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Could This
Happen?
By Mona Lease
Hi, all! My Editor printed this article in it's entirety some years
previous. For this column, I am using the last portion.
"A philosophy professor puts a large jar on his desk and fills it with
golf balls. He asks if it's full and the students answer yes. He takes
a bag of pebbles, pours them into the jar and shakes it until the
pebbles settle into the spaces between the golf balls. Is it full? The
students say yes. He takes a box of sand and empties it into the jar.
The grains fill the remaining space. It is full? Yes, the students
answer. Then he opens a can of tea and pours it into the jar. He waits
a minute and asks what would happen if you put the sand in the jar
first. The philosophical point here is:
"The golf balls are the important stuff in life...God, spouse, country,
health, kiddies, grand-kiddies, your passions, community...things that
if everything else in your life was lost - and only these
remained - your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other
stuff that matters...job, house, car, Sunday football, etc. Loss of
these - while annoying - can be overcome. The sand is garbage -
small stuff - "who cares" stuff... the stuff of which rumors and
barfights are made...nitpicking, back-biting...which is what's left
after you figure out what's important and add in other things that
matter.
We get bombarded with "sand" and it fills the jar- which leaves little
room for golf balls or pebbles. Our time and our energy can be
completely drained by the garbage - if we let it. So always address the
golf balls first. The golf balls are our life. The tea is: No matter
how full your life is - there is always time for tea and watching a
sunset or sunrise."
Now that you have a visual, the following is true - I promise. A woman
I know decided that she was no longer going to be "sucked into" or
"drawn into" anyone else's drama - not her husband's - not her friend's
- not her kid's - no one's. She said she was gonna keep smiling -
no matter what. She said she would grit her teeth and think of as many
funny things as she could to keep the smile.
She told me the changes started happening - little ones at first. She
kept her mouth shut in all situations except when she was asked a
direct question. Then came the time when her husband was pulled over
for speeding. She gritted her teeth and kept smiling. The Officer cited
him for speeding. She gritted her teeth harder and kept smiling. When
they got home he made a couple of comments but asked her no direct
questions. She kept gritting and smiling. He cleaned up messes he made.
He helped with the dinner dishes.
So - this all made me think. Would I be able to do what this woman did?
Could I keep my mouth shut that much? Would I be able to think of that
much "funny stuff" to keep a perpetual smile on my face? Then I thought
I just might be able to do it. After all - I grew up with Bugs Bunny.
What could be funnier than when Bugs tells whoever is yelling at him -
"Ah, your brother blows bubble-gum!"
Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the
furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next
time. Ever Toodles!! MONA
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