Search Results for: gifts

Hit By a Brick

Backstory – Hit by a Brick

This story was first presented a couple of years ago. It brought so many listener comments. It seemed to really hit home. So here it is again, for our new listeners and those who have been receiving our Sunday stories for years. Thank you so much for tuning in. Many of you respond by email. You can also post your comment on our blog. Hope you will do so, after listening to this story.

Consider This Show – Hit by a Brick

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A young executive was driving through our town in a shiny new Jaguar. He was looking good. Suddenly a brick came out of nowhere and hit the side of the car. He slammed on the brakes and looked around seeing a guilty looking young boy of about ten standing on the sidewalk. He ran up to him, angry and grim.

“Why on earth did you do that” he asked, shaking the kid. “Look what you did to my new car.” As tears streamed down his face the child said, “It was the only way I could get someone’s attention. My brothers’ wheelchair tipped over and I can’t get him up. No one would stop to help me.”

Well, the pair ran to the overturned chair and the driver helped right the chair and seat the handicap boy. After making sure both kids were okay and accepting their thanks he walked back to his car and felt the new dent and something occurred to him. He had been so caught up in the success and the perks, like his new car, that he had let slide the more important things, like paying attention to those he loved.

He decided right there and then to listen and watch and know where he was needed and respond before he had to be hit by a brick. Don’t wait for a brick to head your way. Take time to notice where you’re needed and be there.

[Show#293]

Responsible Fatherhood

Backstory – Responsible Fatherhood

The young man in this story is actually my grandson. As a single father, he had the best of intentions but little knowledge. The resource suggested was a big help to him.

My great grandson is now a happy, well-educated and content little guy who is the pride of both of his parents. Hear the resources suggested to his dad and pass the word along to any young father who is being celebrated today. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads.

Consider This Show – Responsible Fatherhood

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I talked with a young father after the last show we did on dads. He was a sincere young man with a son less than a year old.

He confessed that he didn’t know how to be a father. He was not sure what was expected of him. His model for fatherhood in his own life was not good. He wanted to be sure he would not fall into the mold of the father he grew up with.

I referred him to a website. Fatherhood.gov.

Although mothers have created many means of getting together and sharing problems and solutions, historically fathers have not.

The slogan on the website – Take time to be a dad today. It’s a clearing house for responsible fatherhood.

President Obama called for a national initiative to endorse and support responsible fatherhood.

The call was answered! There are now chat rooms and local groups of fathers who get together to discuss how to balance work and family life.

The website is a good addition – it’s www.fatherhood.gov.

For those who don’t reach out for help, the best advice is to be patient. Listen. Pay attention to what your kids are trying to tell you. Be responsive. You don’t have to be their best friend.

Just be a loving, caring dad who is there and who keeps his promises.

[Show #350]

Filing

Backstory – Filing

I’ve had careers that always involved administration. I had to keep files and pull files and make files available. It was one of the most difficult tasks for me to conquer. You would think that computerization would have solved my filing challenges. No way! They get lost in the computer as easily as they disappeared in the filing cabinet.

I envisioned that a major benefit of retirement would be – no more files. Then I found out about all the paper work involved with Medicare, IRAs, activities of grandchildren and keeping track of birthdays and other celebrations of relatives and friends.

Hear about my filing adventures and strategies in this week’s story.

Consider This Show – Filing

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Has anyone figured out a good way to file papers? I am very good at filing. Putting papers away. What I can’t seem to master is FINDING THEM AGAIN when I want to get them back out.

I remember a rule of filing. You eliminate everything that is redundant. For instance: If you were filing something for the US Department of the Interior. You would not file under U for US because you might have a lot of US stuff. You would not file under D for Department because you might have a lot of departments.

You would file under I for Interior and then add – US Department of. OK, that sounds simple.

Now where do I file the plumber’s invoice? In the house file? The plumber’s file? Alphabetically under his company name? His name?

Maybe I should just do what my guy does. One large box into which goes every paper that passes through his hands. Receipts, letters, solicitations, reunion notices, discount coupons. All in the box.

What do you think? Is it better to spend the time filing them away in an organized manner? Or spend the time finding them amongst a myriad of jumble when you need them?

If I had to keep score, I’d say that each method, for us anyway, takes the same amount of time. The only difference is that he does not get to have cool rules like – Interior, US Department of.

[Show # 334]

Making Friends

Backstory – Friends Old and New

We were counting our friends and what we like about them. We follow one of the adages learned as we aged – Make friends of younger people! We now have a wonderful combination of active, employed friends, newly retired folks and those who are older and wiser than we. We were celebrating the balance. How we wound up with this conglomeration of folks with varying ideas, interests and values became the source of this week’s story.

Consider This Show – Friends Old and New

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Friends are such an important part of life. Old friends and new friends . . .

It’s wise to keep building your community of friends throughout your life. So many ways to make new friends. Just keep your heart open and step up, when someone comes across your path who is worth keeping.

Let me introduce some of our new friends.

Last winter, we went to Elsie’s yard sale in Florida. We got to talking and enjoyed it. That chance meeting has resulted in a warm, new friendship, augmented by emails and photo exchanges.

Eight years ago, we noticed that another couple in a restaurant using the same kind of coupon we were. It started a conversation with Steve and Jeannette that still has us enjoying each other’s company.

Elizabeth and John invited us to dinner at their house along with George and Gail.

It led to a new friendship that is just beginning.

We met Cathie and Bob at a Canasta Club and enjoy each other outside of the club, many years later.

Some guests at Bill’s birthday party had been his friends for as much as 49 years. What memories they shared. It was beautiful. But so are new friendships.

Sitting on a bench in Wal-Mart, I started talking to the guy next to me; someone from out-of-town. Sharing values, we could see a connection. We have exchanged Facebook pages to get better acquainted.

New friends are out there, if we just take a chance and reach out. Remember, a stranger is just a friend we have not yet met.

[Show #619]

Song from the 80’s – Make Things Better

Backstory – Song from the 80’s – Make Things Better

We were listening to the songs from half a century ago, played by Craig Orndorff on Old Time Radio. Then songs from the 1980s came on. There seemed to be a thread through much of the music. Artists sang about the troubles of the time and how they needed to be fixed. Here we were, 30, 40 or 50 years later. Were those things fixed? Are we able to sing of the joy and sweetness of conquering the challenges? Asking those questions led to the story featured this week. Please listen in.

Consider This Show – Song from the 80’s – Make Things Better

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A song from the 1980s came out of the radio today; one of those oldies but goodies where you know every word and sing along. The lyrics were about how we simply HAVE to make things change for the better.

The words of the song applied today as eloquently as they did thirty years ago. How sad! Have we learned nothing from our experience?

Our values and preferences contain so many opposing views. Whatever suits one group infuriates another. We can’t seem to come together. Compromise seems out of the question.

We need leadership to bring us all back to a place where there is hope, because our current actions are tearing us apart.

What a challenge. Are we up to the task? Who will step in to take the lead? Will it fall into place after the next election? Or will it take someone somewhere speaking up to go viral and give a wakeup call that is heard around the globe?

Of course, our fear is that the wakeup will be a tragic event that could have been prevented if we had only heeded the words of the songs of the 1980s . . . or 90s . . or those that were sung at the turn of the century.

Or will the songs we sing today be the mantra of the next generation, and will they wonder why the words were never heeded?

[Show #616]

Elder Sayings

Backstory – Elder Sayings

As the years have vanished, I realize how different the aging process is today, compared to how it took a toll on my mom and her mom. Take this incident, for example.

My grandmother stepped off the bus. I was just barely a teenager and was hanging out on that corner with some of my friends. She headed home, up the hill. It was early evening and far from my curfew so I stayed with my friends. After a few minutes, I heard her calling me. I was surprised and responded that it was not time for me to go home. She called again anyway, and a third time.

I stomped up the hill, really annoyed and finally caught up to her – only to find that she had fallen and could not get up. That’s why she had called; too proud to say she was in trouble. I helped her up and got her home.

Years later, I thought about the incident and calculated her age. She was 50. She was 50 years old and was an old woman. She wore orthopedic shoes and dressed in out-of-date styles and was not interested in the new or what was going on in the world. She was old. I loved her dearly, but she was old. And she was 50.

Contrast with my mother, who was the charming celebrant at her 75^th birthday party, dressed in brand new cowgirl attire before taking off on another Roads Scholar adventure. At 75, she was energetic and young..

Today, we are even better off, as we age. Many relatives and acquaintances are probably still going strong in the second half of their seventies and beyond.

The elder sayings in this week’s story applied to past generations. Are they relevant to old folks today? Listen to the story and see what you think.

Consider This Show – Train that left the Station

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I’ve been gathering sayings about aging. There is a lot of wisdom out there on the subject. I’d like to share some of it with you. How about this?

The age of maturity is that age at which one is still young but is much more resourceful. I sure agree with that one.

To get old is to go from passion to compassion. Another good one.

Many people never reach 80 because they waste time trying to stay at 40 forever.

When you’re past 60, there are fewer things that seem absurd. We’ve seen life imitate art far more than the imagination can conjure up.

Here’s another saying I like – In the eyes of youth, there glows a flame.

In the eyes of maturity, there shines a light.

The initiative of youth and the experience of age each have equal value and should go hand-in hand.

Each age calls for its own appropriate behavior

Here is an insightful observation – Young people travel in groups; adults travel in pairs; old people walk alone.

In that case, I believe that the passing years are meant to be lived, not just accumulated. If we end up walking alone, let’s have lots of fine memories to take with us.

[Show #627]

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