Tuesday, February 26, 2013

English Language (Part II)



 “As Rivers were to the tribal Indians,
English is our Road through Life.
Choose each word and tone of voice,
to clarify the intended meaning.
And...as always, my Mother advised,
Stop and Look before Crossing the Street!”
(MBK…teacher, advocate of positive thinking)

                                          Words can be loving, kind, inspiring or in jest;
                                          Words can be deceptive, sarcastic, of ridicule or anger.
                                           Sometimes, words are ambiguously misrepresented ~
                                           The results?  Total confusion and misunderstanding.

The world’s most widely used language is English which has 1.8 billion 1st and 2nd 
language users. We are fortunate to live in an English speaking country...  
therefore,  let us use Our Language with discretion!

Feminism...in Today's Vocabulary

In July, 2012, my son sent this essay
which  appropriately follows...English Language (Part I)

The English language used to have the
elegance of a feminine term for certain titles,
of which only a handful survive
in today's common vernacular.

Everyone understands “prince” and “princess. 
It is still common to say “actor” and “actress”.

Many people still understand “waiter” and “waitress”,
but this has been largely replaced by “server”.
Server is one who serves, whereas “waiter” or “waitress”
is one who waits upon ~ which I regard to be a more fitting title.
To serve conjures the feeling of service or gratitude,
I prefer delegating the word “server”
to a computer network server.

A “steward” is one who looks after or tends to the needs of people.
I miss the days when ladies who tended the needs 
of airline passengers were properly titled “stewardess”
and a man of course, was called a “steward”.

It is the curse of this equality having gone too far, which has scrubbed the beauty of womanhood from our culture.  The elegance  and delicacy of femininity has been largely replaced with the civil rights cover of “feminism”.

There is a line in the first book of Anne (with an 'e'), where Anne says to Rachel Lynde, “I shall always regard you as a benefactress.”  At another point in the story, Anne disregards herself as a “poetess”.

The old-fashioned 'ess' terms convey a feeling of feminine grace or elegance in the role and maintains a feminine distinction.

Professions that have been traditionally male, and typically ended with the title 'man' have been changed.  Fireman...is now called “fire fighter”...though I can hardly imagine a woman carrying my temple out of a burning building.

For a while, the term policewoman stuck, but for some strange reason, that was thought to be degenerate, so the term “police officer” emerged (even though “officer” ending in 'er' is a masculine term).  My dive buddy's wife referred to female police officers as “girl cops” ~ a term I much prefer.

A lady who checked parking meters used to be commonly known as a “meter maid”.  Wasn't there some pop song, “Lovely, Rita, “meter-maid”?

There's a little scene in H2O where Zane has reopened a favourite cafe to partner his girlfriend Rikki.  They were hiring some help to wait tables; Rikki wasn't back yet.  Will's very ambitious sister, Sophie, wedged her way in and convinced the other applicants that the position had already been taken.

“Who are you?” asked one of the applicants.
“Who do you think I am?” replied Sophie.
“Well, you're not the manageress!  I know what she looks like,”
angrily said the applicant.

Speaking of H2O, nobody panics over the term “mermaid”.  Is that one of  the few terms using “maid” to survive the duckspeak of the modern vernacular? The term “maid” simply means “girl” and is widely used in the Holy Scriptures, but its common usage in the context of a cleaning lady has caused it to take on a degenerative view.

Even such words as “dame” and “damsel” have been abused to a sad level.

Even as I may endorse the elegance of yesteryear's gender-sensitive terminology, I get confused with those terms that end in X.  My great aunt was involved  in executing somebody's will and she referred to her role as an “executrix”. I suppose the suffix 'ess' becometh 'ix' if there is an “X in the title.

The degeneracy of language is a mere reflection of the degeneracy of the culture.
The price for this abuse of over-equality is a much lower respect for women than we had before.

I've noticed that lady state governors, such as Sarah Palin or Jan Brewer continue to use the title “governor”.  Is there something wrong with “governess”?  Or do they think a governess is a nanny?  A nanny is a child-care giver or a goat.  A governess is a lady who governs.

Words of Wisdom

Problems cannot be solved
by the same level of thinking
that created them.
(Albert Einstein)

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 9, 2013
To comment...scroll down...may sign in as “anonymous”
or e-mail...inezkate@gmail.com

Saturday, February 23, 2013

English Language (Part I)



English seems soooo easy and simple, but that's because we've been raised with it .Languages like Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Arabic...or even easier languages like Spanish, can seem difficult, just because we're not used to them.

                One of my “blog readers” submitted to me this prime illustration:

You Think English is Easy???

               The bandage was wound around the wound.

               The farm was used to produce produce.
              
               The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

               We must polish the Polish furniture.

               The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

               Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time
               to present the present.

               A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

               When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

               I did not object to the object.

               The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

               There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

               They were too close to the door to close it.

               The buck does funny things when the does are present.

               A seamstress and a sewer  fell down the sewer line.

               To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

               The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

               Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.

               I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

               How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

               Do you shoot your arrow with a bow from the bow of your boat?

Is not all the foregoing confusing???

Let's face it ~ English is a crazy language.  There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger, neither apple nor pine in pineapple.  English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.  Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads (which aren't sweet), are meat.  We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don’t fing...grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese...so one moose, 2 meese? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?  Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?  You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down...in which you fill in a form by filling it out...in which an alarm goes off  by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers...and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS ~ Why doesn't “Buick” rhyme with “quick”?

Ten Reasons Why English is a Hard Language

The World's Craziest Spelling System:  English spelling is extremely counter-intuitive!  Why is it that words like “through”, “trough” and “though” sound so different?  The fact is, although it's possible to make rough guesses at  English spellings using phonetics, in order to really know English spelling, you have to memorize the spelling of every word.

Note that English is pronounced rather differently in the United States, in Britain, in Australia and in India.  Even in US, pronunciations vary from dialect to dialect.

Note:  There's good reason for the English spelling system.  It's one of the most successful spelling systems in the world, because of its flexibility and its strength across wildly differing dialects.  But that doesn’t mean it's easy to learn! For a foreigner learning to speak English, spelling is extremely difficult!

The Sound System is So Rich:  When you study a foreign language, you're liable to run into sounds which aren't present in your native tongue. Part of the challenge is learning, mechanically, how to produce these sounds.  Not only are there a million sounds to learn, but there's small indication from a word's spelling which sounds are involved.

Subtle Ordering: In English, there are subtle ordering requirements which even English speakers aren't consciously aware of. Compare, “a cute little puppy” to “a little cute puppy.”  The first is fine, while the second sounds wrong. How is a foreigner to know which order to use?

Which Synonym to Use:  Part of becoming a master English speaker, is knowing which words to use when. For example ~ You can watch a movie or see a movie, but you can only watch TV, never see it.  You can't view either of them, even though when you watch either of them, you become aviewer (and never a watcher, much less a seer!)  Try explaining that to someone who speaks Arabic!

Stress:  In English the entire meaning of a sentence can be changed by placing stress on a word.  For example: I entered my room. I entered my room. I entered my room. I entered my room.

Poetic, Older English is Everywhere:  To be fluent in English, you must also know a little bit of older, more poetic English. In downtown Columbus there’s a church which advertises with the message, “Which part of Thou shalt not” don't you understand?”  This must be extremely confusing to most ESL speakers. Older English shows up in literature, plays, poetry...even video games.

What's Up With These Questions?  In English, it's very strange how the whole grammar of a sentence changes  when the sentence is put in question form.  “It is warm” becomes, “Is it warm?”

Irregular Conjugations of Verbs and Similar Phenomena:  English is stuffed full of irregular verbs!  Why is “bought” the past tense of “buy”and the past tense of “sell” is “sold” and neither “buyed” nor “selled” are real words?

The Case of the Leftover Cases:  Cases are different forms for words to indicate what function they serve in a sentence. For example in the sentence, “The cat ate the fish”, the “fish” is the object (it's getting eaten), and the “cat” is the subject (he's doing the eating).  There are no cases here; in order to tell  who did the eating and who got eaten, we have to look at word order.  If the sentence were, “the fish ate the cat”, the meaning would be very different.

English is mostly case-free, but there are leftovers from the old case system. That's why we have, “I”, “me”, “mine”, and “my”...And why we have “you”,“yours” and “your”...And why we have, “he”, “him”, and “his”... And why we have, “we”, “us”, “ours” and “our.”.In each of these groups, it's really the same word, just in different forms ~ different cases.

What Kind of  Word is This, Anyway?:  In English, the same word can even fall into multiple categories.  “Trust” is a noun, but also a verb.  “Quiet” is both a noun and an adjective (even though its opposite, “loud” is only an adjective).  “Abstract” is all three!

Conclusion:  If you ever find yourself stressing out over learning a foreign language, just be glad you don't have to learn English as a “second language”!

Pearl of Wisdom

“Man who run behind car...get exhausted!
(Asian Proverb)

Be sure to read  English Language Part II...next publication
titled...Feminism in Today's English Language...which my son wrote.

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 9, 2013
To comment … scroll down...may sign in as “anonymous”
or e-mail...inezkate@gmail.com

Monday, February 18, 2013

As The World Changes...So Do The Words




                 This reading is only for those whose level of maturity
                 qualifies them to relate to it:

             1960: Long hair
             2013: Longing for hair
                 
                 1960: KEG
                 2013: EKG

                 1960: Acid rock                  
                 2013: Acid reflex

                 1960: Moving to California because it's cool
                 2013: Moving to Arizona because it's warm

                 1960: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
                 2013: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

                 1960: Seeds and stems
                 2013: Roughage

                 1960: Hoping for a BMW
                 2013: Hoping for a BM
                
                 1960: Going to a new “hip joint”
                 2013: Receiving a new hip joint

                 1960: Rolling Stones
                 2013: Kidney stones

                 1960: Screw the system
                 2013: Upgrade the system

                 1960: Disco
                 2013: Costco

                 1960: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
                 2013: Children begging you get their heads shaved

                 1960: Passing the drivers' test
                 2013: Passing the vision test

                 1960: Whatever
                 2013: Depends

Just in case you weren't feeling too old today, this will certainly change things.
Each year the staff at Beloit College in Wisconsin puts together a list to try to
give the faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshmen.
Here's this year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born 1994.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.

The CD was introduced 3 years before they were born.

They have always had an answering machine.

They have always had cable.

They cannot fathom not having a remote control.

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the  microwave.

They never  took a swim and thought about Jaws.

They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard:  “Where's the Beef?”
                                        “I'd walk a mile for a Camel.”
                                        "Boss, de plane...”

They do not care who shot J. R. and have no idea who J. R. even is.

McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Do you feel old yet? 
Pass this on to the other old fogies on your list.
It is good to have friends who know about these things
and are still alive and kicking!!!

These Fit so Well … They Should be in a Dictionary:

                 ADULT:  A person who has stopped growing at both ends
                                    and is now growing in the middle

                 BEAUTY SALON: A place women curl up and dye.

                 CHICKENS:  The only animals you eat before they are born and
                                            after they are dead.

                 COMMITTEE:  A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

                 DUST:  Mud with the juice squeezed out.

                 EGOTIST:  Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

                 HANDKERCHIEF:  Cold storage
.
                 INFLATION:  Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

                 MOSQUITO:  An insect that makes you like flies better.

                 RAISIN:  A grape with a sunburn.

                 SECRET:  Something you tell to one person at a time.

                 SKELETON:  A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

                 TOOTHACHE:  The pain that drives you to extraction.

                 TOMORROW:  One of the greatest labour saving devices of today

                 YAWN:  An honest opinion openly expressed.

                 WRINKLES:  Something other people have,
                                             similar to my character lines.

The “Y” Chromosome

             People born before 1946 are called : The Greatest Generation.
                 People born between 1946 and 1964 are called: The Baby Boomers.
                 People born between 1965 and 1979 are called: Generation X.
                 People born between 1980 and 2010 are called:  Generation Y

                                         Why do we call the last group ~ Generation Y ? 
                                          Y should I get a job?
                                          Y should I leave home and find my own place?
                                          Y should I get a car when I can borrow yours?
                                          Y should I clean my room?
                                          Y should I wash and iron my clothes?
                                          Y should I buy any food?

(All of the foregoing was sent to me by a few of my ardent readers)

Words of Wisdom

“A cautious people learns from its past;
A sensible people can face the future;
Canadians, on the whole, are both!”
(Author unknown)

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 7, 2013
Wish to comment? ...scroll down...may sign in as “anonymous”
or e-mail...inezkate@gmail.com

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Steps To A More Positive You


It seems safe to say that stress is a huge problem in our society and that most are not handling it very well. The easy route...is to permit the problem to continue! I believe and know there is an “escape method” for a road to improvement…if people would exercise it.

Aim to Take Control of the Things You CAN Control!
These include...the way you think...the way you behave...the life choices you make! If you manage these issues better, you'll have much more energy and resilience to deal with the larger external forces that affect everyone.

“Our attitude has a profound effect on the quality of our life.” writes Jonathan. “By taking a few simple steps to adopt a more positive attitude, you can enjoy both the immediate and long term benefits.”

“Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude to us”
(Earl Nightingale)

“Increased happiness is one of the immediate positive effects of a more optimistic attitude.  The fact is, optimistic people tend to experience much greater personal joy on a day-to-day basis than their pessimistic counterparts.

“The prospect of a longer healthier life is also a scientifically proven benefit of living with a positive attitude.In contrast, a negative, pessimistic mindset has been shown to contribute to scores of health challenges including immune disorders, cancer and heart problems.  All other factors being equal, a happier life...means a healthier life!

Think Gratitude:  A grateful mindset exerts a powerful influence on youroutlook.  Not only does it make you feel good in the moment, it also shifts your focus in a positive direction.  Turn your attention toward your blessings and keep it there.  As you focus more on what you are grateful for in your life (even the really small blessings), you will worry less about anything that may be lacking. As a result, you will experience a deeper sense of happiness.

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,
but the portent of all others. (Cicero)

Choose Happiness:  Being happy is not about circumstances or any other outside force.  Happiness is a decision we make.  Why not make up your mind to embrace happiness starting now?  Go ahead and make a decision.  Let  your personal identity get all wrapped up in the concept of happiness.  Fold it aroundyourself like a big comfortable blanket.

The greatest part of our happiness
depends on our dispositions, not circumstances.
(Martha Washington)

Substitute Challenges  for Problems:  Subconsciously, the word problem says, 'Life is not as it should be.'  This causes our energy to be funneled toward repairing something that's gone wrong.  On the other hand, the word challenge sends no such message.  Instead of trying to repair  a malfunction,our resources are recruited to search for a new opportunity.  Seeing an experience as a challenge will focus our attention on a positive outcome.

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.
The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
(Winston Churchill)

View Life as a Journey:  A journey is an adventure of discovery.  When we are on a journey we don't fear change, we welcome it.  We look forward to new and unfamiliar experiences.  On a journey we are full of optimism because we are filled with the expectations of a wonderful adventure.  This is the perfect attitude to carry with you every day.

Stop and Smell the Roses:  When you constantly feel rushed and scattered, it can be difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook.  Buying out regular opportunities to focus on simple pleasures can help restore a sense of balance to your life.  By pausing briefly to really taste your food or enjoy a beautiful piece of music, you remind yourself of the joy of simplicity.

It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough
to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering.
(Patricia Gifford)

Begin Your Day On a Positive Note:  Find a few minutes each morning to clear your mind and then think positive thoughts about the upcoming day. Focus on the people and events that bring you joy or a sense of satisfaction. What's  your favourite part of the day going to be?  Take some time to look forward toeverything that  you will enjoy.  Now carry that feeling with you all day long, even during the less enjoyable activities.  Let your optimism flow into your entire day.

Be Positively Aware:  Make it a habit to actively search for the positive side of everything.  Turn it into a private game.  With practice, you will be surprised how easy it becomes to see the not so obvious benefits and pleasures all around you.  Being alert to the reasons for optimism also helps move our attention away from the negative side of life.

When you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change.  (Max Planck)

Act Out Happy:  You can use words and body language to program your nervous system.  When you make a conscious effort to 'walk the walk and talk the talk', your feelings will soon follow.  Our personal perspective  takes a lot of clues from how we act.  If you act like a happy optimistic person, your mind accepts that as your reality.  Try it and see for yourself.

Hang Out With Positive People:  Use the power of peer influence  to feed your sense of optimism.  The attitude of the people around us can be a powerful force for good or bad.  Seek out the company of those with a sunny disposition and let  yourself be influenced by their optimism.  Use the group dynamic to your benefit.

Do A Gratitude Review Nightly:  This is a great way to end  your day.  Before you go to bed, think of at least ten things that you are truly grateful for.  Let yourself feel the joy that those things bring to your life.  Fall asleep reflecting on your blessings.
Reflect each day on all you have to be grateful for
and you will receive more to be grateful for.
(Chuck Danes)

Minimize Exposure to Negative Influences:  Stop watching, reading  or listening to the news.  If you can free yourself from this negative influence, it will change your life.  Without that pervasive daily dose of despair, you will find it so much easier to focus on positive things in life.

30 Days to a More Positive You: 
Print out this list and read it daily. It will help you stay on track. 
If you catch yourself sliding into a pessimistic head space,
stop...and review your list. 
All you need  to do is stay on course for 30 days
and these things will become part of your nature.

Words of Wisdom

A man is but the product of his thoughts.
What he thinks...he becomes.
(Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948)

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 12, 2013
To comment...scroll down...may sign in as “anonymous”
or e-mail...inezkate@gmail.com

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Valentine Musings...



 Love:  It may not be what you think!

“Here's the hard truth about love:  There is no such thing as everlasting love!
Nor is it meant to endure, be unconditional or exclusive.  In fact, thinking of
love in those terms could be a recipe for disaster and loneliness,” says a
psychology professor from the University of North Carolina.

“Instead,” she says, “Love is made up of micro-moments of connection or
positivity between people that can take place many times a day.  It can occur
between those in relationships, colleagues and even between strangers.  These
are the building blocks that make up love.  It seems like these micro-moments
of connection is where the action is.

“Research has shown that the most stable relationships are driven by the mild,
small moments of love, like...expressing appreciation, spending moments 
together or trying new activities together as opposed to grand gestures of love..

“You don't need to wait for the lightning bolt!. It comes down to three sentiments
that must be shared for such micro-moments to occur:  A shared positive emotion,
where your Heart, Brain and Bio-chemistry start to mirror each other and give
a momentary sense of mutual care.

“When people are in conversation and paying close attention to each other,
there is evidence to show that their brain activity is mirroring each other in
very widespread ways. These moments are small,  but they add up over time
and create a positive feedback loop.
 “And the opposite holds true, too.
Mirroring negativity is a recipe for short  relationships. 
In relationships where one person's negativity is countered with neutrality 
or positivity, those relationships are able to endure.”

How  to Find Your One and Only

(by Maja Begovic)

Here are some pearls of wisdom that may help
bring you and your beloved together.

Believe in Your Soul Mate and Be Patient:
          Fate doesn’t work on a schedule.  Your soul mate might cross your path when
          you’re 8 or 80 years old.  If  you can believe in love ~ even when life doesn’t
          seem to be taking  you in that direction ~ you’re already halfway there.

Make Yourself a Better Person:
          Next, begin the process of self-improvement.   
          Be the type of person people fall in love with.
          If you think you need a better job or education…go back to school.
          If you want to improve your health…go to the gym and get in shape.
          If you want to expand your horizons…then begin to volunteer with a
          non-profit organization and see how improving the lives of people can
          help bring new perspective into your own life.
          Become a great person...Find a great person...Create a great relationship.

Don’t Hate Being Single:
          Honour the state of not yet having a mate.
          Enjoy your life, go out with friends & pursue paths of self-improvement.
          Spend time fine-tuning skills, nurturing interests and having adventures.
          Study, take courses and do things that help you grow personally…
          spiritually…professionally.  Live fully and stay open.
          Love may not be far behind!

How Will I Know When I Do Find My Soul Mate?
          Your soul mate will be a person you will feel a very strong and passionate
          connection with, as well as an old connection.  In other words, you will
          feel as if you have known the person a long time, even though you may
          have just met him or her recently.  Even in moments of doubt and fear,
          open your arms to love.  Know that every step you take in the direction
          of love…will bring your true love closer to you!

                                                   Make an ordinary day extra-ordinary!
                                                  Every day holds a chance for romance!
                                                                    (Joie de Vivre)

Learning the Language of Love

Each of us has a love language.  The problem comes when we assume that our
partner has the same love language and therefore wants to be shown love in the
same way we want to be shown love.  The wisest couples  discover the love
language of their partner and learn that language.

Assumptions are the termites of relationships!  The simple cure for assumptions
is to “check it out.  Ask.”  Miles Franklin, stated, “Someone to tell it to is one of
the fundamental needs of human beings.”

“The purpose of a relationship is not to have another who might complete you, but
to have another  with whom you might share your completeness.” (Neil Walsch)

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
'Pooh!', he whispered.  'Yes, Piglet?'
'Nothing,' said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw.
'I just wanted to be sure of you.'”
(A.A.Milne)

No other words required.

Red Skelton's Recipe for the Perfect Marriage

(Thanks to Tom for sending the following)

For those of you old enough to remember Red Skelton, I think you will enjoy this.
For those of you not old enough, you will see what you missed.  Either way, his
humour was always clean and he was a great entertainer.  A re-run of  great
'one-liners' from the man who was known for his clean humour:

          Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little beverage, good
          food and companionship.  She goes on Tuesdays and I go on Fridays.

          We also sleep in separate beds.  Hers is in California and mine is in Texas.

          I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

          I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary.  “Somewhere
          I've not been in a long time!” she said.  So I suggested the kitchen.

          We always hold hands.  If I let her go, she shops.

          She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker.
          She said, “There are too many gadgets, and no place  to sit down!”
          So I bought her an electric chair.

          My wife told me the car wasn't running well because there was water in
          the carburetor.  I asked where the car was. She told me, “In the lake!”

          She ran after the garbage truck, yelling, “Am I too late for the garbage?”
          The driver said, “No, jump in!”

          Remember:  Marriage is the number one cause of divorce.
         
           I married Miss Right.  I just didn't know her first name was “Always”.

          I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.  I don't like to interrupt her.

          The last fight was my fault, though.  My wife asked, “What's on the TV?”
          I said, “Dust.”

Can't  you just hear him say all of these?  I love it. These were the good old days
when humour didn't have to start with a four letter word.  It was just clean and
simple fun. And he always ended his programs with the words,
“And May God Bless” with a big smile on his face.

“Romantic Words of Wisdom”

Love isn’t about whom you live with ~
it’s about who you can’t live without!

Merle Baird-Kerr … composed February 13, 2013
Wish to comment?...scroll down...may sign in as “anonymous”
or e-mail...inezkate@gmail.com        

Monday, February 11, 2013

Four Candles



Several months ago, Tom (an ardent follower of my blog writings) sent me this
article.  So mesmerized by its beauty...so absorbed by its message...so deeply
saturated in its quiet ambiance...so spiritually moved with the background
music of  “The Impossible Dream”... I wish to share this experience with you.

          In the evening glow of a silent room, four cylindrical candles slowly
          burn...casting amber light  into this stillness...with their golden flames.
          One could almost hear them conversing:

The First Candle (in close up view) said, “I am Peace! The world is full
          of anger and fighting.  Nobody can keep me lit.”
          Then the Flame of Peace went out completely.

The Second Candle (highlighted) said, “I am Faith! I am no more
          indispensable.  It doesn't make sense that I stay lit another moment.”
          Just then, a breeze softly blew out Faith's flame.

The Third Candle sadly began to speak, “I am Love!  People don't
          understand my importance, so they simply put me aside.  They even  
          forget to love those who are nearest to them.”

Suddenly...with three burned out candle flames visible, a child enters the
room and sees the three unlit candles.  “Why aren't you burning?  You're
supposed to stay lit till the end.”  Saying this, the child began to cry.

The Fourth Candle answered, “Don't be afraid, I am Hope!
          While I am still burning, we can relight the other candles.”

          With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope
          and lit the other candles.

          The Greatest of these is Love...but the Flame of Hope
          should never go out of your life!

          “With Hope, each of us can live with Peace, Faith and Love.”

The Impossible Dream
(lyrics  by Joe Darion)

To dream...the impossible dream...
To fight...the unbeatable foe...
To bear...with unbearable sorrow...
To run...where the brave dare not go...
To right the unrightable wrong...
To love...pure and chaste from afar...
To try...when your arms are too weary...
To reach...the unreachable star!

This is my quest, to follow that star...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far...
To fight for the right, without question or pause...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause...

And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach...the unreachable star.

Philosophical Messages

A candle loses nothing
if it is used to light another!

A human life is like a candle ~
Sometimes, it has to struggle!
(Eleanor Roosevelt)

Your true age cannot be measured
by candles!

Merle Baird-Kerr … written February 11, 2013
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