The head of a company survived 9/11 because his son started Kindergarten. Another man was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off on time. Another was late, stuck on the NJ Turnpike because of an accident and his life was spared. One missed his bus. One spilled food on her clothes and had to take the time to change. One's car wouldn't start. One couldn't get a taxi. One went back to answer the house phone. A man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning developed a blister before he got to the Towers, so he stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. When you're stuck in traffic, oversleep, miss your ride...all the little things that annoy you...maybe you're exactly where you're meant to be at that very moment. May all who perished on 9.11.01 Rest in Eternal Peace & may the loved ones still grieving find strength. #neverforget
I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.... I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr.. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me. 'Hello Barry, how are you today?' 'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good..' 'They are good, Barry.. How's your Ma?' 'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.' 'Good. Anything I can help you with?' 'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.' 'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller. 'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.' 'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?' 'All I got's my prize marble here.' 'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller. 'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.' 'I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.. 'Not zackley but almost.' 'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy. 'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.' Mrs... Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances.. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.' I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes... Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. 'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size.....they came to pay their debt.' 'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ..' With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles. *We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!* Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles: A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself... An unexpected phone call from an old friend ..... Green stoplights on your way to work... The fastest line at the grocery store... A good sing-along song on the radio... Your keys found right where you left them. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER!!!
that was a touching anecdote and a much need reminder about the power of kindness. thank you TC for posting
On topic: This is from the first page of a book I read in 5th grade. It had a cool name and was a lot of AR points.
My son earned the nickname little man simply by being born. Officially rescinding it and telling him he needs to hike 2,100 miles to earn it back. No participation trophies in this house.
The people posting/liking that are the same ones that said, “why do I need to learn how to use the internet?” or “I’ve got a perfectly good phone at home.” It’s like that Alanis Morissette song, “An old man turned 98. He signed up for Facebook, and died the next day..”
Maybe it was a very rural school with a graduating class of 8 Ok I didn’t see the birthday cake thing the first time. That makes it more funny.
Spoiler Same energy: “I don’t want to become you,” Holtz said, according to The Daily Beast’s Betsy Woodruff. “I don’t want to speak your language, I don’t want to celebrate your holidays, I sure as hell don’t want to cheer for your soccer team!”
I grew up in Lone Jack, Mo. I was raised by lower income family during a time when most everyone treated each other with respect. We didn't eat a lot of fast food because it was considered a treat, not a food group. We drank Kool-Aid made from water that came from our kitchen sink with real sugar. We ate bologna sandwiches, or even tuna (which was in a can not a pouch), PB&J & grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, pot pies, but mostly homemade meals consisting of mainly dough, meat, potatoes, vegetable, bread & butter, and homemade dessert. We grew up during a time when we mowed lawns, pulled weeds, babysat, helped neighbors with chores to be able to earn our own money. we went outside a lot to play games, ride bikes, red rover, dodge ball, run with siblings and friends & played hide and seek. We drank tap water from the hose outside... bottled water was unheard of. If we had a coke -it was in a glass bottle ... and we took the empties back to the store for a 5 cent deposit. We watched TV shows like Bonanza, Leave It To Beaver, Gilligan's Island, Happy Days, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Little House On The Prairie, and I Love Lucy. After school, we came home and did homework and chores before going outside or having friends over. We would ride our bikes for hours. We had to tell our parents where we were going, who we were going with, and what time we'd be back. You LEARNED from your parents instead of disrespecting them and treating them as if they knew absolutely nothing. What they said was LAW and you did not question it, and you had better know it!!! When the sun was starting to set you had better be home. In school we said the Pledge of Allegiance, we stood for the National Anthem and listened to our teachers. We watched what we said around our elders because we knew if we DISRESPECTED any grown-up we would get our behinds whipped, it wasn't called abuse, it was called discipline! We held doors, carried groceries and gave up our seat for an older person without being asked. You didn't hear curse words on the radio in songs or TV, and if you cursed and got caught you had a bar of soap stuck in your mouth and had to stand in the corner. “Please, Thank you, yes please no thank you were part of our daily vocabulary! You grew up to respect the Nation, the Flag & Your Elders NO MATTER!! Re-post if you're thankful for your childhood and will never forget where you came from & the time you came from! Wouldn't it be nice if it were possible to get back to this way of life? I really liked that life!!!!!!!!!
Garden hose, played outside, street lights, yes sir no ma’am, church, earned our money on a paper route. Did I miss anything?
I grew up a lot like that guy. Probably similar age. I was more urban / less rural. Not really low income, but as one of 10 children, the food $$ had to stretch pretty far, and all of those meals were on the table as (presumably, my parents didn't share the details) you got closer to payday. And in a strict Catholic home and school, the "show respect and shut your mouth or else" part was definitely there. You might be surprised to learn that the respect extended to people of all races and faiths, though we may have been atypical. I just must have missed the part where that was the only or best way to be.