Watch your...

[wildambitions]

My niece sent me one of those pass it along emails (which are useless) but I found some of the information in the email worth sharing. The story is a bit extreme to prove the point but again, worth sharing. Let me know what you think.

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times; not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child saw his father.....with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?'

The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times. Devastated by his own actions......sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.

The next day that man committed suicide. . .. Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life..... Things are to be used and people are to be loved, But the problem in today's world is that, People are used and things are loved...

During this year, let's be careful to keep this thought in mind:

Things are to be used, but People are to be loved.
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Stay FAITHFUL and Be GRATEFUL.
This is the only day we HAVE. Have a nice day.

 

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[exon]

Interesting story, and for sure not useless. Even if we all know that we often, or better say to often forget to. Is very well to recall that sometimes. Thanks for sharing.

 

[fanocks2003]

I can't help to make the comparison to money.

Many people work hour after hour and never really enjoy the money they make. So why make the money in the first place?

After all, these days we really do not need to have millions of dollars. Many of the things out there today like telephone, broadband, food etc is cheaper. You might argue on the "food", but in Sweden I could easily afford to live on $100 or less a month and still get all the nutrients I need (which means, I would not need to live like poor pauper to get what I need). It's more a case of knowing where to go than having a lot of cash.

These days you could retire on much less than the newspapers talk about. Newspapers talk about the need of having more money today than yesterday in order to retire comfortably (because of inflation and all that). But in fact, inflation and what you pay for the food and items you buy has no correlation. You might disagree, but if you buy stuff in the right manner, inflation has no place in the equation. The level of desperation of recieving money as a merchant, does. Some merchants, when inflation goes up, actually sells at a loss without knowing it (because, seriously, how many of the small business guys do keep tag on inflation rates anyhow? I can guarantee many of them sell at a loss if you calculate in inflation on after tax dollars).

 

[Russ H]

Kerry-

Wow, I got so many mixed emotions when I read your post, I had to let it go.

Even decided not to respond at all, for fear of coming off like I was criticizing you.

(. . . but you know me-- the bull in the china shop . . .)

Let me start by saying my words below are not in any way aimed towards YOU-- they're only (ONLY) about the words you posted.

And I know they weren't your words in the first place, so hopefully you don't feel any ownership.

K, here goes . . .

The story flat out depressed me. Perhaps that was its intent. But it just did not ring true.

Every dad I know has made mistakes. One of the biggest, most gracious things another dad told me was that kids are tough. And very, very forgiving. It takes a lot to make them hate you. He shared that he'd yelled at his kids a few times when he was stressed out, and felt bad about it minutes later-- but that the kids bounced back that fast, hugged him and it was over. In their family, LOVE was much stronger than some little mistake.

(He told me this when I confided to him I was probably not ever going to be a father, because I'd been beaten as a kid and was scared to death of ever hitting my kids, and would rather die than hurt them)

Have I ever hit our little one?

No.

But I did make her cry when she was about 9 months old by yelling at her "NO!". Her cry was different from anything I'd ever heard from her-- she gasped in breaths, and looked very afraid.

It cut me to the bone. To this day, it was one of the worst feelings I'd ever had, in my entire life. Words cannot describe just how deeply moved I was.

Have I made her cry since?

Yes.

By telling her, nicely, that we're not going to have ice cream for breakfast-- no matter how many times she asks (and says "please?"). Or by telling her we need to go to bed now, as it's long past her bedtime.

But I haven't made her cry by yelling at her when she didn't understand words!

I guess my point here is that the dad in your story must have been a pretty messed up guy to let his anger cause him to beat his son w/a wrench and not know it-- and then commit suicide (abandoning his child and depriving his child of a father)

But that was the point of the story, I guess.

I prefer the Chinese Proverb we've all heard before:

"I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet"

To me, it's more powerful. Makes you think. And it doesn't hurt anyone.

But perhaps it doesn't have the same message?

To that end, I'd rearrange the words at the end of your post

(sigh . . . once a writer, always a writer . . .):

Each day, be mindful.

Things are meant to be used.
People are meant to be loved.
Not the other way around.

*************

One Can Lead To Another

Consider your thoughts; they may become words.
Consider your words; they become actions.
Those actions may become habits.
Habits become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

*********

TODAY is the only day we have.
Make it count.

*********

OK, hope I didn't hurt your feelings.

-Russ H.

 

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[wildambitions]

Kerry-
The story flat out depressed me. Perhaps that was its intent. But it just did not ring true.

I did not believe the story, it was just part of the original email. I agree with you.

To that end, I'd rearrange the words at the end of your post

(sigh . . . once a writer, always a writer . . .):

Each day, be mindful.

Things are meant to be used.
People are meant to be loved.
Not the other way around.

That is the way the post had it. Read it again... Things are to be used and people are to be loved, But the problem in today's world is that, People are used and things are loved... (again, this is from the email, not my words, but it makes the point)

One Can Lead To Another

Consider your thoughts; they may become words.
Consider your words; they become actions.
Those actions may become habits.
Habits become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.


TODAY is the only day we have.
Make it count.

Yours might be more poetic, but really means the same thing.THIS was the whole content of the post, not the story.

OK, hope I didn't hurt your feelings.

-Russ H.

Not a chance!

 

[Russ H]

My rewrites were not intended to change the meaning of your post, Kerry-- just the poetry.

(again, it's the writer in me)

Or perhaps it's just the tweaker . . . !

-Russ H.

 

[TaxGuy]

My mom forwards me emails like this all the time and that particular one was titled "Used and Loved"

Things are to be used and people are to be loved, But the problem in today's world is that, People are used and things are loved...

This to me was the most pressing issue, yes the story itself has shock value, but at the end of the day it seems that things are loved and people are used, especially where I live, which was so greatly satirized in the movie American Beauty(written about the materialism and lifelessness of the Northwest Burbs of Chicago )

 

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[Bobo]

And if you don't pass it on to 5000 people within 24 hours, someone will scratch "I love You" into your forehead with a carkey and then bludgeon you with a wrench, then call the police and claim you committed suicide.

...Russ got an inner poet, I got stuck with an inner smartass.

I do have a question though - why was dad polishing the car with a wrench in the first place?

Sorry, can't help myself, will pray about it.

 

[wildambitions]

My mom forwards me emails like this all the time and that particular one was titled "Used and Loved"

Same email... I changed the title.

And if you don't pass it on to 5000 people within 24 hours, someone will scratch "I love You" into your forehead with a carkey and then bludgeon you with a wrench, then call the police and claim you committed suicide.

ROFLOL. This one actually had a disclaimer that said you did not have to pass it on.

I do have a question though - why was dad polishing the car with a wrench in the first place?

Very observant. I was wondering when someone would catch that.

Keep in mind folks, I did not post this because it was an email that said to pass it on, or even to share the shocking story. I really did not think it would start all of this. I find it fascinating there are so many different angles and what in the post catches one person one way and another in a different way.

The main message of the email (for me) was the reason I shared it in a post. For me, it's concept goes along the same lines of being accountable for your self because everything you do will have some sort of consequences, good or bad. The part about thing being used and people being loved is a no-brainer for me.

It is...
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

that I thought was insightful and I can easily apply this concept to a business application as well.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

It is a poorly crafty story, but an excellent message. There are probably better plot lines to invent that would better articulate the message.

We should have a contest to rewrite this story into our own version and then see if we at Fastlane can make it go viral.

Any takers?

 

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[Bobo]

MJ - This is a group project I think, say after 3-4 drinks one night on the cruise.

How about a serious version and a Bobotized version.

 

[Russ H]

...Russ got an inner poet, I got stuck with an inner smartass.

I do have a question though - why was dad polishing the car with a wrench in the first place?

Oy.

We should have a contest to rewrite this story into our own version and then see if we at Fastlane can make it go viral.

Any takers?

Hmm-- doing it here (on the forums) instead of the cruise might make it more internetty.

(as opposed to cruisey)

-Russ H.

 

[fanocks2003]

MJ - I'm on.

 

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[yveskleinsky]

Seems like the elements to these stupid emails are:

- Guilt
- Some sort of unsung hero
- Family/God/Country
- Some overly emotional story that borders on ridiculous

...I was raised in an Italian, Catholic family--the above criteria was also the basis of almost every conversation, so I've got this one all day long. ...Anyone else want a swing at this?

 

[wildambitions]

It is a poorly crafty story, but an excellent message. There are probably better plot lines to invent that would better articulate the message.

We should have a contest to rewrite this story into our own version and then see if we at Fastlane can make it go viral.

Any takers?

You talking...
1. a REAL story to articulate the REAL message better?
2. Or a story that will rival THAT one?
3. Or one of each and the "Bobo" version one being WAY exagerated?

If it is 1 and or 3 count me in. I don't wanna waste time on the second option.