Being a minister brought precious moments.

Three sages walk on the wild side.

I was speaking with some friends and having a little walk down memory lane of my days as a minister, thinking of some of those events of life that bring a smile to the face. Some of the simple little requests that came from parishioners that took little turns that add to twists and turns of life.

Like the time when I got my first ever caravan and when a wonderful old gentleman I knew died and the family wanted me to do something special for them.

Now, these two things might not seem related but they turned out to be. The family had liked some of the memories I had found out about this dear older man and used at the service of cremation. They now had his ashes and thought it would be nice if I conducted a little ceremony at the spot where he played on a rope swing as a boy. I thought this was a lovely idea but not knowing where this was I asked two of his friends to accompany me to show me the place. 

Eventually, after tramping over fields and tracks we got to the spot.  I unscrewed the lid from the little wooden casket. His friends removed their caps and bowed as I said a few words of thanksgiving for his life. With as much dignity as possible, I scattered the ashes. I had not considered the wind and his two friends ended up brushing their friend from their suits. We knew that old John would have laughed at this and so we did also and headed home with some nice thoughts.

Now, what has this to do with the caravan? Well, the casket that the ashes were in matched the woodwork of my caravan to perfection and was just the exact size for me to use to hold the radio I had purchased to put in the van but had not worked out how. Every time I turned that radio on I remembered old John and smiled and said a thank you for his life.

Some other things that still bring a smile to my face are some of the things said to me or my friend by parishioners on the way out of church after the service and sermon. I will not tell you to whom what was said but here are a few choice words.

"You always manage to find something to fill up the time." 

"I don't care what others say, I like your sermons." 

"If I'd known you were going to be good today I'd have brought a neighbour." 

"Did you know there are 243 panes of glass in the windows?" 

"We shouldn't make you preach so often." 

It makes me smile even now all those years later. 

A  member of my congregation sent in the following for the church magazine

"Simply send a copy of this letter to six other churches who are tired of their ministers. Then bundle up your minister and send him to the church at the top of the list. Add your name to the bottom of the list. In one week you will receive 16,436 ministers, and one of them should fit the bill as a replacement. 

Have faith in this letter. One man broke the chain and got his old minister back."

I really hope it was said in the spirit I took it.

Lastly, I remember when I preached my very last sermon before leaving the ministry to take up teaching. At the end of the service many of the members of the church took a few minutes to stand up and make a little farewell speech. Having listened carefully to each one I felt moved and emotional.

I could not help myself when in return I said a few words to them. "I am deeply moved with all those kind words and thoughts in fact had you said them to me before I had decided to leave I might have stayed."

Have a great day and go on have a smile. 

By your actions be known.

Castles in the Air.

Some many years ago while I was still in the ministry I had a positive experience while working along with the police force of what was then known as Strathclyde Region. I was instrumental in the setting up of a crime prevention panel in the town where I operated as one of the parish ministers. 

One of the many things I found myself doing was coming up with a slogan and a graphic for a scheme to make children aware that not all the people who spoke to them on the street were friendly and innocent of intent. On reflection with the passing of time, I am not so convinced that the slogan and idea were all that wonderful.  The slogan was, "Always say no to strangers." The symbol was of a running figure. The material that went with the scheme I think did make its mark warning children that some people who offered to give you a lift home or to school were being kind and considerate.

The downside was that maybe the scheme was so effective that children saw all strangers as threatening and this certainly was not the intention of the scheme. In recognition of the work I had put into the scheme the police force presented me with a lovely tankard with the graphic on the handle, to this day it has a place of pride.

Now as I wonder the village where I stay I speak to a great many people all of whom not long ago were strangers to me but now I consider as fellow members of a lovely community of people. Most people now recognise me with the many different hats I wear and the various roles I play in community life. A simple journey to the local store can take on some days a long time, as I stop and speak to them all. 

I do not want to be long winded but I have three interesting tales that help me make today's point well. If you find them too much read one two or three and then skip to the end.

The three stories are all about real people and all true. 

The first about an artist. The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883) lost his passport while travelling. When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not.

Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the official, "we'll give you a test, and if you pass it we'll allow you to go through." Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper, he told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be. His work confirmed his word! 

The second is about a famous violinist.  Setting out from Hamburg, Germany, one day to give a concert in London, violinist Fritz Kreisler had an hour before his boat sailed. He wandered into a music shop, where the proprietor asked if he could look at the violin Kreisler was carrying. 

He then vanished and returned with two policemen, one of whom told the violinist, "You are under arrest."

"What for?" asked Kreisler.

"You have Fritz Kreisler's violin."

"I am Fritz Kreisler."

"You can't pull that on us. Come along to the station."

As Kreisler's boat was sailing soon, there was no time for prolonged explanations. Kreisler asked for his violin and played a piece he was well known for. "Now are you satisfied?" he asked. They were! 

The last is also a true story about an engineer. A young American engineer was sent to Ireland by his company to work in a new electronics plant. It was a two-year assignment that he had accepted because it would enable him to earn enough to marry his long-time girlfriend. 

She had a job near her home in Tennessee, and their plan was to pool their resources and put a down payment on a house when he returned. They corresponded often, but as the lonely weeks went by, she began expressing doubts that he was being true to her, exposed as he was to comely Irish lasses.

The young engineer wrote back, declaring with some passion that he was paying absolutely no attention to the local girls. "I admit," he wrote, "that sometimes I'm tempted. But I fight it. I'm keeping myself for you."

In the next mail, the engineer received a package. It contained a note from his girl and a harmonica. "I'm sending this to you," she wrote, "so you can learn to play it and have something to take your mind off those girls." 

The engineer replied, "Thanks for the harmonica. I'm practising on it every night and thinking of you." 

At the end of his two-year stint, the engineer was transferred back to company headquarters. He took the first plane to Tennessee to be reunited with his girl. 

Her whole family was with her, but as he rushed forward to embrace her, she held up a restraining hand and said sternly, 

"Just hold on there a minute, Billy Bob. Before any serious kissin' and huggin' get started here, let me hear you play that harmonica!" 

Billy Bob became known as a wonderful harmonica player.

What does this tell? It is very simple, " By your deeds be known." I

f your actions are correct and caring you will have many friends and be known for what is in your heart.

Have a great day.

Of course always say yes.

Where one thing stops and another begins.

There is nothing surer there comes a time in life when we know that something is going to give. But do we listen and take heed of the warning signs?  Not very often.  

I was so busy the other day I felt a bum just above my ankle and I was aware for a moment that it was painful. Having a very high pain threshold I took no notice it would be sorted in a moment and it seemed that it was the case. 

Later I headed home and sat down to take my show off. it was then I noticed my sock was wet and when I touched it covered my hands red so it was not water. it is not wise to ignore even the smallest of warning signs that all is not well.

On Jan 25, 1990, Avianca Flight 52 from Colombia crashed just 15 miles short of New York's Kennedy International Airport, killing 73 passengers.  

How did this occur? The plane just ran out of gas. Under international regulations, an airliner must carry enough fuel to reach its destination as well as its assigned alternate, plus enough extra to handle at least 45 minutes of delays. 

Due to low fuel condition, the Avianca pilots had requested "priority" (not "emergency") landing. Because the exact word "emergency" was not used, and due to heavy traffic and bad weather conditions, the ill-fated plane was placed on a holding pattern...until it simply ran out of gas. Not taking due care and not giving the correct signals 73 lives were lost.

 very early in my life an incident that may have seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life, and I should have paid more attention to what was said to me. 

The winter of my ninth year, I went walking across a snow-covered field with my father. As we reached the far end of the field, my father stopped. He turned and pointed out his own tracks in the snow, straight and true as an arrow's flight, and then my tracks meandering all over the field. 

"Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again," he said. "And see how my tracks aim directly to my goal. There is an important lesson in that." 

Years later I still tell how this experience had greatly contributed to my philosophy in life. 

"I determined right then not to miss most things in life, as my father had."  But maybe I should have paid more attention. Maybe he was telling me that we can take on too much and try to see and do everything and it is not always possible. 

If you wish to be a member of the "Coronary and Depressive and Ulcer Club" here are the rules for all members and prospective members.

1. Your job comes first. Forget everything else. 

2. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are fine times to be working at the office. There will be nobody else there to bother you. 

3. Always have your briefcase with you when not at your desk. This provides an opportunity to review completely all the troubles and worries of the day. 

4. Never say "no" to a request. Always say "yes." 

5. Accept all invitations to meetings, banquets, committees, etc. 

6. All forms of recreation are a waste of time.

7. Never delegate responsibility to others; carry the entire load yourself. 

8. If your work calls for travelling, work all day and travel at night to keep that appointment you made for eight the next morning. 

9. No matter how many jobs you already are doing, remember you always can take on one more. 

I think this is worthy of some thought along with my father's message but will I take heed? I doubt it.

Have a great day remember do not overdo it. 

To feel the guilt.

A saying worthy of thought.

It is some time since I just sat and practised some chines calligraphy. I will never, and never aspire to, be able to write with the beautiful ease of the masters of this craft. Nevertheless, it is a soothing way to spend an hour or two, and it does take this time. So what does it say?

What you do not wish upon yourself, do not extend to others.

It is so very true that we can be acutely aware of the hurts we feel ourselves but can be blind to the hurt we bring to others with thoughtless words and actions.

I without thinking made contact with a person who used to be in my class at school. I said hello and asked how the person was doing. Without any thought, I saw a curt reply. You were the person who stole my sweets when we were at school. 

I remembered the incident very clearly and was shocked to read the words. I was so sure this person would have been told the truth of this incident. I had never actually been the person who took her packet of sweets but I did know who had. At the time I said nothing and took the punishment given to me by the teacher, being unaware of the real torture of living with a false accusation. At the time I thought that it better to take it from the teacher rather than from the bully who had taken them.

I really believed most people knew this to be the case. But this poor person has carried a grudge in her mind for me for all those many years. 

An old man was going out to his garden to chop some wood for the winter. getting to the woodpile he could not find his axe. No matter how he searched he could not find it.

He was convinced the suspicious young lad who lived nearby had stolen it. This was the story he told to all his friends and neighbours. The young lad in his opinion was a very shifty looking character. The old man took ill and was confined to bed. The young man came to his door offering to get his shopping or to do any chores he could to help. The old man looked at hime and said, "You could have cut some wood for the fire had you not stolen my axe."

The young boy looked amazed and asked if the axe he meant was the one he could see from here lying in the bush near the woodpile. The man felt terrible. he and the younf lad became great friends.

John was driving home late one night when he picked up a hitchhiker. As they rode along, he began to be suspicious of his passenger. John checked to see if his wallet was safe in the pocket of his coat that was on the seat between them, but it wasn't there! 

He slammed on the brakes, ordered the hitchhiker out, and said, "Hand over the wallet immediately!" The frightened hitchhiker handed over a wallet, and John drove off. 

When he arrived home, he started to tell his wife about the experience, but she interrupted him, saying, "Before I forget, John, do you know that you left your wallet at home this morning?" 

Many a hurt has been caused by thoughtless words and thoughtless actions.

Every action brings with it consequences. What you do not wish for yourself, do not extend to others.

Have a marvellous day.

Middle, middle earth, middle age!!.

Yes, it is the little dog I showed the other day but I had to go back and make some changes I could see little things that were not right. As I did this I was thinking how nice it would be to be able to just jump back and sort out all the mistakes made in the past. Now in the fag end years of life, I am aware of some things I could have handled much better in the foolishness of youth.

Sadly it is not possible and if I have learned anything in this stage of my life I have learned not to dwell on such things but to get on with living and go with the flow.

I was jokingly saying something similar to a friend just the other day. he pointed out that I was much younger than he and I need to stop and think about not being old. "You are just in your middle age." 

I smiled and thought that he did have a point we are all living much longer and what was once old age is now middle age. 

So what is middle age? That difficult period between adolescence and retirement when you have to take care of yourself. But I have retired already so that definition cannot be true.

So let me try again. A definition from some of my recent musings on this topic.

 Middle age is when everything starts to click, your elbows, knees and neck and most frightening of all for me my fingers.

It is when you realie that you'll nver live long enough to try all the recipes you spent all those years clipping out of newspapers and magazines. All the photographs taken and kept in the hope that one day I will paint them.

This one just came to me as I write, it is not only later than you think, it's sooner than you suspect .

It is when you're faced with two temptations and you choose the one that gets you home by nine o'clock. Nine  that is almost a late night for me. You may think I am just being silly but I kid you not I used to meet up with friends of a week night. I found it harder and harder to be there at the time they thought was early.

For me it is looking at a mountain and remebering running up and down much higher and still hearing myself say, "I might walk up there tomorrow." 

One of the other thoughts that came to mind. When I was a minister I had a CB radio and my handle ( the call name I used) was sky pilot. I had a bad reputation as the flying minister because I drove far too fast. 

So middle age is when you're warned to slow down by a doctor rather than a policeman. 

I asked a friend if I was in old age or middle age. The answer I got was that I was a senior, what a cop out.

So a last little thought I am not sure which age I am in but I certainly know more about Middle Earth than i do about Middle Age.

Whatever age you are in I remind you of my greatest wisdom . Fear not and go with the flow.

Have a great day. 

Celebrities and Experts.

The Celebrity Expert.

It seems that we now live in the age of celebrity and the expert. I have for some time been a lover of quiz programmes pitting my wits not so much against the contestants more the questions. Some are better than others in the sense that some have a better variety of questions and topics.

There are some such programmes that I am absolutely hopeless at the ones where the there is a large number of questions based on soaps films or celebrities. I can never answer such questions simply because I do not watch enough films and I watch no soaps at all.

Now the worst kind of quiz programme in my opinion, and I am well aware that this is only my opinion and not shared by very many others, are the celebrity version of a quiz. It seems though that if there is a quiz programme before very long there will be a celebrity version.

I find myself thinking, "Oh no not another one?"  I gave up on those finding the questions not worthy of being asked, or because I felt embarrassed for the celebrity when so often there was hardly a question they could answer.

Another thing that I found off-putting was when announced that it was a celebrity programme and I was told who the celebrities were I never knew any of them. Of course, this was probably because I do not watch soaps.

Now I am acutely aware that I am probably at this moment sounding a little snobbish but let me make a plea against this. There are some of those programmes I really do enjoy and my pleasure is diminished by the celebrity content.

I am told that one of the largest selling genres of magazines sold by newsagents and supermarkets are those dealing with celebrity. This certainly lets me know that once again in my life I am in the minority group.

The other interesting and growing groups of people are, "The Experts." We now seem to have experts on almost every category under the sun. They are brought in more and more frequently to add something extra to the report. "Let us ask the opinion of the expert." Frequently the only expertise necessary seems to have been working in that field for one or two years.

I often found it amusing when sitting in court as a magistrate that a lawyer would bring in as a star witness an expert, often who seemed to know very little at all about the topic.

You can't always go by expert opinion, it is not always reliable.  A turkey, if you ask a turkey, should be stuffed with grasshoppers, grit and worms. A great deal I suppose depends on what we mean by an expert. 

The only thing worse than an expert is someone who thinks he's an expert.

Here is a true tale that has both ingredients, celebrity and expert.

While she was enjoying a transatlantic ocean trip, Billie Burke, the famous actress, noticed that a gentleman at the next table was suffering from a bad cold.

"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked sympathetically. The man nodded. "I'll tell you just what to do for it," she offered. "Go back to your stateroom and drink lots of orange juice. Take two aspirins. Cover yourself with all the blankets you can find. Sweat the cold out. 

I know just what I'm talking about. I'm Billie Burke from Hollywood." 

The man smiled warmly and introduced himself in return. "Thanks," he said, "I'm Doctor Mayo from the Mayo Clinic."  

One thing for sure, you can relax knowing that this blog post was written neither by an expert or a celebrity but I do hope you found it worthy of a little read. I am off to see what celebrity show, quiz or programme I am going to give a body swerve to this evening. 

Have a marvellous day.

   

To Make Peace.

I frequently speak about finding peace in life, I do so because finding peace and having peace seems to me to be one of the most important things to be able to hold onto.  It has been the most important concept in my life. 

I heard this incredible statistic, since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight per cent of the time!  Of the  3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years  have seen peace. In the same time, in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made, and broken. 

It seems that peace is something humanity would like to have, to grasp, but never enough, somehow the desire for peace is overcome by the desire for wealth, resources and other things.

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for his belief and faith. On the night before his execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. 

Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of his god, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his god to meet his need. 

Here was somebody who had indeed discovered the real meaning of peace. He had found a peace that passes all understanding. 

Matthew Henry said this about peace, "Peace is such a precious jewel, that I would give anything for it but truth." 

Here is another true account I discovered about somebody who felt that peace was a very precious gift. This person was a Christian and I give you the story as I read it.

Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He felt his God saying to him, "Go to Rome." 

He was in a cloistered monastery. He put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city, people were thronging in the streets. He asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the Coliseum, the day of the games, the circus.  

He thought to himself, "Four centuries after Christ and they are still killing each other, for enjoyment?" 

He ran to the Coliseum and heard the gladiators saying, "Hail to Ceasar, we die for Ceasar" and he thought, "this isn't right." He jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said, "In the name of Christ, forbear." 

The crowd protested and began to shout, "Run him through, Run him through." A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. 

He got up and ran back and again said, "In the name of Christ, forbear." The crowd continued to chant, "Run him through." 

One gladiator came over and plunged his sword through the little monk's stomach and he fell into the sand, which began to turn crimson with his blood. One last time he gasped out, "In the name of Christ forbear." 

A hush came over the 80,000 people in the Coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another and more, and within minutes all 80,000 had emptied out of the arena. 

It was the last known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome. 

This was a man who believed so much in peace he was prepared to die that others might find it. Peace is more than just the lack of war it is something deep and meaningful that we can find inside our very being. Here are some of the things in my humble opinion worthy of considering if we wish to find this peace.

 1) The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge is a major factor in the lack of peace. 

2) Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression. 

3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 

4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 

5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 

6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humour, compassion and loyalty. 

7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. 

8) Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centred egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. The something bigger than yourself does not always mean something religious or something beyond.

Have a peaceful day each and everyone who reads this and has taken the time to reach the end. 

Give me Joy.

I was out and about yesterday potting up plants for the winter hanging baskets in the village. There is always a very happy attitude among those who help with the work of the floral group. As we worked away and I felt the pleasure of knowing that these flowers would brighten up the village over the winter months and might just bring a bit of joy into some dark corners. 

I found myself without thinking, humming to myself the little song, "Give me joy in my heart keep me singing." Give me joy? Now just who is it that might, in fact, give me joy I wondered? I instantly knew that there were many who would do just that and I am forever grateful to them each and every one.

My mind began to think about this idea of joy. I was sure I had in my mind and in my old notes some comments that some people had made about this very topic. 

 I remember a very interesting conversation with a judge I was attending a conference with. he knew I was a minister of religion and during the conversation, he explained his choice of a career by saying, "I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers."

I smiled because as he said it I could picture in my mind's eye the very kind of ministers he was talking about. They were very poor advertisements for the joy of religion. 

I am not sure if I have told this true story before but if I have it does no harm to consider it again.

Author Leo Buscaglia tells this story about his mother and their "misery dinner." It was the night after his father came home and said it looked as if he would have to go into bankruptcy because his partner had absconded with their firm's funds. 

His mother went out and sold some jewellery to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that "the time for joy is now when we need it most, not next week." Her courageous act and words of wisdom rallied the family.

As a third-century, ( sadly I have forgotten his name) man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend, "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it some quiet and peaceful people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure I ever found in life. They had times of sadness and life did not always treat them well, but they cared not. They are masters of their destiny. They have overcome the world. These people have learned to live without jealousy greed or desire and how I had met them sooner."

George Bernard Shaw said this, "This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognised by yourself as a mighty one, the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

So back to the  question I began with, "Who will give me joy in my life?' it seems the answer is thay if you want to find joy begin by being joyful in yourself and you will be overwhelmed by those who wish to joing you and be joyful with you.

Have a joy filled life.

Why oh Why?

Lady in Red.

Can you remember when you were young and you were inquisitive? I can remember both my mother and my father asking me why I asked so many questions? I suspected it was either they were fed up answering them or they di not know the answer. 

It went something like this. "Mum, why do people say that something is bad?" "For goodness sake will you stop those continual questions." "Why?"

But there are times when you are just forced to ask why.  Read the slowly and carefully and tell me you were not tempted to ask the question, why?

This is an instruction from an army handbook and it is as I found and read it. 

"Tent pegs, aluminium, 9-inch, NSN 8340-00- 261-9749, must be painted orange. The bright colour provides an easy means of locating the pegs under various light and climatic conditions during field use. When bright orange pegs are used, they must be driven into the ground completely out of sight."

Now, why did they have to be orange in the first place please remind me.

I am sure I have never shared the story of the three monkeys probably because I have always thought it might be a bit too wordy. But today I want to do just that. 

It happened that there were three monkeys in a cage. Suspended at the top if the cage was a bunch of bananas. There was a ladder from the floor of the cage up to the bananas. One of the monkeys, who was both clever and agile and also liked bananas, decided to head up the ladder to grab a banana.

Imagine his surprise (not to mention that of the other two monkeys) when suddenly a fire hose washed down the cage, blasting all three monkeys over to one side. Cold and shivering, the three monkeys regrouped and thought about what had happened.

Monkeys don’t have a really long memory and, after a while, a second monkey thought again about the bananas and headed up the ladder. The same thing a fire hose washed all three monkeys over to the side of the cage. They picked themselves up, shook themselves off and hoped the sun would come out to warm them up.

After another couple of hours, the third monkey couldn’t resist and he went for it. Sure enough, same result—fire hose and cold, wet, miserable monkeys.

Finally, all three monkeys became convinced that going for the bananas was a bad idea, and went on with the rest of their lives.

At this point, one of the monkeys was exchanged for another.  The new monkey arrived, looked up at the bananas, looked over at the ladder and couldn’t figure out why the other monkeys hadn’t gone for the bananas. He headed for the ladder and got about 1 rung up when the remaining "experienced" monkeys tackled him, dragged him to the floor and pummeled him into submission. He quickly concluded that climbing the ladder wasn’t a good idea.

A week later, another of the monkeys was replaced.  So now thee were two new monkeys and one of the original three.

Monkeys are somewhat single-minded. The new monkey spied the bananas, headed for the ladder, and the remaining two monkeys tackled him and pummeled him into submission.

Finally, the third monkey was replaced and, you guessed it, the same thing happened. So life went on among the monkeys and after some time the first of the "new" monkeys was replaced with yet another monkey.

Sure enough, the new one saw the bananas, went for the ladder and his two peers then tackled him and beat him into submission.

Why was that? None of these monkeys knew anything about the fire hose. None of them had ever got wet for having climbed the ladder in the quest for bananas. Yet the monkeys had been fully indoctrinated to know that it was a bad idea. You could likely go on individually replacing monkeys one at a time forever and expect the same result.

WHY?

The Parable of the Monkeys can be readily applied to just about every organizational community structure in the human sphere.

We can laugh at the silly monkeys, but we humans are the only creatures on Earth capable of amassing and arming themselves to fight and die by the tens and hundreds of thousands because another human claims yet another human is building firehoses to keep all the bananas for himself.

They have no evidence they it happens. WHY?

Have a thoughtful day.

Those were the days.

I was looking through some old photographs from way back in the late 50s and early 60s. What memories they brought back of things we did in those days. I have found it difficult to get the ideas out of my head and the smiles from my face.

Looking back it is hard to believe that most of us have lived this long especially when you think of some of the things that we did back then.

We spent hours building what we called go-karts from sets of old pram wheels and bits of wood gathered from here there and everywhere. Once built we hurtled down hills at a great speed and then remembered we had not put a brake on it.

During the school holidays, we would leave the house in the morning with a jam sandwich in a brown paper bag. Our parents did not expect to see us again until it was time for the evening meal. If we got thirsty we drank from the streams and burns or out of an old hosepipe. If one of us had a glass bottle with water in it we all drank from the same bottle, shock horror. Now we even have special bottles with clean water for dogs.

Our parents would have some idea where we were because we would give some indication in the morning but if they wanted to get in touch with us there were no mobile phones, in fact, hardly any homes had a phone in them. We ate rhubarb dipped into little bags of sugar and none of us seemed to suffer from overweight, we were so busy burning off calories to count what we were putting in.

There was no such thing as childproof bottles or cupboards if we had been told not to touch something for some strange reason we did exactly that we did not touch. We rode bikes and had no crash helmets. When we went to the park we did not have to wait until our parents were able to come with us, we just went ourselves and climbed up the shutes and swings rather than actually slide down them.

When cars eventually came on the scene and motorbikes there were o such things as airbags and our hair flowed in the wind because we had no crash helmets.

We played with toy lead Cowboys and Indians and some had soldiers. The paint on prams was lead-based. Dangers yes but we seemed to know not to put them in our mouths, the worms that we did never seem to live forever in our stomachs.

We played dodgeball and murder-ball, we got cuts and bruises and black eyes some even broke an arm or leg. One friend lost two teeth.

There were no lawsuits from these accidents because that was what they were, they were accidents. Do you remember when we had accidents?

When we sat a test we either passed or failed the results were not adjusted to make an even spread. 

Our actions were our own and we had to face the consequences of all our actions. We learned that all rights brought responsibilities. There was no hiding behind another.

if we got into trouble at school we just hoped that our parents did not find out and no note was sent home to be signed that we might need to copy our fathers signature. if our parents found out they did not run to the school to berate the teacher we got a cuff to back up the teacher.

We joined all kinds of organisations like Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, CND. Some of us got into trouble for things we did to get the message across but we believed in caring and we got passionate.

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors. In the past 50 or 60 years, there has been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail we had many successes and as many failures and they were all our responsibility. There was no such thing as a blame society.

Now I am sure that the generation coming up will make some proud boasts of what they have achieved at least I really do hope so.

Of course, each generation will think it was the best. This is my little plea for my generation. 

Have a wonderful I hope my little trip down memory lane has not upset?

       

Those were the days my friends we thought theyd never end.

  

    

I am bored.

One of the things I heard so many times as a younger man was young people complaining about being bored. "I am bored there is nothing here for young people to do. Later as a teacher, it was a constant complaint of so many young people.

The strange thing is that it seemed the more there was to do the more the complaints rang out, "I am bored." I mention this because I overheard the same war cry from some of the young folk as they got off the school bus yesterday. Seems things seldom change.

Remembering back to my own youth I have to say that I cannot ever remember being bored. There seemed so much to do in those days. Some of the things I am about to list will sound like double dutch to many but these were the things that kept boredom away and gave us hours of fun. Peever and paldy beds. All you needed to play those was a piece of chalk to draw the game out on the road and an empty boot polish tin full of dirt to act as the peever.  Hide and seek and kick the can, a lamppost and an empty bean tin. Chicky-melly all that was needed was a length of a thread a drawing pin and a button. Of course, there was knock door run and hedge-hopping. Sitting on an old bit of wood balanced on a roller skate and a good pair of shoes to act as brakes as we hurtled down the hill.

Who was bored? Not a person I can remember.

I have always seen boredom as a bit of a sin if I am really honest. Having said that I have attended some talks and lectures that would easily send you to sleep.

I remember taking my best friend to visit a Buddhist monastery. We arrived in time for the daily led meditation. Not far into this, I heard my friend begin to snore. I nudged him and told him he was sending the monk to sleep.

British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham wasn't a great admirer of the music of his fellow Briton, composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. During the rehearsal of a Williams symphony, Beecham seemed to be doing little more than listlessly beating time. In fact, he was still beating time after the orchestra had stopped. "Why aren't you playing?" Beecham mildly asked the first violinist. "It's finished, Sir Thomas," came the reply. Beecham looked down at his score. "So it is!" 

Director Billy Wilder was asked how he liked a new film. "To give you an idea," he said, "the film started at eight o'clock. I looked at my watch at midnight--and it was only 8:15."

Drama critic Clive Barnes's one-word review of a play in London called "the Cupboard": "Bare." 

This, of course, is not the boredom that comes from doing nothing and it might be classed as slightly different.

I found some interesting facts from surveys done on the topic of boredom.

The percentage in a 1985 survey who said that, aside from earning a living, the reason they work is to keep from getting bored: 54. 

The percentage in a 1989 survey who said they are sometimes or often bored at work: 41. 

The percentage in a 1990 survey who said they are generally bored by what goes on in Westminster 48. 

The percentagePercentage in a 1991 survey of 5th-year and 6th-year pupils who said they are tired or bored at school: 70. 

The percentage in a 1991 survey of teenagers who said they drink alcohol because they are bored: 25.

It would be interesting to see what the present day percentages might be for the same questions but I could not find them. I am sure they would be much higher in almost every case.

Boredom is not an inflicted thing it is is in fact the exact opposite it come from not taking the time to discover something new to challenge the brain cells. Remember an hour spent saying one is bored is a precious hour clocked off from the hands of time.

Have a fun filled day my friends. Do not say please, "I am bored."

Never forget.

Now here is an animal that can be classed as nothing but a very large task and not an easy one to capture. I had difficulty getting the skin colour correct grey just never seemed correct no matter how I tried. I saw a picture of a herd of elephants obviously returning from a mud pool and the colour of those was much easier to get close to correct.

Elephants are wonderful animals and it is said they never forget, more than can be said for me and many others I know. They are also very family orientated and it is seldom a dead one is ever found other than those that have been shot for their tusks and just left as of no further use.  I can never bring myself to forgive or understand such acts of greed and thoughtlessness. 

There are many stories of the memory of such animals, but they are not alone recent research showed that sheep need to see a face only once to remember it.

I am aware that my memory is not as it used to be but fortunately at present, it is only remembering where I put things that seems to be a problem. That is why I purchased four sets of reading glasses so that I can have them scattered all over the house and always find a set. But even now as I sit and write I have an old pair I can hardly read with. Life can be so cruel.

We can do nothing but laugh at this memory thing and age. 

Physician to the patient: "If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, I do not treat amnesia cases!" Yes, the old ones are the best, well then it is only the old ones I can remember. 

I remember a little phrase that my grandmother shared with me more than once.  "Blessed are those who give without remembering. And blessed are those who take without forgetting." Thankfully this is one lesson I hope I have learned and never forgotten.

A little thought in simple verse.

Forget but Remember.

Forget each kindness you have done the moment you have done it.

Forget the praise that comes to you and does not feel you have won it.

Forget the gossip that you hear before you feel the need to repeat it.

Forget each snipe and every slight, each spite each sneer whenever you might meet it.

Forget each worry and distress be hopeful and forgiving. 

Forget the things that taint and spoil your living.

Remeber those who give you aid and be a grateful debtor.

Remeber every promise made and keep it to the letter.

Remember all the happiness you found or was handed to you.

Remeber truth remember good and always hold in high regard the few.

The ones who went the extra mile and gave much more than we were due.

Then you will find through youth and age that there are others who care for you. 

Have a great day.