Spread 'Em!

Thought for the day: People are like stain-glassed windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is  out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed. Only if there is a light from within. [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross]

[image courtesy of Morguefile]

So how's your inner light these days? Feeling good about yourself and the world? Yeah, I know it can be a challenge some days, but the light is right there inside you, if only you dare to let it shine.

We all possess certain talents and gifts that are unique to only us. You already have everything that you need to start living an extraordinary life. It's up to you to turn on the switch and let your light shine. [Randa Manning-Johnson]

Continuing with that train of thought on my journey of summer re-runs, the following gently-massaged post originally ran in June, 2011, as Open Up Then Wings, Baby! I hope you enjoy it. (I'm even going to re-run those six-year old weird stories of the week, because... why not? They may be old, but they're still still funny... kinda like some people I know...)

A good attitude is contagious, but don't wait to catch it from somebody else. Be a carrier.

***********************************





Thought for the day:  Just because you're sitting  in a garage doesn't mean you're an automobile.

[image courtesy of Morguefile]

It's too hot for a heavy meal today, so how about a little food for thought? The following is loosely based on a  James Agreey story, The Parable of the Eagle.

While traipsing through the woods one day, a farmer happened upon a solitary eaglet sitting on the ground. He scooped up the young bird, cradled it oh-so-gently in his arms, and carried it home with him. There, he secured it safely in the barnyard with his chickens, and before long, the eagle learned how to walk and squawk like a chicken and how to peck chicken feed from the ground.

A naturalist stopped by one day and demanded to know why the king of birds was confined to a barnyard, scratching in the dirt like a common chicken. The farmer claimed the bird was now a chicken. He'd been raised like a chicken and never taught to fly, so he was, in fact,  no longer an eagle. But (naturally) the naturalist insisted the bird still had the heart of an eagle, and could surely be taught to fly. And should be. Finally, the farmer agreed to let the naturalist try.

The naturalist picked up the eagle, and told him, "You're meant to be the king of the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

But the eagle couldn't do it. He was frightened. He looked down at all his chicken friends pecking corn from the ground and jumped back down to join them.

The next day, the naturalist tried again. This time, he took the eagle up to the roof. Again, he told him, "You're an eagle, the king of the skies. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

But once again, the frightened bird jumped back down to the safety of the chicken yard.

The third day, the naturalist carried the bird to a nearby mountain. He held the eagle high above him, and said, "You are an eagle, the king of the skies. Spread forth your wings, and fly!"

The bird hesitated at first. He looked back toward the farm, back to the only life he knew. Then he trembled, stretched his mighty wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared into the sky.

It's possible the eagle sometimes misses the chickens; he may even visit the barnyard once in a while for old time's sake. But as far as anyone knows, he's still living life as an eagle, the king of the skies... just as all eagles should do.
*****

How about you? Are you still hanging around in the barnyard because you're too frightened to stretch your wings? Never let someone else's definition of you and your capabilities prevent you from trying, because, you too, are an eagle, and you owe it to yourself to fly. Schoolchildren aren't the only ones with untapped potential.
*****

[image courtesy of Morguefile]

                                                       

OK, here we go, the WEIRD STORIES OF THE WEEK:

***  While enjoying an airboat ride on the Suwannee River in Florida, a young lady unexpectedly crossed paths with a sturgeon. And lost. The sturgeon, between five and six feet long, and weighing approximately seventy pounds, jumped out of the water and into the boat, and unfortunately, broke the damsel's leg in the process. Although some tried to characterize the encounter as as "attack", it wasn't. Nothing personal, lady. Sturgeons jump. That's what they do. Three days earlier, the state issued a warning about the potential danger posed to boaters by jumping sturgeon, but now I'm thinking ...  maybe the sturgeon general should've issued one, too.

*** Another Florida story, and this one's about a St. Lucie couple who are serious about their shooting. Most people have a TV in their bedroom, but this couple upped the ante considerably. They have a wood and metal target inside their bedroom closet. Handy when there's nothing good on TV, I suppose. Anyway, neighbors called the police on this frequently fighting couple recently, and when police arrived, the wife said she fired an AR-15 rifle at the target in her future ex-husband's bedroom, missed, killed a washing machine, and accidentally flooded the place. Yes, a considerable amount of alcohol allegedly led to the death of the innocent washing machine.

*** The final story is from Lithuania, where an online survey held by a local radio station indicated Lithuanian men felt the need for a day set aside to honor them. So, the station obliged. They declared a National Men's Day, and to commemorate the auspicious occasion, hosted an unusual swimming competition. Inflatable sex dolls were used as rafts. More than two hundred men registered, but only twenty were selected to participate. And that .... is all I'm gonna say about THAT!

                        Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Please Pick Your Proper Place in the Pecking Order

Thought for the day:  Can a writer spend so much time blogging ... he no longer has time to write?

Answer: I dunno about you, but I sure can. It's a vicious cycle: start a blog to promote your writing, and then spend so much time blogging, there's not much writing to support... (Gotta do better at striking a balance.)

DING, DING, DING! Rerun time! Some of you may remember this post from when it first ran in June of 2011, but it should be new to most of you. Sorry for being such a slacker today, but I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless.

Remember the False Start Friday bloghop sponsored by the loverly Suze? It was supposed to be playing its swan song the last Friday of this month, but the date has been changed, so now,  it's gonna be held a week earlier. And, um, it's also gonna be on a Thursday. So, technically, you could call it False Start Thursday if you'd like, but that doesn't sound nearly as good. It's gonna be held on Valentine's Day, and with an underlying theme of loooove. So, if you wanta sign up, pop on over to let Suze know. (That means I'll be posting on Thursday next week instead of Friday. Matter of fact, I think I'll shake things up and post on Tuesday and Thursday, and see how that goes.)

Check it out! I've got another cool bloghop to tell y'all about. What better way to celebrate Einstein's birthday than with a trip through a wormhole? Not the muddy kind with actual worms in it, but those nifty neat-o theoretical ones that allow you to whoosh through time and space. The idea? Write about where and when you'd choose to travel  if  you could go slip-sliding through one of those holes. Would you go back and change something in history? Maybe go forward to see if your team ever wins a Super Bowl? With my lousy sense of direction, I just hope I don't get lost. (Those darned wormhole entrances better be well marked!)  This hop is gonna be hosted by L.G. Smith, Laura Eno, and Stephen Tremp, and it promises to be a lotta fun. You can register to participate at any of their blogs. (Or by clicking on Einstein's face in the sidebar.)

Okeydoke, enough chatter. Here's my oldie but goodie, originally titled Open Up Them Wings, Baby... with a few minor changes. (DANG IT! Even when I'm trying to be a slacker, I can't stop myself from editing...)

*****

Thought for the day:  Just because you're sitting  in a garage doesn't mean you're an automobile.

The winter winds are blowing, so hot soup is on the menu, but how about a little food for thought to spread on your crackers? It's story time... a story loosely based on  James Agreey's The Parable of the Eagle.

While traipsing through the woods one day, a kind-hearted farmer found an injured eaglet, which he scooped from the ground, and carried back to his barnyard. There, the eagle gradually regained his strength, and was soon able to take his place with the other birds in the barnyard. In no time, he was walking and squawking like a chicken, and pecking chicken feed from the ground.

Months later, a naturalist stopped by the farm, and mortified by the young eagle's condition, demanded to know why the mighty king of birds was confined to a barnyard, scratching around in the dirt like a common chicken. The farmer claimed the bird was now, in fact, a chicken. He'd been raised like a chicken and never taught to fly, so he was  no longer an eagle. But (naturally) the naturalist insisted the bird still had the heart of an eagle, and could surely be taught to fly. And what's more, should be. The farmer finally agreed to let the naturalist try.

The naturalist picked up the eagle, tossed him into the air, said, "You're the king of the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

But the eagle looked at his chicken friends pecking corn from the ground, and immediately fluttered back down to join them.

The next day, the naturalist tried again. This time, he took the eagle up onto the roof. Again, he said, "You're an eagle, the king of the skies. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

But once again, the bird returned to the safety of the chicken yard.

The third day, the naturalist carried the bird to a nearby mountain. He held the eagle high above him, and said, "You are an eagle, the king of the skies. Spread forth your wings, and fly!"

The bird hesitated at first. He looked back toward the farm, back to the only life he knew. Then he trembled, stretched his mighty wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared into the sky.

It's possible the eagle may sometimes miss his life among the chickens; he may even visit the barnyard once in a while for old time's sake. But as far as anyone knows, he's still living as an eagle, the king of the skies. As he... and all eagles... should.
*****

How about you? Are you still hanging around in the barnyard because you're too frightened to stretch your wings? Never ever let someone else's definition of you and your capabilities, of what you should be doing with your life, prevent you from trying or from chasing your dream. Because, you too, are an eagle, you know, and you owe it to yourself to fly.

Schoolchildren aren't the only ones with untapped potential.

                                                       

Value yourself. The only people who appreciate a doormat are people with dirty shoes.

                Bottom line: What would you be doing if you weren't grounded by fear?

                                    Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Open Up Them Wings, Baby!

Thought for the day:  Just because you're sitting  in a garage doesn't mean you're an automobile.

It's too hot for a heavy meal, but how about a little food for thought? The following is loosely based on a story written by  James Agreey, entitled The Parable of the Eagle.

While traipsing through the woods one day, a farmer happened upon an eaglet, which he scooped up and carried home with him. He secured the young bird in the barnyard with his chickens, and before long, the eagle learned how to walk and squawk like a chicken, and to peck chicken feed from the ground.

A naturalist stopped by one day and demanded to know why the king of birds was confined to a barnyard and scratching around in it like a common chicken. The farmer claimed the bird was now a chicken. He'd been raised like a chicken and never taught to fly, so he was, in fact,  no longer an eagle. But (naturally) the naturalist insisted the bird still had the heart of an eagle, and could surely be taught to fly. And should be. Finally, the farmer agreed to let the naturalist try.

The naturalist picked up the eagle, and told him, "You're meant to be the king of the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

But the eagle was frightened. He looked back at all his chicken friends pecking corn from the ground, and jumped down to join them.

The next day, the naturalist tried again, and took the eagle up to the roof. Again, he told him, "You're an eagle, the king of the skies. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"

But once again, the frightened bird jumped back down to the safety of the chicken yard.

The third day, the naturalist carried the bird to a nearby mountain. He held the eagle high above him, and said, "You are an eagle, the king of the skies. Spread forth your wings, and fly!"

The bird hesitated at first. He looked back toward the farm, back to the only life he knew. Then he trembled, stretched his mighty wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared into the sky.

It's possible the eagle sometimes misses the chickens; he may even visit the barnyard once in a while for old time's sake. But as far as anyone knows, he's still living as an eagle, the king of the skies.
*****

How about you? Are you still hanging around in the barnyard because you're too frightened to stretch your wings? Never let someone else's definition of you and your capabilities prevent you from trying. Because, you too, are an eagle, and you owe it to yourself to fly. Schoolchildren aren't the only ones with untapped potential.
*****

                                                         
Before we go on to the Weird News Stories of the Week, let's take a glimpse at a couple other items worth mentioning:

• Don't get too comfortable with the fact that the Apocalypse didn't happen on May 21, because now preacher Harold Camping says he merely miscalculated. Now he says the big day to end all big days is coming on October 21.
• Residents of Cordova, Alabama are struggling to put their lives back together following the tornadoes that destroyed so many of their homes, but their I-sincerely-doubt-if-he'll-be-reelected mayor has opted to heap insult on top of their injuries. He just said NO to the temporary housing offered by FEMA's mobile homes. Says they're single-wide, and according to local ordinance, illegal within their city limits. Guess he doesn't have a problem with people living in tents.
• For those of you writing e-books, the New York Times now has a separate listing on their best sellers' lists for e-books. Sounds rather encouraging, don't you think?
• I'm not Jewish, but a recent story in the newspaper about a special bat mitzvah ceremony held  in the Atlanta area caught my eye. Traditionally, this is a coming-of-age ceremony for 13-year-old girls, but the women participating in this particular ceremony ranged in age from their early 40s to early 80s. For whatever reason, they were unable to come of age when they were youngsters, but after completing an intense year of study, these women proved it's never too late to soar. 

OK, here we go, the WEIRD STORIES OF THE WEEK:

***  While enjoying an airboat ride on the Suwannee River in Florida, a young lady unexpectedly crossed paths with a sturgeon. And lost. The sturgeon, between five and six feet long, and weighing approximately seventy pounds, jumped out of the water and into the boat, and unfortunately, broke the damsel's leg in the process. Although some tried to characterize the encounter as as "attack", it wasn't. Nothing personal, lady. Sturgeons jump. That's what they do. Three days earlier, the state issued a warning about the potential danger posed to boaters by jumping sturgeon, but now I'm thinking ...  maybe the sturgeon general should've issued one, too.

*** Another Florida story, and this one's about a St. Lucie couple who are serious about their shooting. Most people have a TV in their bedroom, but this couple upped the ante considerably. They have a wood and metal target inside their bedroom closet. Handy when there's nothing good on TV, I suppose. Anyway, neighbors called the police on this freqently fighting couple recently, and when police arrived, the wife said she fired an AR-15 rifle at the target in her future ex-husband's bedroom, missed, killed a washing machine, and accidentally flooded the place. Yes, a considerable amount of alcohol allegedly led to the death of the innocent washing machine.

*** The final story is from Lithuania, where an online survey held by a local radio station indicated Lithuanian men felt the need for a day set aside to honor them. So, the station obliged. They declared a National Men's Day, and to commemorate the auspicious occasion, hosted an unusual swimming competition. Inflatable sex dolls were used as rafts. More than two hundred men registered, but only twenty were selected to participate. And that .... is all I'm gonna say about THAT!

Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.