It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself
-- Thomas Paine

First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do
-- Epictetus

There ain't much fun in medicine, but there's a heck of a lot of medicine in fun
-- Josh Billings

[ Thu Jul 03, 08:42:50 PM | Thomas Heng | edit ]
People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them.
-- George Bernard Shaw
- posted by T @ 9:14 pm

 
Let us admit it: our vain attempt to build a glorious civilisation by ignoring, even denying, god, has fail miserably. The twentieth centure -- the most secular century ever -- has also been the most violent century in human hustory. As the century draws to a close, rapid globalisation is bringing to the fore some of the inequities and injustices that divide humankind. It is only too apparent that in politics and economics, as in culture and social relations, moral considerations have little weight or value.
This is why at the end of the millenium our greatest need is to remember God. The remembrance of god is not some fanatical plea for a return to rigid religious dogma. To remember God is to uphold justice; for justice, the Koran tells us, was the mission of each and every prophet. To remember God is to strive for peace; it is to uphold freedom; it is to ensure the equality of all human beings. The rememberance of God is the expression pf compassion and kindness in our daily lives.
To remember God, in short, is to fulfill our role as God's trustee. By fulfilling our role as God's trustee we are in fact reminding ourselves of who we are and why we are here as what lies beyond this transient life. There can be no better reminder for humankind as we enter the thrid millenium.
-- Chandra Muzaffar
President, International Movement for a Just World, Malaysia

I believe that as we stand on the threshold of the third millenium, we see signs of humanity's awakening from the story of a clockwork universe set in motion by its creator and left to run down as its spring unwinds. This deadly tale has led us to believe that life is an accident and consciousness an illusion.
It caused us to forget the loving story of a living cosmos striving to know itself through an eternal process of transcendence toward ever higher levels of complexity and consciousness. We now are awakening to the truth that life is integral to creation and that consciousness is integral to its purpose. This is turn awakens us to possibilities for intelligent, self-aware living and the creation of new forms of social organisation grounded in our capacities for cooperation and compassion in service to the whole.
-- Davis C. Korten
Chairman, The Positive Futures Network, Washington State

Brothers, we now turn our faces toward the future and continue to wish you well in your endeavours as a nation. perhaps it would be well for you to look back again at our principles of peace, justice, and equality, to grasp firmly our hands in recognition of our long association, and to heed the treaties that were made so long ago -- that these treaties may thrive for our posterity as we walk down the long journey to eternity and we continue our association as government to government.
-- Chief Oren Lyons
'Speech to the US Senate', Iroquois Nation, NY

May we as a nation be guided by the Divine to rediscover the sacred flame of our national heritage, which so many have given their lives to safeguard.
Let the wounds of separation and division be healed by opening our hearts to listen to the truth on all sides, allowing us to find a higher truth that includes us all.
May we learn to honour and enjoy our diversity and differences as a people, even as we more deeply touch our fundamental unity.
May we as a people undergo a transformation that will draw forth individuals to lead our nation who embody courage, compassion, and a higher vision.
May our leaseds inspire us, as we so inspire each other with our potential that a new spirit of forgiveness, caring and honesty be born in our nation.
May we as a united people move with clear, directed purpose to take our place within the community of nations and help build a better future for all humanity.
May we as a nation rededicate ourselves to truly living as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
--Corrine McLaughlin & Gordon Dabidson
The Centre for Visionary Leadership, Washington DC

- posted by T @ 5:48 am

 
Angel on a Doorstep

By Shirley Bachelderl

When Ben delivered milk to my cousin's home that morning, he wasn't his
usual sunny self. The slight, middle-aged man seemed in no mood for
talking.

It was late November 1962, and as a newcomer to Lawndale, California, I
was delighted that milkmen still brought bottles of milk to doorsteps.
In the weeks that my husband, kids and I had been staying with my
cousin while house-hunting, I had come to enjoy Ben's jovial
repartee.

Today, however, he was the epitome of gloom as he dropped off his wares
from his wire carrier. It took slow, careful questioning to extract the
story from him. With some embarrassment, he told me two customers had
left town without paying their bills, and he would have to cover the
losses.

One of the debtors owed only $10, but the other was $79 in arrears and
had left no forwarding address. Ben was distraught at his stupidity for
allowing this bill to grow so large.

"She was a pretty woman," he said, "with six children and another on
the way. She was always saying, 'I'm going to pay you soon, when my
husband gets a second job.' I believed her. What a fool I was! I thought I
was doing a good thing, but I've learned my lesson. I've been
had!"

All I could say was, "I'm so sorry."

The next time I saw him, his anger seemed worse. He bristled as he
talked about the messy young kids who had drunk up all his milk. The
charming family had turned into a parcel of brats.

I repeated my condolences and let the matter rest. But when Ben left, I
found myself caught up in his problem and longed to help. Worried that
this incident would sour a warm person, I mulled over what to do.

Then, remembering that Christmas was coming, I thought of what my
grandmother used to say: "When someone has taken from you, give it to them,
and then you can never be robbed."

The next time Ben delivered milk, I told him I had a way to make him
feel better about the $79.

"Nothing will do that," he said, "but tell me anyway."

"Give the woman the milk. Make it a Christmas present to the kids who
needed it."

"Are you kidding?" he replied. "I don't even get my wife a Christmas
gift that expensive."

"The Bible says, 'I was a stranger and you took me in.' You just took
her in with all her little children."

"Don't you mean she took me in? The trouble with you is, it wasn't your
$79."

I let the subject drop, but I still believed in my suggestion.

We'd joke about it when he'd come. "Have you given her the milk yet?"
I'd ask.

"No," he'd snap back, "but I'm thinking of giving my wife a $79
present, unless another pretty mother starts playing on my
sympathies."

Every time I'd ask the question, he seemed to lighten up a bit
more.

Then six days before Christmas, it happened. He arrived with a
tremendous smile and a glint in his eyes. "I did it! I gave her the milk as a
Christmas present. It wasn't easy, but what did I have to lose? It was
gone, wasn't it?"

"Yes," I said, rejoicing with him, "but you've got to really mean it in
your heart."

"I know," he said. "I do. And I really feel better. That's why I have
this good feeling about Christmas. Those kids had lots of milk on their
cereal just because of me."

The holidays came and went. On a sunny January morning two weeks later,
Ben almost ran up the walk. "Wait till you hear this," he said,
grinning.

He explained he had been on a different route, covering for another
milkman. He heard his name being called, looked over his shoulder and saw
a woman running down the street, waving money.

He recognized her immediately - the pretty woman with all the kids, the
one who hadn't paid her bill. She was carrying an infant in a tiny
blanket.

"Ben, wait a minute!" she shouted. "I've got money for you."

Ben stopped the truck and got out.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I really have been meaning to pay you." She
explained that her husband had come home one night and announced he'd
found a cheaper apartment.

He'd also started a night job. With all that had happened, she'd
forgotten to leave a forwarding address. "But I've been saving," she said.
"Here's $20 toward the bill."

"That's all right," Ben replied. "It's been paid."

"Paid!" she exclaimed. "What do you mean? Who paid it?"

"I did."

She looked at him as if he were the Angel Gabriel and started to
cry.

"Well," I asked, when Ben had finished recounting the story, "what did
you do?"

"I didn't know what to do, so I put an arm around her. Before I knew
what was happening, I started to cry, and I didn't have the foggiest idea
what I was crying about.

Then I thought of all those kids having milk on their cereal, and you
know what? I was really glad you talked me into this."



"You didn't take the $20?"

"Heck, no," he replied indignantly. "I gave her the milk as a Christmas
present, didn't I?"
- posted by T @ 8:56 pm