History in the Making

Recent conversations on Facebook have led me to ponder on the topic of famous speeches and political speeches. I found this wonderful website that put together a list of the Top 100 Speeches and it seems like a good list to me so I thought I would share it.

Political speech is not what it once was in America. This is understandable given the advent of television and the lessening attention span of the voter. Back in the day, a good political speech could run two hours or more. And in the days before microphones, that meant the speaker would have to really belt it out, usually in a sing-song manner so that the diaphragm did most of the work. There was an art and artifice to speeches back then. Audiences came to expect the classical allusions, the histrionic hand waving, the tears, the posing – all tricks of the trade a good speaker would have at his beck and call.

How on earth did people sit still for two hours to listen to a speech, you might ask? With the good ones, the people usually begged for more. Most politicians were proud of their ability to deliver a whopper of a speech and sway people to vote for them. It explains the good run that the Long family had in Louisiana. :)

This is an outgrowth of the fact that most politicians began their careers as lawyers. In small town America, going to a courtroom was like going to the movies. Court watching was sophisticated entertainment for most people.

There are numerous examples of defense attorneys getting a murderer off by giving a closing argument that blatantly appealed to the pity of the jurors or of prosecutors getting a jury to convict an innocent man by raising the jury’s bloodlust.

There were also traveling speech writers and speakers who, for a fee, would deliver appropriate remarks at funerals and holidays like the Fourth of July. Many times, these speakers doubled as preachers – another place Americans liked to go to listen to a good speech.

It seems we Americans appreciated a good speech more than just about anything. Think of the Lincoln-Douglas debates where thousands turned out to hear the two men. And, of course, a half a million turned out to hear a Georgia preacher speak of a dream he had for America.

There are a couple of things that all great speeches have in common.
1. The moment. The exact time in history where the speaker’s words will resonate.
2. The backdrop. The place the speech is delivered amplifies its meaning.
3. The words. All great speeches are as inspiring when read as they are when delivered orally.

A favorite comedian of mine, Eddie Izzard, does a hysterical but accurate portrayal of speaking and the importance of speeches in his comedy routine when he offers the following declaration:  All speeches are about "70% of how you look, 20% of how you sound, only 10% is what you say. 

Here is a little snippet of that comedy routine:

”But it – back in the 60s, though, back in the 60s, President Kennedy became the President of the United States of America. “People of Berlin, I have come to you to tell you something about the American states – what is – I – I sound a bit God, don’t I? But I have come to say to you that every free citizen of the world is a citizen of Berlin. And I wish to say to you, ‘Ich bin ein Berliner.’ ” And the crowd went fucking wild!

Trouble is, “Ich bin ein Berliner” means “I am a donut.”  This is true, and this is what he said, he said “I am a donut!” And, as I say, 70% of how you look, 20% of how you sound, only 10% is what you say. He said “I am a donut” and they went *wild*! You know. Because “Ich bin Berliner” is “I am a Berliner.” But “Ich bin *ein* Berliner,” is – that’s the name of a donut they have there.

But the – it – the people in Berlin must’ve gone, “It – what did – what did he say?” “He said he was a donut!” “I thought he said he was a donut too!” “So what does that mean?” “It’s a slang! It’s American!”

And given that we are talking about the spoken word as opposed to the written word, it's much funnier when you hear it as opposed to just reading it.  So here is the clip of that part of his routine.
And almost anything is funnier in an English accent.  That's a fact.  

This brings me around to where we were last night.  Are great political speeches historically significant or just politically significant.  Or are they both?  Like I said, I think it’s a combination of the moment, the backdrop, and the words.  That magical formula where a speaker can take words on the paper and weave them into some of the most famous moments in history.  Some would argue that these speeches are not true historical events because they were, for the most part, planned.  But I think that the written word in the right hands at the right time can change lives, build you up, tear you down, and shape the course of events in our lives.  Sure, the words are important and we may never know or meet the dozens of people behind some of our most resonating speeches but it’s the men and women who deliver them that cements them in our minds and hearts. 

Maybe speeches are so important to me because both of my parents are very well spoken.  Both excellent speakers in their own right.   My dad was a salesman so naturally he was a good speaker.  He had the tricks and the flair and the style to grab an audience and take them on a journey when he spoke.  I remember at his barbershop concerts he used to give this “We Sing So They Shall Speak” speech to explain how barbershop choruses across the country worked together to raise funds for children’s speech programs, testing and equipment all across the country.  He loved giving that speech and I loved hearing him give it.  One of the favorite things that I have of my dad’s is a handwritten copy of a speech that he had given.  I found it by accident in a stack of file folders I had from his office.  I thought they were empty but here were these papers stuck in one of the folders. 

Now, dad had the flair and the showmanship but I think that Mom is the true speaker of the family because she has the most important gift of a really great speaker, she’s a good listener.  It’s from my mom that I have this love of history and historical moments.  Mom is the one that pays attention and is the keeper of history.  And boy does she love a good quote!   Mom has inspired so many people from serving on the School Board or working with the Adult New Readers program to her work with The Historical Society or writing for the Que Vive club.  And of course being a librarian came from her love of books and of the written word.  When mom speaks, people listen.  And those are the kind of speakers who shape history and change lives. 

Click HERE for the link to the Top 100 American Speeches.  Most of the speeches have a link for the written transcript and some even have the MP3 file so you can listen to it.   And, yes, Reagan’s “Brandenburg Gate” speech is on the list. 

Here are the Top 10 Speeches according to that list.  Seems like a pretty good representation to me.

1 Martin Luther King, Jr.                        I Have A Dream

2 John Fitzgerald Kennedy                     Inaugural Address

3 Franklin Delano Roosevelt                   First Inaugural Address

4 Franklin Delano Roosevelt                   Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation

5 Barbara Charline Jordan                     1976 DNC Keynote Address

6 Richard Milhous Nixon                       Checkers

7 Malcolm X                                         The Ballot or the Bullet

8 Ronald Wilson Reagan                        Shuttle ''Challenger'' Disaster Address

9 John Fitzgerald Kennedy                     Houston Ministerial Association Speech

10 Lyndon Baines Johnson                     We Shall Overcome

Beauty Really IS in the Eye of the Beholder

I saw this article on the news today , and curious, I went to take a look as well.
The concept?  Imagine if you were asked to explain your own beauty to someone.  Would you struggle?

Yeah. You and the other 3.5 billion women on the planet.

The reality is that most of us can’t see our own beauty like the people around us can. We’re constantly underestimating ourselves. In fact, only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.

This video will change the way that you think and feel about your own beauty….

An FBI-trained forensic artist, Gil Zamora, created sketches of seven women who were hidden behind a curtain; he used their self-descriptions as the basis of his drawings. Prior to the session with Zamora, each of the women were also asked to spend some time with a stranger – without being told why. Zamora then also drafted sketches from the stranger’s depictions of the women.

And the result? Well, we’ll let you see for yourself.

I have to say that I am always constantly amazed by the marketing team behind Dove, because they focus on not just the Dove products but instead, highlight real women, and basically real people. They are out to promote positive self-esteem and help women feel good about our unique inner and outer beauty and it can be really inspiring to watch the videos like the one above. Best of all, these are real emotions, a real experiment, no acting involved, and that’s what makes it really compelling.

To tell you that YOU are more beautiful than you think!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Tyrants

This weekend I saw the following news story:

Gabby Reece "Huffington Post" Article


Part of the news story was about her new book and the things that she says about her marriage.  The rest of the story was about how many women she pissed off.  How many feminist groups where protesting her book.  How many hate Tweets she was getting about how her book will set woman back to the 40s and 50s.  I was so outraged by the criticism that she was getting that I couldn't stop myself from pausing the TV almost every 30 seconds and waving my hands and yelling at the TV.  You'd have thought I was watching Dr. Phil.  (Which, by the way, if you saw the Dr. Phil from Friday, April 12, you would know that I spent 95% of the time yelling at the screen.  But I digress)

This story enraged me but not for the reason that you may think.  I think that what sets us back 50 or 60 years as women is the fact that some women still haven't embraced Sisterhood in all forms.  

How does the type of marriage that Gabby Reece chooses to have change my marriage?  Sound like another "hot topic" issue currently going on in this country?  I listen to Gabby's interview and then looked up everything I could about her book online.  And do you know what?  I woke up this morning and my marriage was still the same!  Well except for the fact that I haven't yet been able to convince my husband to let Johnny Depp live with us now that he is divorced.  

So is this what "Women's Groups" think of us as women?  That we are so blindly stupid and naive that we can hear what Gabby Reece thinks of marriage and we will all collectively loose our shit an be brain washed by the horrible servitude of her marriage.  She is writing a book about what worked for her.  Nothing I read said that she is selling a lifestyle or saying that anyone else has to live her experience.  She is just saying, "Here is what I chose to do and it worked for me."  And for that she is getting ripped to shreds and getting hate Tweets.  WTF?  Really people, you have to realize that even the word "Hate Tweet" deflates your point from the get go.  

But let's go back to the most important word I said above, "Choice".  As in, her choice.  And aren't we supposed to be all for that.  Freedom of Choice?  I guess it's just freedom of choice as long as you act like the woman that they think you are supposed to be.  And this doesn't set us back to the 40s and 50s.  Puh-Leeze!  Back then women lived those marriages largely because they didn't have a choice.  And that was wrong.  But a modern and successful woman is saying that the way she chooses to live her marriage makes her happy and works for her.  Her choice.  Say it with me, "Her choice."  And you all have the right to read that and think, "Oh hell no!  That wouldn't fly with me."  Then perfect.  Don't do it.  That's the great thing that the Women's Movement gave us, choice.  And we should celebrate that.  And honor all the women who came before us and paved the way.  They fought hard for us to enjoy more freedom than we've ever had before. 

However, the one area where women fall tragically short is supporting each other's choices.  We are our own worst enemies.  Gabby Reece doesn't get to be happy and live whatever kind of marriage she wants to have?  Really?  There is no force here, there is no coercion.  There is a woman who is making a choice of how to live her life and she's happy and she wrote a book about it.  End of story.  

The fact that women are the first to jump on the hate campaign is disgusting and tragic.  We are a sisterhood and should support each other.  This book isn't about advocating that this marriage is the only kind f marriage or the right kind of marriage.  It's just her kind of marriage.  And as women we should support another woman's right to make choices in her life and steer that in whatever direction she chooses.  

Below is an excerpt from NOWs website*:
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.

"Bring about equality for all women" - Unless you do something we don't like and then we will hunt you down like a wolf.

"Eliminate discrimination and harassment [edited] in all sectors of society "  - Unless you say something we don't like and then we will slow roast you over a pit.

*I'm not trying to pick on NOW.  They were just one of the critics and so I sought out their website because I figured it would have the most comprehensive mission statement.  

So this dear friends is what had be yelling and gesturing at the TV for about 10 minutes during the news story.  I hate hypocrisy.  And to maliciously go after a woman for writing a book about her experience is just plain wrong.  Yes, some women might read this book and think, "This speaks to me.  I like what it says."  Some women will read it and think, "This is nice.  I'm glad it worked for her.  Doesn't sound like it's for me though."  And some women might read it and think, "What a crock of shit.  I would be miserable being like this."  And out of all of those women, they should have the right to live the kind of marriage they want and do what makes their life happy.  Or even live a life without marriage and be perfectly happy.  

It's all about that little word, Choice.  Doing what you do that works best for you.  And for all my sisters and sister-friends, I love and support you in all you do and in all paths that you choose.
Peace be with you.  

Parental Confessions - Why I Was Wrong To Ban Toy Guns

Hardwired for Gun Play?

First, a basic question: Are little boys predisposed to gun play?

In today’s society, it is difficult to shield a child from “expressions of violence,” whether they come from television shows, video games or even older siblings and friends.  Boys are likely predisposed to respond.  Boys probably have some yet-unknown gene which contributes to this behavior.   Who knows?

Still, identifying the ancestral underpinnings of aggression in boys doesn't make it any easier for parents.

I was one of those parents.  When I gave birth to my little precious boy I immediately instituted a no gun policy.  No exceptions.  Now, I was raised around guns.  They weren't part of my growing up experience.  But I knew that I was going to raise a mentally and genetically advanced race of Renaissance Man who had no need for such barbaric pursuits such as shooting and killing and war.  

The first time I realized that genetics might have a stronger pull on my son than I did was when, at 2, he chewed his piece of toast into the shape of a gun and proceeded to shoot his other breakfast items.  Fast forward 2 years and he is 4 and at 4 anything and everything can be a gun.  Sticks, umbrellas, paper towel tubes, hangers, and hell really they didn't even need an object because every boy has a pistol build right into their hand and it is with them at all times.  

That's when I realized that it was about whether or not our sons could get to and play with toy guns that was important.  What was important is what we teach our children about guns. We are afraid to talk to our kids about guns because we think that it will make them more curious and more apt to want to use a gun.  I think that this is the same fear that we carry with us regarding talking to our kids about sex and about safe sex. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we parents think that maybe if we never say the word "condom' to our kids then maybe they will never find out about it and just not have sex.  So we shy away from teaching our children about guns because we think that the less they know the safer they will be.  We have wiped out and looked down and pretend gun play for so long that kids don't get to act out those natural roles during the most important time when they are learning through play.  And then when they get older we don't sit down and have real conversations about guns with our kids other than to say that they are dangerous and can kill people.  In the end, I think that this is not maybe the best way to go about handling the situation.  

Had I the ability to do it over again, I would have let my son have that cowboy outfit and that six shooter.  I have done a great deal of thinking about this topic and there are some common sense things that I think that we can do to uncover the fear and mystery of guns and give our kids a chance to learn about guns and gun safety in a real way.

What Parents Can Do

Here are six things parents can do to ensure that a child’s interest in toy guns doesn't get out of hand:

1.        1. Talk with your kids.

Instead of talking at your child about guns (“Guns are dangerous!” “Don’t do that!”) talk with them. Their understanding of guns is probably less sophisticated than you think.

Ask open-ended questions to acknowledge the play and spur conversation: “Looks like you’re having fun. What are you doing?” And gently but consistently underscore the difference between real and toy guns by emphasizing how much fun it is to “pretend.”

2.        2. Limit your child’s exposure to violence on TV or in video games.

I think exposure to violence on TV or video games should be a greater concern to parents than gun play. Repeated exposure has been demonstrated in studies to desensitize kids to violence. It is important to limit this exposure, especially in younger kids.

3.        3. Monitor, don’t necessarily prohibit, your child’s gun play.

As long as playing with toy guns doesn’t dominate a child’s time, it’s okay to let them explore it, provided a parent or trusted adult is watching.

Many young kids (under age five) don't even understand what shooting someone really means. The shooting is more about power, fantasy and imagination—not killing and death.

That said, if all your child wants to do is engage in gun play, you need to place limits like you would on any other activity done in excess.

4.       4.  If you’re going to buy a toy gun, make sure it really looks like a toy.

Try to limit the toy guns in your house to those that look nothing like real guns—the more colorful, the better.

Also, and I can’t stress this enough, even though it is a toy reminding kids about proper toy gun etiquette is key: “We don't point at faces or at people who ‘aren't playing.’”  Even though it is play that rule should be taught early and should be reinforced often.

5.       5.  Encourage “target practice.”

Achieving the simple goal of hitting a target with a foam-ball gun can be extremely satisfying for an active child, and it helps develop hand-eye coordination to boot.

Just draw a bull’s-eye on a white board or make a pyramid of empty soda cans, and you’re good to go.  There’s an added benefit in that the children can be competitive and have fun without accidentally hurting each other.  And it’s a healthy kind of competition because they are learning to improve a skill and have fun while doing it.  It doesn't have to beat about beating anyone else.  It teaches kids to set goals for themselves and increase their skill level each time they try for a harder or a new target. 

6.        6. Teach proper gun safety.

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth pointing out: if you choose to have real guns in your home, it’s imperative to help your children understand and respect their power.  Even in you don’t have real guns in your home, chances are that one day your child will be in the home of a gun owner.  If they know the rules from the start then they can be taught to respect guns and know what the important safety rules are.  As your children get older and start spending time in other people’s homes, this is not a lesson that you want to skip out on.  Too many times as parents, the only thing that we teach kids about guns is that they are scary.  What we should be arming our children with is knowledge, not fear.  In the end, knowledge is the most powerful weapon that your child can possess. 

Above all, be approachable. Knowing that Mom, Dad or another trusted adult is always available to answer questions will help your children process their curiosity about the gun-related messages society sends. And in the long run, you’ll keep your kids safer.

My next installment will be on how I became a reformed Barbie-Hater and how I came to the realization that a doll has nothing to do with my daughters self-esteem.  Stay tuned...

Honesty Really Is The Best Policy

10 Favorite Quotes on Honesty

#10   An honest man's the noblest work of God. ~ ALEXANDER POPE

#9     Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind. ~ AUSTIN O'MALLEY
#8     A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent. ~ WILLIAM BLAKE
#7     Honest people don't hide their deeds. ~ EMILY BRONTE
#6     Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth. ~ MAHATMA GANDHI
#5     No legacy is so rich as honesty. ~ WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
#4     Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty. ~ PLATO
#3     Honesty pays, but it doesn't seem to pay enough to suit some people. ~ KIN HUBBARD
#2     Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. ~ THOMAS JEFFERSON
#1     Honesty is the best policy. ~ BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

To start, let’s break down some basic truths about honesty and how it fits into our current lives.  In modern world, honesty has lost its meaning. But still some people appreciate honesty. All religions lay down great stress on honesty.

An honest person is always brave. They are not afraid of anybody. Sometimes, they have to face many problems also. They are truthful and are liked by everybody. On the other hand, liars, greedy and cunning people earn more money but they are not liked by people.  Honesty should be maintained everywhere, at home, in school, and among friend.

Honesty also gives rise to spiritual strength. So one takes up any challenge with confidence. On the other hand, a dishonest person can never be sure of anything.

They are always busy in plotting. So they never get peace. An honest person is rewarded with success. Even after their death, people remember them. They get love and respect from others.

The life of Mahatma Gandhi is an example. Since his childhood, he tried to remain honest and truthful.  Once he went to a restaurant with his friend and took some non-vegetarian food, which was forbidden at home. He repented afterwards and honestly accepted his mistake in a letter addressed to his father.  Gandhi was expecting a severe punishment as his father was very strict but his father broke into tears as his son’s honesty touched his heart. In his later life, Gandhi practiced honesty as a habit.

Dishonesty, no doubt gives benefits sometimes but those benefits are temporary and short lived.  It kills our soul and snatches away our peace of mind. It is not an easy job to remain honest in this world.  One needs enough courage and sacrifice to be honest. But even then honesty has its own value and comes out victorious in the long run.

I try to stress this to my children.  When all is said and done, no matter how much you have or how successful you are, your most prized position is your word.  If you are known as someone who can be taken at their word, that is a commodity that is more valuable than gold.  And once lost it’s the most difficult thing to get back.  And what you don’t realize until it’s too late is that eventually you can reach a point where you can fight and fight to regain the ability for people to take you at your word but that valuable treasure will never be quite the same. 

I spent many many years under the notion that the worst thing that could possibly happen in my life was to have people find out that my life isn’t smooth and perfect.  My motto was to put up a good front and keep up appearances at all costs because what was most important is “what will the neighbors think?”  There are so many painful things that I went though alone or hid from loved ones because to maintain the appearance of a problem free existence was my number one goal.  And living that kind of life is exhausting and painful.  You aren’t honest with the people in your life but much worse is that you are not honest with yourself. 

Then one day something miraculous happened.  I got a job as an office manager at a church.  I was told that each week we have staff meetings.  No problem, right?  So I sit down at my first meeting and I was told that each week one person shares a devotion and then another person says a prayer and then we discuss what the devotion meant to us.  My stomach literally hit the floor.  “What kind of devotion?”, I asked while trying not to show the panic attack that I could feel rising in my chest.  I was told that we just share stories about our daily lives and struggles and joys and sorrows.  We were to share our thoughts and things that inspire us and make us think.  So I’m sitting there thinking that for 39 years I had spent the majority of my life pretending that I didn’t have problems or if I did I went to great lengths to hide them.  That’s when I realized that God really does have a twisted sense of humor.  My fellow staff members were so respectful and kind to me.  I admitted to them that the thought of praying out loud terrified me.  No problem I was told.  Write down a prayer and read it if you’d like and if that makes you comfortable.  Next came the devoting part.   What the hell was I going to talk about when my every instinct was that you don’t air your problems out to other people?  Well my time came and I was up on the firing line for my first devotion.  Now, this isn’t a phrase that generally use at work but it’s the only thing that because describes what I did.  I went “balls to the wall’ and picked a very emotional and painful story to share.  It was my version of just ripping the bandaid off of that fear of people finding out my truth and that I don’t have a “normal” life.  And God bless my dear friends at work (friends is not a good enough term for them now.  Now they are family.) because they were so affirming and lifted me up for the huge step I took.  It’s the first time in my life that I ever felt safe sharing a story like that.  We now make jokes about my angst ridden journey into the world of living an open and real life.  Now I devote away and pray out loud with the best of them! 

The second reason that this job was a blessing is that I got to see that EVERY family has heartache, scandal, terror, fear, joy, devastation, betrayal, love, loss, and pretty much every other human emotion that you could think to name.  What?  You mean other families have problems too?  Other people screw up and wreck their lives and pick up the pieces, heal and move on?  It’s okay to make mistakes and not have to carry them on your back for the rest of your life?  Wow, it was an awakening and a revelation of epic proportions. 

So this leads me back to honesty.  Now, living and honest life doesn’t not mean that you have to be an open book at all times.  You have the right to decide healthy boundaries and decide what parts of your life that you do or don’t share.  A simple, “I don’t want to discuss that,” beats coming up with a story just to smooth things over and get people off your back.  And it’s a much less exhausting way to live.  Peace of mind has no price tag on it.  When you are at peace with yourself, live your life without trying to maintain that false perfect life perception, and know that it’s okay to “just say no” to sharing certain things; then life gets real simple and real easy almost immediately.  

This is the legacy that I want to leave for my children.  I want them to understand how valuable “your word” is in this world.  I want them to know that we are all imperfect and make mistakes.  But it’s better to live a real life, warts and all, than to present yourself as something that you aren’t.  The most important person for you to be honest with is yourself.  And I want them to know that they are going to make mistakes.  LOTS of them.  We all did and will continue to.  But when you do just stare it down head on and deal with it with truth, honesty, and integrity. 

Now, once we get the honesty and integrity part down flat we will work on another key word, Diplomacy.  :)  When you can embrace honesty and weave it into diplomacy, you have pure gold on your hands. 

Life Lessons 101

I enjoy listening to stories or anecdotes that relate to life and that can teach me something. I have found that the people around me are great sources for these stories whether it’s from listening to the radio, reading a funny story passed along, or just being aware of people around you even when you are standing in line waiting for something.  I think that a lot of life lessons can be achieved in those waiting moments if you just take the time to be present, aware, and plugged in to your surroundings.  That’s the good stuff.  I’m telling you.  The stuff that you can pick up and carry with you in the moments that you take to be still and really pay attention are golden.  So I have decided to share what I've heard and hope you enjoy these stories and anecdotes just as much as I do.

Pancakes

A mom is making pancakes while her two sons look on in anticipation. Soon they start bickering over who gets the first pancake. The mom seizes the teaching moment and turns to the boys and says, "You know boys, if Jesus were here, he would let his brother have the first pancake."

At which point the one brother turns to the other and says, "Cool. You be Jesus."

Lesson: Sometimes we have to put our own wants and needs aside for someone else but in the end it’s ultimately rewarding.    

Horse

In a rural area a farmer was tending to his horse named Buddy, and along came a stranger who despartely needed the farmer's help. The stranger had lost control of his vehicle and ran it off into a ditch. The stranger asked the farmer if his horse could somehow pull the vehicle out of the ditch for him and told the farmer that the vehicle was small. The farmer said he would come, bring his horse, and take a look, but could not promise he could help if his horse might be injured in some way from attempting to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. The farmer did see that the stranger was correct and that the vehicle was small, so the farmer took a rope and fixed it so that his horse, Buddy, would be able to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. The farmer then said, "Pull, Casey, Pull," but the horse would not budge. The farmer then said, "Pull, Bailey, Pull," but the horse would not budge again. The farmer then said, "Pull, Mandy, Pull," and again the horse would not move. The farmer then said, "Pull, Buddy, Pull," and the horse pulled until the vehicle was out of the ditch. The stranger was so very grateful, but asked the farmer why he called the horse by different names? The farmer said, "Buddy is blind, and I had to make him think he had help pulling the car out of the ditch or he would not have pulled."

Lesson: don't wait on others in order to accomplish something or you may always be in a ditch. Sometimes we won't attempt to do something if we know we don't have help.

Frog

One day two frogs were hopping in and out of a watering hole and accidentally hopped in an extremely deep hole. They tried to leap out, but to no avail had no success, so they began to yell and croak until other frogs heard them and came to help. The other frogs looked over into the hole and said the hole was too deep for them to help, but both frogs kept leaping up the sides of the hole. The other frogs, leaning over the hole and waving their front legs, began to yell to the frogs to just give up and die and that there was no hope of them getting out of the hole, but both frogs kept leaping and trying to get out of the hole. They leaped for hours and one of the frogs just gave up he was so exhausted and died. The other frog in the hole kept leaping, but the other frogs, leaning over the hole, kept yelling and waving their front legs for him to stop and give up, but the frog kept leaping trying to get out of the hole. Finally the frog leaped so high that he was able to leap to the top of the hole and used his back legs to push himself up out of the hole. The other frogs said even though we told you to give up that there was no hope of you getting out of the hole you kept leaping. The frog that got out of the hole thanked the other frogs for egging him on - the other frogs didn't know that this frog was deaf.

Lesson: Sometimes you have to turn a "deaf ear" to what others tell you is impossible.

Compromising Situation

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbor. Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that towel.” After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob.After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 dollars and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks,…

“Who was that?” “It was Bob the next door neighbor,” she replies. “Great!” the husband says, “Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”

Lesson:  It’s always better to go into any situation with the full story.  Perspective can be priceless.