inspiration AprMay 2006

Shortarmguy's Emails That Made Me Think

On this page, I will post the most inspirational material I receive on any given day.  So email shortarmguy@aol.com the best stuff you get.  Life can be darn tough sometimes and every now and then you might need a little happiness booster.  I’m hoping this page may accomplish that.  After you read a few of these,  you can push back from your keyboard, throw your arms in the air, wave them back and forth and scream “I’m glad to be alive!”  If this happens to you, please send pictures and I’ll post them here!

 

May 29, 2006

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs.  Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine.
  The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother’s cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. 

Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only “orphans” that could be found quickly, were a litter of wiener pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger.

  Would they become cubs or pork chops???
 
  Now, take a look…….. you won’t believe your eyes!!!!
 

May 21, 2006

 

May 14, 2006

 He almost didn’t see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help.  So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.  His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.  Even with the smile on his face, she was worried.  No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so .  Was he going to hurt her?  He didn’t look safe; he looked
 poor and hungry.

 

He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold.  He knew how she felt.  It was that chill which only fear can put in you.  He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am.  Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm?  By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

 

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough.  Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two.  Soon he was able to change the tire.  But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.  As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.  She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.  She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. 

 

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.  The lady asked how much she owed him.  Any amount would have been all right with her.  She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not  stopped.  Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him.  This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past.  He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.   He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”

 

He waited until she started her car and drove off.  It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.  A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe.  She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill
 off before she made the last leg of her trip home.  It was a dingy looking restaurant.  Outside were two old gas pumps.  The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.  The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair.  She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase.  The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she
 never let the strain and aches change her attitude.  The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.  Then she remembered Bryan.

 

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill.  The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door.  She was gone by the time the waitress came back.  The waitress wondered
 where the lady could be.  Then She noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the
 lady wrote:

 

“You don’t owe me anything.  I have been there too.  Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you.  If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”

 

Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

 

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day.  That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written.  How could the lady
 have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard..

 

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and
 whispered soft and low, “Everything’s gonna be all right.  I love you, Bryan Anderson”

 

There is an old saying, “What goes around comes around.”  Today, I sent you this story, and I’m asking you to pass it on.  Let this light shine. Don’t delete it.  Please pass this on to a friend.  Good friends are like stars….You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

 

There is no order of difficulty in miracles!

 

May 7, 2006

 

A Simple Thank You — A very touching story!

 

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we’d boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who’d been invited to sit in First Class (and was seated across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

 

“No,” he responded.

“Heading out?” I asked.

“No. I’m escorting a soldier home.”

“Going to pick him up?”

“No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I’m taking him home to his family.”

 

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn’t know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier’s family and felt as if he did know them after so many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, “Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.”

 

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door [so as to] allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign.”

 

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American. So here’s a public thank-you to our military for doing what you do so we can live the way we do.

 

Stuart Margel, Washington, D.C.

 

When 2nd Lt. James Cathey’s body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine’s casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process: “See the people in the windows? They’ll sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what’s going through their minds, knowing that they’re on the plane that brought him home,” he said. “They’re going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They’re going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should.”

The night before the burial of her husband’s body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of ‘Cat,’ and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. “I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it,” she said. “I think that’s what he would have wanted.”

April 30, 2006

 

Understanding Women

 

~ Women brush their hair before bed.

~ Women are paid less than men, except for two field: Modeling &  …

~ Women never have anything to wear. Don’t question the racks of clothes in the closet; you ‘just don’t understand’.

~ Women need to cry. And they won’t do it alone unless they know you can hear them.

~ Women will always ask questions that have no right answer, in an effort to trap you into feeling guilty.

~ Women need to feel like there are people worse off than they are. That’s why soap operas and Oprah Winfrey-type shows are so successful.

~ Women always go to public restrooms in groups. It gives them a chance to gossip.

~ Women do not know anything about cars. ‘Oil-stick, oil doesn’t stick?’

~ Women love to talk. Silence intimidates them and they feel a need  to fill it, even if they have nothing to say.

~ Women hate bugs. Even the strong-willed ones need a man around when there’s a spider or a wasp involved.

~ Women can’t keep secrets. They eat away at them from the inside.  And they don’t view it as being untrustworthy, providing they only  tell two or three people.

~ Women love to shop. It is the one area of the world where they feel like they’re actually in control.

~ Women especially love a bargain. The question of ‘need’ is irrelevant; so don’t bother pointing it out. Anything on sale is fair game.

~ Women never understand why men love toys. Men understand that they  wouldn’t need toys if women had an ‘on/off’ switch.

~ Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren’t looking, men kick cats.

~ Women have better restrooms. They get the nice chairs and red carpet. Men just get a large bowl to share.

~ The average number of items in a typical woman’s bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

~ Women don’t understand the appeal of sports. Men seek entertainment that allows them to escape reality. Women seek entertainment that reminds them of how horrible things could be.

~ Women can’t refuse to answer a ringing phone, no matter what she’s doing. It might be the lottery calling.

~ If a man goes on a seven-day trip, he’ll pack five days worth of  clothes and will wear some things twice; if a woman goes on a seven day trip she’ll pack 21 outfits because she doesn’t know what she’ll  feel like wearing each day.

~ Women keep three different shampoos and two different conditioners in the shower. After a woman showers, the bathroom will smell like a tropical rain forest.

~ Women are never wrong. Apologizing is the man’s responsibility, ‘It’s there in the Bible’. Hmmm, who was it that gave Adam the apple?

 

April 23, 2006

An Easter Wish

Today’s prayer for my friends and family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It shall be well with you from this forth on.  No matter how much your
enemies try this year, they will not succeed. You have been destined to
make it and you shall surely achieve all your
goals this year.    For the remaining months of the year, all your
agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in
abundance.  Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings sorrows
and pains because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has
taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down.

I knocked at heaven’s door this morning, God asked me…

“My child!   What can I do for you?”   And I said, “Father, please
protect and bless all my friends and family.”
God smiled and answered… “Request granted”.

 

April 16, 2006

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note that placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not mean it becomes your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm and disrespect.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or stick your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. I have been using the bathroom for years–canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Always Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don’t.
2. If you don’t want hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
(That’s why they call it “fur”niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it’s an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours, and does not speak clearly.

Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they: eat less, don’t ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don’t hang out with drug-using friends, don’t smoke or drink, don’t worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don’t wear your clothes, don’t need a gazillion dollars for college, and if they get pregnant, you can sell their children!

April 9, 2006

Don’t Go To Bed Angry
 
I’ve heard it said, “Don’t go to bed
While hanging on to sorrow.
You may not have the chance to laugh
With those you love tomorrow.
 
You may not mean the words you speak,
When anger takes its toll.
You may regret your actions,
Once you’ve lost your self control.
 
When you’ve lost your temper
And you’ve said some hurtful things,
Think about the heartache
That your actions sometimes bring.
 
You’ll never get those moments back,
Such precious time to waste,
And all because of things you said
In anger and in haste.”
 
So, if you’re loving someone
And your pride has settled in,
You may not ever have the chance
To say to them again …
 
“I love you and I miss you,
And although we don’t agree,
I’ll try to see your point of view.
Please, do the same for me.”
 

– Unknown –
 

April 2, 2006

 

The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow
 
  1. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
  2. If you don’t have a sense of humor, you probably don’t have any  sense at all.
  3. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
  4. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you’re in deep water.
  5. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
  6. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how  many people a company can operate   without.
  7. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
  8. Scratch a dog and you’ll find a permanent job.
  9. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
  10. There are no new sins….the old ones just get more publicity.
  11. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4AM. It could be a right number. Think about  this…,
  12. No one ever says “It’s only a game” when his team is winning.
  13. I’ve reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
  14. Be careful reading the fine print. There’s no way you’re going to like it.
  15. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.
  16. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we’ll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?
  17. Money can’t buy happiness — but somehow it’s more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Escort.
  18. After a certain age, if you don’t wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.
     

Inspiration from the past