, etc. because they are only open during the hours I’m stuck at work. I’m a little apprehensive about taking on a new team, but I’m sure we will all get used to each other.
My new part-time job has thus far cost me more than I have earned. I get my first check tomorrow, which will be pretty small since it only has about 16 hours on it, plus they will be deducting the cost of my pretty green Harmons shirt I have to wear. Other than that expense, I had to order a special "invisible" nose ring that I can keep in while I’m working, since they have a no-facial piercing policy, and it just hurts too much to take it out and put it back in again. The price wasn’t bad for that – I think I actually spent more for express shipping than I did for the jewelry. But the thing that really hurt was the shoes. I have two pairs of really comfortable shoes; a pair of white New Balance runners, and a pair of brown Sketchers. Unfortunately, the dress code requires black shoes – and I own no comfortable black shoes – at least not ones that are comfortable enough to make it through 8 hours of being on your feet. So I went on a quest to find a good pair of shoes. Went to four different stores. Everything that I found that I liked weren’t available in my size. The things that I did find in my size were either really ugly of didn’t have enough support. So I broke down and went to REI – they had the shoes I wanted, and in my size. Unfortunately they were $70 more than I had, but I ended up getting them (that’s what overdraft is for, right?). And they’re worth it – they are the most comfortable things I’ve ever worn, plus they’re real leather, and the brand is famous for its comfort and durability. Still, it freaks me out because I’ve never spent that much on a pair of shoes!
We finally got some rain! It had been over a month since we’ve had any precipitation. I was so excited last night when it started to pour that I ran outside and just stood there getting soaked. Then I got cold and came back in. Probably wasn’t the best idea since they had been announcing sever thunderstorm warnings and advising everyone to stay inside. But it felt wonderful!
Well, I think I should post what I have written so far, and finish up later...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Stardust
I’m so excited! Last night I was watching TV and happened to notice a trailer for an upcoming movie. Within the first few seconds, I knew that this was a movie based on one of my favorite books. Sure enough, the title of the movie is Stardust! I didn’t see that they had given my favorite author credit for it – no "based on a novel by Neil Gaiman", but there’s no doubt where the concept for the movie came from. Stardust was the first novel of Neil’s that I read, and it re-sparked my love of books and reading, so it holds a special place in my heart. I’m actually a little apprehensive to see the movie, but of course I will… I just hope I don’t end up disappointed – even with all of special effects, it will be hard to live up to the book.
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