Friday, September 19, 2008

Makes you think.....

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.' So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learnt that, no matter what happens,
how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learnt that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learnt that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
I've learnt that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..'
I've learnt that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I've learnt that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
I've learnt that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
I've learnt that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I've learnt that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
I've learnt that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
And lastly, I've learnt that I still have a lot to learn.

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"If you live in the elite world of dance, you find yourself in a world rife with criticism. Let's face it. "
------A. Ailey
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"The true dancing girl, who has a great aptitude for such matters, and years of experience, is a marvel to behold, for she seems always different, subtle and surprising. Some of these girls, interestingly, are not even particularly beautiful, though in the dance they become so."
------Assasin of gor
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"On with the dance! let joy be unconfined;No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet To chase the glowing hours with flying feet."
------George Gordon, Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage
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"You've got to sing like you don't need the money,Love like you'll never get hurt.You've got to dance like no one is watching,It's gotta come from the heart, if you want it to work."
------Susannah Clark and Richard Leigh
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1. Beginning dancer. Knows nothing.
2. Intermediate dancer. Knows everything. Too good to dance with beginners.
3. Hotshot dancer. Too good to dance with anyone.
4. Advanced dancer. Dances everything. Especially with beginners."
------Dick Crum
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"Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It's the rhythym of your life. Its the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy."
------Jaques D'Amboise
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"When you are fifty, you're neither young nor old; you're just uninteresting. When you are sixty, and still dancing, you become something of a curiosity. And hey! if you hit seventy, and can still get a foot off the ground, you're phenomenal!"
------Ruth St Denis