No More With Me

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," he said as he Struggled to get off the escalator.   I'll admit to it. There have been times when walking or driving behind an Older person I've gotten impatient and upset.  I've huffed and zoomed around Them because I was in a hurry to get nowhere.  Perhaps I'm more aware of it Now because I see myself there one day soon.  Today I saw myself in this old man's shoes and it caused me to slow down, stop and ask for his forgiveness.   He was about five or six people ahead of me. I was in a hurry and saw him as An obstacle. I've seen people get off the end of an escalator and stop dead In their tracks, gather their things and suddenly there's a pile up of angry People behind them. You can't stop an escalator full of people behind you. Like the Energizer bunny, they keep on goin'.   This man was well aware of the challenge. He tried desperately to step Aside. Fumbling with his small packages, struggling to gain his footing, you Could see how troubling this was for him.  "I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I Don't mean to hold you up," he said as he struggled to get off the Escalator.   I suddenly saw this in a whole new light. It was like I was watching my Future. I felt sorry for him. I felt sick to my stomach because this man was Apologizing to everyone, when we should have been helping him and calming His fears.   One by one, people zipped around him. I heard a few angry comments whispered As one lady passed by him.   I saw me.   By the time I got to him he was just about steady on his feet.   "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was more," he said.   "No, sir. No more with me," I said. This really hit me hard. I realized Right then how sad it was that the world was in such a hurry. That, of Course, included me. But...no more with me.  Count me out.   This wonderful man paid his dues. For whatever time he had spent on this Earth, he most likely walked many rough roads and too many important miles. Now he should be apologizing for moving slower?   My heart ached as I looked into his eyes. I wished that I could see what he Had seen all those years. His face weathered from life itself, was creased And wrinkled. The small soft pockets under his eyes and the gentle lines That curved up and around them told me he had many happy moments, too. Those Were traces left behind from laughter and a smiling, happy man.   "My friend, can I help you with those things?" I asked.   Hesitant at first, he finally said, "Well, yes, thank you!"   I placed my hand under his left arm and walked with him a safe distance away From the rush of people.   "So what are you shopping for, sir?"   "Oh, just a little something for my neighbor. She's a young mother raising Kids on her own. She's always so nice to me. I thought a box of candy for Mother's Day..." he said, stopping suddenly as he searched his inside pocket Of his sport coat.   "Do you need something?" I asked.   "Oh, no. Here. I think I have it right here. I always carry them with me," He said. Then pulling out a hand full of papers he shuffled through them and Handed me a business card that read:       "John A. Pomicter     Friend to all...enemy to no one!     I said a prayer today and you were the answer. Thank you!"   "That's for you," he said. "Thanks for stopping to help an old man."   "My friend, you helped me. I discovered that I was unhappy with the world And I was part of the problem.  Now I'll be part of the solution. No more With me!"   "Then this was meant to be," he said smiling.   "You know God sends me gifts every day and always at least one special Person. You were my gift for today! Let's go get some chocolates, my Friend."

Make Each Day Useful

Make each day useful and cheerful and prove that  you know the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will be happy, old age without regret  and life a beautiful success.

Best Side Of Life

Life is double-sided; There's a wrong side and a right side; A sad side and a happy side.   There's a good side and a bad side; A black side and a bright side.   So if things seem dark to you, just change  your thoughts about.   Life will look quite different if you turn it  best side out..

Happiness

Happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want. At first glance this sounds like the same thing, take a Closer look, it's not. If your completely fulfilled by spending time with Your friends and family because you really want to Be with them then you truly want what you have.   On the flip side, if you drive the nicest scar and have A huge house, and have worked hard to get those things, Then you have been successful at having what you want.   When you have what you want eventually the Feeling of satisfaction wears off.  Once you get what You want the old wants are replaced by the new wants And the cycle continues.  True happiness remains at bay.   Look around you, happiness may be closer than you Think.  It may just be a matter of changing what you Value.

JUDGE GENTLY

Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps Or stumbles along the road. Unless you have worn the shoes he wears Or struggled beneath his load.   There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt Though hidden away from view. Or the burden he bears placed on your back Might cause you to stumble too.   Don't sneer at the man who's down today Unless you have felt the blow That caused his fall or felt the shame That only the fallen know.   You may be strong but still the blows That was his if dealt to you In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time Might cause you to stagger too.     Don't be too harsh with the man that sins Or pelt him with word or stone Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure - That you have no sins of your own.   For you know, perhaps, If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you As it did to him when he went astray It might cause you to falter too.

Quotes on Wisdom

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize  how close they were to success when they gave up.  ~Thomas Edison~   "Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect Leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly Under your belt, that's real power."  ~Clint Eastwood~   The only difference between stumbling blocks and  steppingstones is the way in which we use them.  ~unknown~   Write the bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you  on a piece of marble.  ~Arabic Proverb~          Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter.  Try Again. Fail Again. Fail better.  ~Samuel Beckett~           A wise soul opens the window to the future  by closing the doors to the past.  ~unknown~   Happiness is inward and not outward; and so it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.  ~Henry Van Dyke~   When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope  that I would not have a single bit of talent left and I could say,  "I used everything that you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck~