The Tortoise

    Practically everyone has heard the fable of the tortoise and the hare.  It may be presented in some varying details but the main point of the story remains the same.

     The Hare would often brag to the other animals about his amazing speed.  One day he made a challenge to any of the animals to race him.  Imagine the surprise of all the other animals when the Tortoise spoke up that he would accept the challenge!

     On the occasion of the race the Hare sped off down the road and saw the slow and steady Tortoise far behind him.  He gloated and teased the Tortoise yelling behind him:  “How do you expect to win the race when you are walking along at your slow, s-l-o-w pace?” 

     The Hare, now feeling very confident of himself, stretched out alongside the road and fell asleep.  He no doubt thought there was no need for any hurry, there was plenty of time to relax.  The Tortoise however kept walking, slowly and steadily he kept walking.  He never, ever stopped until he came to the finish line.

     The other animals were cheering so loudly for the Tortoise; they woke up the sleeping Hare.  He now stretched and yawned and began to run as fast as he could, but it was too late.  The Tortoise had already crossed the finish line.

     The Hare then expressed the moral of the story:  “Don’t brag about your lightning pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!”

     We may feel that we have the abilities needed to succeed within a certain task.  A task such as that one presently upon us to bring an end to the current Coronavirus pandemic.  Perhaps we are the one to find the cure and get mankind back on the road to “normalcy.”  But in our haste would we be creating a worse situation than the one we were trying to bring to an end?   Perhaps it would in our better interests to take a slow and steady approach and try to view further into the future than merely peering upon the present days.

     Remember:  The swift do not always win the race!  And neither do they always find the proper solution to a problem!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Why do you never have time to do something right,

but you have time to do it over?"

Why? --- Another Thought!

     That may be the one problematic question that we will truly never be able to answer!  At least not within every circumstance.  It is the question that we begin to wonder about as soon as we are old enough to question our own surroundings.

     “Why” does everything take place as it does?  “Why” are we here?  “Why” can we not simply do things the way we want them to be done?  The list of such questions will continue to grow for us individually as we continue to advance in age.  The questions will become more complicated; they will become more difficult for us to answer.  That is if we are able to do so at all!

     That reminds me of a joke that I once heard when I was much younger.  It had to deal with our human desire to find answers too many questions and yet to do so without much effort on our part personally.  The joke went something like this:

     There was a television game show allowing individuals to participate in an opportunity to win ONE MILLION dollars!  All they had to do was answer correctly a series of questions.  The questions were based on different topics and varied in difficulty. 

     One contestant had made his way toward the top answering question after question correctly.  Then with his opportunity to win the GRAND prize at hand he was asked his final question.  The Host of the program told the contestant that the final question consisted of TWO parts and he could answered them in any order he chose, but he must answer his selection correctly to advance to the next part of the question.  The contestant was also told that the first part of the question was very difficult and the second part was easy.

     The contestant thought for a moment and then responded:  “I’ll answer the second part of the question first!”  The Host opened the envelope and, looking at the contest, said:  “The second part of the question is ‘WHY’?”  The contestant simply hung his head in defeat!

     Had the Host been deceptive to the contestant?  Not at all, the second part of the question was easy - - - IF you knew the answer to the first part of the question!  Therein lays our dilemma!  We always want to do things the easy way:  WHY?  Because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"We may never know WHY,
but can we deal with the situation anyway?"

3 People

     Most people never give consideration to the fact that they are actually 3 people.  It’s true!  The same can be said for practically every human adult that exists on the planet.  I say adult because the dynamics don’t necessarily apply to younger children.  However, by the time a person is into their teen years usually the same can be said for them.

     Why do I say that everyone is actually 3 people?  Think about this for a moment.  All of us are the person we see ourselves to be.  We are also the person that others see us to be.  And then in reality we are the person who we truly are!  This person is probably somewhere in between the lines of the first two people we described:  That is the person we think we are and the person that others think we are.

     How can we explain this trio personality?  Let’s consider:  “The person we think we are!”  Most often we view ourselves in the light of self-preservation.  What does this mean?  We usually think of ourselves with the capacity to solve any problems or difficulties that we may find ourselves in.  Often we think that we can truly deal with whatever develops.  We hope that we are the “heroic” type of person who can come to the defense of the “underdog” and provide the best solution to their difficulties.

     We generally feel that if we were to find ourselves in some type of “stressful” circumstance we would be able to conclude the best solution which would make everything calm and peaceful once again.  Life could continue to move forward because we knew how to handle the problems.  Maybe we are the “super-hero” type who could swoop in at the proper moment and “save the day!”  Or perhaps we would be the “international spy-type” who could (under the cover of our secret disguise) prevent a despicable enemy from bringing total chaos to the world.

     Then there is the way we are seen by others.  Many people may look at us and think that we are totally useless in the majority of situations that they have seen us in.  To others we may appear as the type of person who “couldn’t punch their way out of a paper bag.”  They may think of us as the individual who couldn’t find their glasses if they were on top of their head, much less be of any use in an extremely difficult situation.  They may view us as the “Clark Kent” to our wanting to be “Superman.”  Of course, this view by others may have various degrees of composition the same as can be true of the view we have of ourselves.

     However, we are probably the third person:  The person we truly are!  We may have the inner desire to be the “hero” but we certainly may do everything we can to make sure we do not put ourselves in any circumstances that may call for actions that we feel would be out of our comfort zone.  We probably have more strength and fortitude than most people want to give us credit for but again we have that inner trepidation that makes us want to alleviate most opportunities that may call for us to respond in a heroic fashion.  When it comes to the “bottom line”: We want to stay in our “safe” place but when called upon depending upon the circumstance we make have our “save the day” moments.  In the finale:  We’re Only Human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"To get the best perspective of a situation,
first look within."

Future

  

          When people are feeling that there is no way out for the foreseeable future they drop to their lowest point of desperation.  We must always look for “the light at the end of the tunnel” as the expression goes.

            Without some glimmer of things becoming better people feel there is no reason to look toward to a chance for better days.  If you’ve noticed during this recent pandemic all the focus seems to be “we can get through this together.”  However some people always see the “glass as half-empty” and they always feel that things will only get worse.

            I have often quoted from Charles Dicken’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities:  “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”  However I don’t think many have understood why I feel the importance of using this quote so often.  Let’s take a moment to consider the times in which we live.

            Most people want to see an end to this pandemic and have the opportunity to “return to normal.”  But have they considered prior to the pandemic WHAT was “normal?”  The world had economic crises, food shortages, earthquakes, other diseases that humankind was trying to deal with; there were military confrontations, high suicide rates, drug problems, killings, crime and violence, and so many other things that it cannot be mentioned in this short blog.

            People have forgotten about many of these things because they presently can’t go out to eat, they can’t go to the movies, or visit their friends.  Many have lost their employment and are being totally stressed because of these and other circumstances.  But let’s be honest:  The prior “normal” situation before the pandemic was not that great!

            However, many of the “experts” are stating that the “normal” after the pandemic is over is not going to be the “normal” we lived in prior to the pandemic.  Some things will be changed.  Perhaps they will be changed forever, who really knows. 

            I can tell you and I believe this with all my heart that the future for many people will be completely different than what we see and hear about today because that future will be the future that has been promised by our Creator.  He has promised to return the human family to the conditions He had provided since the beginning of man.  He has promised perfection in a paradise earth.  A far better place to look forward to than any promise that can be made by a human.  Our Creator has not only made the promise but He has the desire and the ability to make that promise a reality.  That’s the future I am looking forward to!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"To get yourself OUT of the hole,
you first have to STOP digging."

Strength

    When we often think of strength we envision a person with great muscular attributes, someone with the quality or state of being physically strong.  However there is another component to this topic of strength:  The capacity of an object or substance (or person) to withstand great force or pressure.

     This would include the mental stamina to withstand the pressures or “great forces” that are placed upon us due to the present conditions in this world that we have to endure every day!

     The daily anxieties that we have to endure are many and are as varied as there are people in the world.  These great pressures are not prejudice as to our age, sex, color, economic status, our geographical location, or even as to our own personal abilities to deal with them.  The pressures of this world are coming upon all who are still able to take a breath and live.

     The stress of all that individuals have to face can be extremely daunting.  We try to do the best of our abilities to deal with them as they come upon us.  But at times the stress becomes almost to the point where we don’t believe we will be able to handle it.  And some, unfortunately, find that they no longer want to even try and end their own lives.

     This is very disturbing to most of us.  It is always our desire that such individuals reach out for help from the various sources that may be available to them.  Even now during this pandemic sources are still available to help individuals cope.

     This epidemic makes some feel that they have no hope for the future, but that is not true.  As the saying has been passed around for some time now:  We will get through this TOGETHER!  But we need to continue to rely upon each other and willingly embrace the help when it is offered.  There can be no greater joy than to know that we can be used to help others in this time of need.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The strength from within 
is much more powerful 
than the outward appearance."

Raise

    It seems like a simple English word, but we have to remember the English language (well, I guess I mean the American language) is often a most difficult beast to corral.  It is also very difficult to understand at times.  Just consider the following as an example:

     RAISE: to cause or help to rise to a standing position.  That seems to be pretty simple, at least at first glance.  There are however approximately TWO DOZEN different ways in which you could use this word!

     Possibly:  Awaken or Arouse.  Or perhaps to stir up or incite.  You are going to RAISE a rebellion.  You may even RAISE in the sense to flush game from its covering.  Or it may make reference to recall from, as if from death!

     Your meaning might refer to something completely different.  Such as to set upright by lifting or building:  i.e. RAISE a monument.  Or your meaning could simply refer to lift up!  You might RAISE your hand or RAISE sunken treasure.  There may be a more specific aspect such as to place higher in rank or dignity, to elevate.  You may have the aspect to heighten, or invigorate, such as RAISE the spirits!  It may have a meaning more along the lines to end or suspend the operation.  You would RAISE a siege.

     Perhaps your desire is to gather together for a purpose, such as to RAISE funds for an upcoming event.

     You could have the thoughts along the agricultural lines:  to grow or cultivate.  You are going to RAISE cotton, corn, wheat, or some other crop.  However, you could use the same term if you were making reference to humans.  You and your spouse are going to RAISE a child.

     It might be possible that you are going to provoke (to give rise to) such as an activity:  RAISE a commotion.  Or it might be that you are in a more opposite situation and you are to give voice to:  RAISE a cheer!

     If you were to consider your business operations you might want to bring something up for conversation or debate:  RAISE an issue.

     Or you may want to give consideration to the 16 other uses I found for this one word: RAISE!

     When you consider that there are over ONE MILLION words in the English language you can get a small glimpse into the difficulties that individuals have in making themselves truly understood on occasions.  It becomes also obvious that there are some people who can talk constantly and say very little.  However, this language difficulty is completely understandable when you remember:  We’re Only Human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"I never became a farmer,
but mama always said 'I raised cane!'"

Family

     Have you ever stopped for a moment and listened to the wind blowing through the trees?  Or perhaps stopped for a moment on your walk and watched the birds playing on the grass as they busily look for their morning meal?

     Why do I bring up such thoughts into your mind?  The answer is simple!  Today with the CoronaVirus pandemic wildly spreading throughout the world, many people are being forced to stop from their regular normal daily routines and this has created a tremendous void in the lives of many.

     They do not know what to do now that their lives have been so drastically interrupted.  They have moved through their complicated lives every day at a pace that they themselves never realized.  That is until now, when they have been forced to pause from the ordinary and reevaluate what their daily routines need to be.

          We often spend so much time GOING THROUGH life that we take very few opportunities to really APPRECIATE life!  There are so many things going on around us that when it comes down to the bottom line (as the expression goes) we must admit they are of very little consequences.  We often make such things the primary focus of our lives and yet in the “larger picture” those things are of very little importance.

     One of those PRIMARY things that we often take for granted and often is the very thing that suffers most is our families and our relationship to them.  We many times spend hours and hours working secularly so that our families will be better off!  What we fail to realize is that what our families need the most is US!  They need our time and our attention.  These are the very things we fail to give them because we think we are doing what is best for them.

     Regardless of our station in life.  Beyond the amounts of money we may be bringing into the household.  What our families really need is US!  We cannot jeopardize the most important thing in our lives by pursuing what we think is the greatest of value.  Sadly we usually only realize this when we have gotten to the point of no longer having the very relationships we were trying to create.  We, many times, don’t appreciate what we have until we have lost it or we have damaged it beyond repair.  We will reach for status, wealth, prominence, and any other marker of importance that we can think of, when all we really need to do is work as hard on our relationships with the people who are the closest and most dearest to us:  FAMILY!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Before attacking any person,

think of those in their family."

Why

    Why is it that it takes a major worldwide pandemic to put people in the “we all need to get along” frame of mind?  Now you see people from all walks of life who want to be kind to their neighbors.  They come out on their lawns and sing together.  They stand by their walkways and dance together.  During “normal” periods of their lives they would hardly speak a simple “hello” if they passed one another when coming or going to work!

     Why is it that it takes a major worldwide pandemic to put children in the mood to actually want to leave their homes and go to school?  These are the places where they will learn how to function as adults in the world when they graduate.  These are the building to which they spend the major of their time during the day hopefully learning how to get along within a human society made up of very imperfect people.  These are the same places that many will spend literally hours in various attempts trying to figure out how they can get away from their necessary activities and yet still get credit for being there!  Now they are required to “stay at home” and do their schooling via Zoom or some other conferencing method on the internet.  And what do many exclaim:  “Why can’t I go to school?”  Go figure!

       Why is it that it takes a major worldwide pandemic to (in effect) make people appreciate the hard work that so many “menial” employee positions provide to us?  Sadly there are those individuals who have made the lives of store clerks, stockers, fast food restaurant workers, and others extremely miserable, when their own lives make them feel someway superior to these workers.  Now they want them to stay at work so the shelves get stocked or they want them at the fast food windows so they can get their drive-through lunches.  Why can’t people have (and show) real appreciation for such individuals all the time?

     Why is it that it takes a major worldwide pandemic to make people act more like humans and display the love and concern for others that we should be displaying all the time?  Why do these things and other thing like them happen today and at other times?  The simple answer is very obvious - - - We’re Only Human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"True appreciation comes from a heart
full of love and concern for others."