It was Christmas Eve 1942. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn’t been enough money to buy me the rifle that I’d wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Daddy wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Daddy to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn’t in much of a mood to read…
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BEING YOUNG IS A STATE OF MIND, BY 122-YEAR OLD FRENCH WOMAN
She was born in Arles, France, on February 21, 1875. The Eiffel Tower was built when she was 14 years old. It was at this time she met Vincent van Gogh. “He was dirty, badly dressed, and disagreeable,” she reportedly recalled in an interview given in 1988. When she was 85, she took up fencing, and still rode her bike when she reached 100. At the age of 114, she starred in a film about her life, at age 115 she had an operation on her hip, and at age 117 she gave up smoking, having started at the age of 21 in 1896. She didn’t give it up for…
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The beautiful, well-versed 83 year old lady
Linda Rodin, the founder of the beauty line Rodin Olio Lusso and a frequent model (she’s appeared in J.Crew and the Row lookbooks) known for her signature bright lipstick, is someone we look up to when it comes to aging gracefully—and creating a home that is 100 percent personal. In her 60s, Rodin is more popular than ever, and her New York apartment, which she shares with her adorable poodle, Winky, looks to be the perfect retreat from her busy schedule. The space is positively packed with greenery, ornate antiques, and eye-catching art; this is not a clean, minimalist space but one brimming with personality and life. 1 The beautiful,…
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Advice from An Old Farmer
I came across this delightful life advice on Facebook. Unfortunately I don’t know who the author is and therefore can’t credit him/her appropriately; but its nevertheless worth a read Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.You cannot unsay a cruel word.Every path has a…
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The Old Man and Dog
1 TODAY I ADOPTED A HUMANIt broke my heart to see him so alone and confused. And suddenly I managed to make his teary eyes meet mine. I don’t like the smell of sad. I wanted so badly to jump on him. He spoke to me tenderly and I knew, I had to rescue him! That human needed me. So I barked with all my might, followed him for blocks and blocks. I got closer, I could smell his hands. The human smiled for an instant and when he took me in his arms, I began to feel his cold heart warm. I got close to his cheeks and felt…
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strengthened by the Grace I had witnessed.
“I was at the river, hidden in the reeds, hoping to take photos of wildlife when I espied a man tenderly carrying his dog into the water and gently setting her down. The old dog seemed soothed and contented to be in the water and moved around using her front legs. When she got into deeper water, the man lovingly scooped her into his arms again and brought her back to shallow waters and there they stood together in companionable quietude.I approached the man as I was leaving and shared that I couldn’t resist taking photos of him and his dog. I learned that the man’s name is Tony and…
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lifetime of like an Eagle
“I was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing I noticed was the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for me.He handed me a laminated card and said, ‘I’m Wasu, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk, I’d like you to read my mission statement.’ Taken aback, I read the card. It said, ‘Wasu’s Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and…
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Lessons from Anthony Bourdain for Scrum Teams
Anthony Bourdain said: “Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o’clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster. Have a negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride.” Agile methodologies, particularly Scrum, have become increasingly popular in project management as organizations strive…
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Margaret Mead
“Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.A…
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Baby Turtle Release in Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido on the Oaxacan coast of Mexico, you’ll probably have read or heard about the turtle conservation efforts here. Every day, just before sunset, people gather on the beaches of Puerto Escondido to assist in the baby turtle release. The cost of releasing one turtle is 100 pesos and the money raised is circled back into protecting this beautiful but endangered species. Upon arriving at the release site, we were shown around a large tent where the sea turtles’ eggs were buried. The turtles don’t actually lay their eggs here; instead, the team here works tirelessly through the night to find, remove and rebury the eggs as the turtles…
