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Adoption
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Where is My Poem
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Sad still
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jlsavell: Desiderata Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. by Max Ehrmann ©1927 |
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If by Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don?t deal in lies, Or being hated, don?t give way to hating, And yet don?t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you?ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ?em up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ?Hold on!? If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings ? nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds? worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that?s in it, And - which is more - you?ll be a Man, my son! - | |
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jlsavell: A ventriloquist is telling a dumb-blonde joke when an offended platinum-haired woman in the audience yells out,?You have no right to stereotype blondes that way!!? The ventriloquist tries to oppologize when she cuts him off and says:?You stay out of this..I?m talking to that little twerp on your knee!? |
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jlsavell: Thought I would share this philosophical beauty. It was posted on FB by a friend. I am not sure who wrote this. They may have died. On the day I die a lot will happen. A lot will change. The world will be busy. On the day I die, all the important appointments I made will be left unattended. The many plans I had yet to complete will remain forever undone. The calendar that ruled so many of my days will now be irrelevant to me. All the material things I so chased and guarded and treasured will be left in the hands of others to care for or to discard. The words of my critics which so burdened me will cease to sting or capture anymore. They will be unable to touch me. The arguments I believed I?d won here will not serve me or bring me any satisfaction or solace. All my noisy incoming notifications and texts and calls will go unanswered. Their great urgency will be quieted. My many nagging regrets will all be resigned to the past, where they should have always been anyway. Every superficial worry about my body that I ever labored over; about my waistline or hairline or frown lines, will fade away. My carefully crafted image, the one I worked so hard to shape for others here, will be left to them to complete anyway. The sterling reputation I once struggled so greatly to maintain will be of little concern for me anymore. All the small and large anxieties that stole sleep from me each night will be rendered powerless. The deep and towering mysteries about life and death that so consumed my mind will finally be clarified in a way that they could never be before while I lived. These things will certainly all be true on the day that I die. Yet for as much as will happen on that day, one more thing that will happen. On the day I die, the few people who really know and truly love me will grieve deeply. They will feel a void. They will feel cheated. They will not feel ready. They will feel as though a part of them has died as well. And on that day, more than anything in the world they will want more time with me. I know this from those I love and grieve over. And so knowing this, while I am still alive I?ll try to remember that my time with them is finite and fleeting and so very precious?and I?ll do my best not to waste a second of it. I?ll try not to squander a priceless moment worrying about all the other things that will happen on the day I die, because many of those things are either not my concern or beyond my control. Friends, those other things have an insidious way of keeping you from living even as you live; vying for your attention, competing for your affections. They rob you of the joy of this unrepeatable, uncontainable, ever-evaporating Now with those who love you and want only to share it with you. Don?t miss the chance to dance with them while you can. It?s easy to waste so much daylight in the days before you die. Don?t let your life be stolen every day, by all that you?ve been led to believe matters, because on the day you die?the fact is that much of it simply won?t. Yes, you and I will die one day. But before that day comes: let us live. |
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Should I experience irreversible cessation of spontaneous brain function tomorrow, I have removed the burden of so many decisions from my family. I hope you have the wherewithal to take your own advice. - | |
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jlsavell: Presidential Criticism Theodore Roosevelt "The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else." "There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility." Abilene, KS, May 2, 1903 |
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I think these quotes by TR are quite appropriate for the times, In fact, I believe they are appropriate for all time and apply to any leader of our country past or present. However, I would be remiss if I failed to say that TDR left a legacy of racism. There are many different studies on his take, just as Abraham Lincoln. Even so, if he was a blatant racist of his time, - which at anytime is unacceptable- these profound words were perhaps a reflection of his subconscious, because they are absolutely brilliant. Rather a complete oxymoron to what a lot of his legacy reports of him. I respect your words, and if I may say- I don?t believe many Americans believe you should support any or all actions or all positions an American President makes. The first and foremost is the important belief that each and every President should make decisions for the good of all people under our nation, not a select few. It is just as TR said to support a Presidents actions or his words which are contrary to the will and good of the people is unpatriotic and treasonable. A President is deemed and expected to be an honorable leader and not selective in what or whom he caters to. The will and the good of the people come first which includes as a trickle down effect- to all humanity across the globe in all Nations- a shining example of integrity, honesty and humility. For this, I think we can all agree and find a common ground. Thank you for posting friend. - | |
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jlsavell: Regarding Hurricane Laura Seriously, it has been tough here. A few homes in Ragley have gotten fully running water, which was amazing!! My sons and I hurried to the faucets anticipating, but it was only a teasing drip. But still, while looking at each other like little children, we began laughing, thinking it was the most amazing thing in the whole wide world. It is most assuredly the little things. I am still one of the the fortunate ones. As I said, not everyone has running water. Just a very few. From what I understand most of the city water generators in Lake Charles were completely demolished 😳 and in the Ragley/Longville area there were a few main pipes that were busted by the storm. Not to mention the total near complete devastation the Cameron area has experienced. So, it will be a while for most folks. It has only been 4 days since category 4 Hurricane Laura rushed its way into Southwest Louisiana. My coworkers, family, neighbors and I, who were hunkered down in our homes, experienced the northeast corner and eastern side of the eyewall (the roughest side of any tropical system, much less a Category 4 Hurricane) brutally for hours upon hours continuously battering us. That alone, can stress out the sanest of individuals. The amount of widespread damage is unbelievable. There is not a structure in Southwest Louisiana that has not been touched in some way by Hurricane Laura. The Linemen, our heroes of electricity will be here for, what I can only assume, months... It will be a life of generators for us. Alternating operations of one generator with another to preserve fuel, to ensure they don? t burn up, to ensure they don? t cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Obtaining fuel daily to operate these expensive machines. And, we thought our electric bills were high. We will be using these gas/diesel guzzling machines for a long time, perhaps even several months... Again, I know I am fortunate. I have a home to live in, a generator to run the AC and refrigerators, one of the lucky ones who can actually go to work assisting this massive cleanup, one of the lucky ones who has a chain saw and even knows how to use it. Our communities here in Southwest Louisiana have been pulling together to help each other, families who have been distant have come together to help each other, strangers have been helping those in need without question. We are Southwest Louisiana. As for my family and I, we will continue to push forward for our family and friends who lost it all and for Southwest Louisiana, a wonderful community of people. Category 4 Hurricane Laura was nothing like Hurricane Rita or Hurricane Katrina that hit Louisiana 15 years ago. Category 4 Hurricane Laura was the absolute most powerful storm to ever hit the United States, much less Southwest Louisiana. Our devastation is real and heartbreaking. I will leave you with this In any given moment we have two options: to step forward in growth, courage and determination- or to retreat into our created safety zone and not rise to any challenging occasion. ( most of the quote Maslow) Revised. Thank you for reading |
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My prayers are with you and all those affected. - | |
Fortunately, there were only a few casualties. Fortunately sounds funny for me to say- for any loss of life is tragic. In the wake of COVID, this has been extremely difficult for many upon many. Loss of income will be at a Herculean high. People were just returning to their jobs- safely- yet because of COVID, many jobs shut down permanently with the exceptions of the huge brick and mortar signature stores, but even they are shut down now. There will still be many who can still work remotely as they did before but obviously they have to relocate to be able to do this. To some it might be very difficult if they have issues to deal with regarding home repairs and or family. Hotel rooms, B and Bs, are very scarce across Louisiana and Texas. We were fortunate to find an extended stay in Dallas. This storm was so devastating, a typical 7 hour drive to get to Dallas turned into 14 hours because of detours and having to wait in long lines for fuel. I will also mention how very costly it is. Of course, those who had homeowners insurance will have their accommodations covered by insurance, others not so fortunate. Many are having to stay with friends and families across the nation but that too can be stressful and costly for anyone involved. Again to add to the burden is the threat of COVID. And anyone having severe health issues regarding dialysis or oxygen tanks for instance. Janny, I hope you are fine. Yes, it?s a given, generators are loud but we have to take it or leave it. I have to give a big shout out to Phillip 66, a huge refining plant in Lake Charles. They gave each of their employees and powerful new generator and allowed them 10 gallons of gas a day. One of my sons work for them as the head safety engineer. We had a generator, but we had three homes to supply on the property. It has been a huge source of aid, so appreciated. We, as a family, strive very hard to help others in this very difficult situation. As for me, I will be commuting back and forth from Dallas, Texas to Lake Charles and vice versa to bring my sons much needed supplies, such as water and food and perhaps a refreshing beer or two. Out of all of this, the youth and the aged and the poor suffer more from this. Our youth was just returning back to school either virtually and in physicality with safety precautions put in place. Their academic and social trajectory has once again been halted. Not good, especially for the elementary little ones. Again, thank all of you., - | |
May God continue to Bless you as you travel from one place to another...Take Care, and I will try to talk to you soon. Victoria - | |
hang in there xdip - | |
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Victoria - | |
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jlsavell: Have a beautiful day everyone! May life fill your cup with the sunshine of grace and your bowl with the abundance of gratitude even when the skies are overcaste and the field of plenty have been devastated. |
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jlsavell: I saw this on FB and thought it quite funny Ole and Sven Ole and Sven die in a snowmobile accident, drunker than skunks, and go to Hell. The Devil observes that they are really enjoying themselves. He says to them 'Doesn't the heat and smoke bother you? Ole replies, 'Vell, ya know, ve're from nordern Minnesooota, da land of snow an ice, an ve're yust happy fer a chance ta varm up a little bit, ya know.' The devil decides that these two aren't miserable enough and turns up the heat even more. When he returns to the room of the two guys from Minnesota, the devil finds them in light jackets and hats, grilling Walleye and drinking mead.. The devil is astonished and exclaims, 'Everyone down here is in total misery, and you two seem to be enjoying yourselves and I want to know why!' Sven replies, 'Vell, ya know, ve don't git too much varm veather up dere at da Falls, so ve've yust got ta haff a fish fry vhen da veather's dis nice.' The devil is absolutely furious. He can hardly see straight. Finally he comes up with the answer. The two guys love the heat because they have been cold all their lives. The devil decides to turn all the heat off in Hell. The next morning, the temperature is 60 below zero, icicles are hanging everywhere, and the inhabitants of hell are shivering so bad that they are unable to wail, moan or gnash their teeth. The devil smiles and heads for the room with Ole and Sven. He gets there and finds them back in their parkas, bomber hats, and mittens. They are jumping up and down, cheering, yelling and screaming like mad men. The devil is dumbfounded, 'I don't understand, when I turn up the heat you're happy. Now its freezing cold and you're still happy. What is wrong with you two?' They both look at the devil in surprise and say, 'Vell, don't ya know, if hell iss froze over, dat must mean da Vikings von da Super Bowl' |
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jlsavell: An excerpt from one of the most influential, educational, and moving books I have ever read. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson ? Finally, I have come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.? Read the book |
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jlsavell: I have a dear and close friend who use to be a member here. He is a fabulous poet but has gone through some very heart-rendering tragedies. One, the loss of his beautiful son, who was his rock of Gibraltar after his wife left him. We spoke of him returning to Fanstory. I hope he does. Meanwhile, I will continue to hope and encourage. I have been connected with him since 2008 and recently reconnected, talking daily. I gave him a line to inspire him to write which is No one knows how many mountains there are in the world.....until... And he wrote No one knows how many mountains there are in the world.....until..... their destination demands that discovery. How very sage. It resonated with me. With his permission I have posted his name and the quote. To Dennis Mackey, you are the poet across the miles and moonbeams, I cannot wait to share a glass of wine with and poetry. |
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As and one can tell, just written in spur of the moment. Never expected it to even place! I am honored. - | |
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jlsavell: This morn I awoke to a beautiful sunrise around 7 here in Lake Charles. As I stood out(briefly) on the patio shivering with a hot cup of coffee on hand, I began to count my beautiful blessings. And there are many! I have realized through the years that doing this each morning is like a spiritual and emotional V-8. We all mourn the loss of loved ones, but our wonderful Creator has endowed us with many special gifts. One is the gift of love, of family, of great friends, creating very special memories which keep the spirit and connection with those who are no longer with us alive and to those who have chosen to leave our lives. May God grant you peace and serenity always. May He always direct our paths with wisdom, and fortify our steps with gratitude. Immense gratitude. May our journey through life be accompanied by wonderful souls who understand and practice the importance of being in love with loving kindness ... always paying it forward. May we always be able to offer a bit of sunshine toward our fellowman; always being aware to insure that those less fortunate in this incredible journey will always have the necessary strength and comfortable shoes to trek forward to the pinnacle of a life well lived. Have a blessed day and safe rewarding journey. |
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Perhaps t would been a lot less painful had you held it in your hand, 'ey? Hope you & yours have a very Scary Christmas. 
~Dean :) - | |
You really want me to have a scary Christmas? - | |
I meant to type "said". But, yes, I DO want you to have a scary Christmas, LOL. A Very Scary Christmas! - | |
Thank you ~ Richard - | |
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jlsavell: ?Drugs never cure disease. They merely hush the voice of nature?s protest, and pull down the danger signals she erects along the pathway of transgression. Any poison taken into the system has to be reckoned with later on even though it palliates present symptoms. Pain may disappear, but the patient is left in a worse condition, though unconscious of it at the time.? Daniel. H. Kress, M.D. Author of The Cost to Society of Cigarettes: A Century of Analysis, Ulcers and Smoking, and other books |
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jlsavell: "The distance between your dreams and reality is called ACTION " Don't know who said it, but it packs a wallop! |
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And it's measured in TENACITY haha - | |
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jlsavell: Excerpt in the "firstinwordpress.com Cris Cornell Soundgarden You might think grunge is about anger, but that's not completely true. Yes, it can sound that way, but it's really about depression and cynicism. Those two go hand-in-hand, along with their nasty little sister, anxiety. When the three of them get going, they just eat hope as quickly as it can be summoned. That leaves despair and despair is exhausting, not just for those who experience it, but for the people around it as well. So we keep it to ourselves because we don't want to be a burden. And then it gets to be too much. Doesn't matter if you're a student, a mom, an accountant or a rock star. It doesn't matter if you've written about it your entire life as a means of keeping it at bay. It doesn't matter if the music you made about it brought in fame, respect and millions of dollars. It doesn't matter if your entire generation has suffered from it. Depression makes you feel totally alone. You hit the breaking point, and then, like Chris Cornell, you hang yourself in the bathroom. This wasn't a young adult taking the easy way out because life got too hard. This wasn't a spoiled, petulant rock star who thought that this was the best way to ensure his legend. This was a well-respected member of his community; a beloved musical hero who seemed to have it all together. This could have been any of us. And brothers and sisters, if it's you, don't mess around with it. Please find some help. Cornell is speaking to us all one last time. This isn't something we left behind with our twenties. This isn't something cured by age or financial security. This isn't something you outgrow. If it's allowed to fester, depression is stronger than wisdom. Depression is insidious and tenacious. Depression can get to anybody. It can make you feel like an old man at 27. It can make you feel lost as a child at 52. Call it a senseless tragedy. Call it a second-act cautionary tale. Call it whatever you want. Just don't blow it off as meaningless. Rest In Peace Chris Cornell 1964-2017 |
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