Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Hearts and Humor – A Michael Smith Column

August 6, 2007

Hello, everyone.

Last week was a bad one. I was stressed at work.
I almost lost out on the chance to make it better.
You'll read about it below.

On Friday night a nasty round of thunder storms
roared through our area. It's been a long time
since I've seen lightning streak across the
sky like that.

It struck a water filtration system miles from us.
On Saturday, we had no water. Everything was
shut down. It was late last night, before we
finally had enough pressure to take a shower.
Today, we have been told to boil our water. It's
not safe to drink or cook in.

What we take for granted, is what so many in the
world don't have - safe drinking and bathing water.
We got a small taste of what a large part of the world
deal with on a daily basis.



Before the story, I have a few things for you to
view.

This is a very good tip on fire safety, sent to
me by one of family. Thank you, Nell!
It's very powerful. We can all learn from this one.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mZr3eidj0OY

I've seen this artist's work in the past.
This is a new video of her work.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WeOoG8sc514



Feel free to pass my stories on to your friends. I only
ask that you leave the link at the bottom for them to
join us.

    NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO STOP RECEIVING MY STORIES,
PLEASE USE THE UNSUBSCRIBE LINK BELOW. PLEASE DO NOT
MARK ME AS SPAM. MY STORIES ARE ONLY SENT TO THOSE
WHO SUBSCRIBE TO MY EZINE.

    I Love your comments.
    Send them to: msmith4@nj.rr.com

    If anyone is interested in greeting cards, Ginny
belongs to a group of artists. They've teamed together
to market their products. Check them out at:
http://www.etsygreetings.blogspot.com


    Ginny's cards and other crafts are at:
http://www.ginginsgoodies.etsy.com


    Be sure to check out my collection of inspirational
sites at the end. There's something for everyone.


    Now for today's story.



            Don't Miss the Moment

    My manager and I sat in our senior director's office. It
was 8 PM on Friday night - a grueling end to a bad week. The
deadline to my project was a few weeks away, and I was behind
schedule. Our sales team escalated to the executive vice president
to have our group complete on time. The pressure was on.

     I got in my car and sighed. "I can't take too much more
of this." I said to myself.

    "Hi, Hon! I'm on my way home.I love you more" I said to
Ginny and closed my phone.

    An hour later, I pulled into the garage totally exhausted.
It'd been fourteen hours since I'd held my wife and kissed her
goodbye. I trudged up the stairs to the kitchen. Ginny talked
on the phone. "Jacob-man, Pawpaw Mike just came home. Do you want
to talk to him?"

    I rolled my eyes. I just wanted to sit down and have a
drink - a stiff one. "Ginny, don't do this to me!" I wanted
to say.

    Ginny continued, "OK, here he is." She handed me the phone.

    I forced myself to sound excited to hear from him. "Hey,
Jacob-Man! What ya up to?"

    Six-year-old Jacob told me about his plans to visit his
cousin Noah the next day. I walked onto our deck, sat down,
and remembered the first time I'd met him. He was two at the
time. Ginny and I took him with us to run errands. Jacob sat
in his car seat and sang the theme to "Spiderman."

    "Spiderman! Spiderman! Does whatever a spider can."

    I chimed in, "Jacob-man! Jacob-man! Does whatever a Jacob
can! Can he swing? Can he fly?"

    Jacob interrupted, "No, Jacob can't do that."

    Two years later, Jacob and Ginny talked on the phone.
"Gingin, can I speak to that guy?"

    "What guy?" she asked?

    "You know!" He scolded. "I want to talk to that funny guy?"

    "You mean Pawpaw Mike?"

    "Yeah! I wanna talk to him."

    I was honored to be his funny guy, but this time I didn't
feel so funny. I wanted to get off the phone and forget my week.
"It sounds like you're going to have fun, Jacob- man! I wish
I could come to." I lied.

    Ginny handed me a drink, kissed my forehead, smiled, and
sat in the chair across the patio table from me. She knew!

    Jacob began to sing, "Spiderman! Spiderman! Does whatever
a spider can."

    He finished the song and moved on to another version of
the song - one he made up. In spite of my mood, I found myself
smiling. Jacob finished the second song and continued with his
version of bebop. "Boom, boom! Chick chick, boom, ba boom,
chick, boom., pfffft." He sprayed his father's phone with
spit. "Boom ba ba boom boom ba ba pffft!" he sang.

    I looked at Ginny. My smile turned to a hearty laugh.
"Ginny, I wish you could hear this. Jacob is cracking me up." I
took a sip of my drink and almost choked as Jacob finished with
a hilarious round of "dobe boom boom chick boom pffft!"

    "Jacob, that was wonderful!" I praised. "Where did you learn
to sing like that?"    

    "I don't know. I'm just good at it. Can I speak to Gingin
again?"

    "You sure can. Thanks for singing for me. Here's Gingin."

    I handed the phone to Ginny, leaned back in my chair,
and smiled up at the stars - the first time that day.



    Michael T. Smith


     If you enjoy a story, feel free to pass it on to your friends.
My only request is that you include the link for your friends to
join our family.

To join our family, go to:

http://subs.zinester.com/86758/

    As promised, here is a list of great inspirational sites.

I subscribe to all of them. You will love these sites.

    A good friend of mine has a new book out. You should check
this out. Carol's been through rough times. She tells it all
in her latest book.

Carol Roach
M.Ed, B.A.
Publisher: Storytime Tapestry
Author: Angels Watching Over Me:http://www.lulu.com/content/644485
Picking up the Pieces: A Woman's Journey: www.publishamerica.com

To join Carol's story site, go to Storytime Tapestry at:
http://archives.zinester.com/98907/

From my wonderful writing friend, Jan. She writes wonderful
stories about her life and losing her sight.
Janet Perez Eckles
Faith and Love with a Latin Flair
www.janetperezeckles.com


Here's a good one by Linda Della Donna
Freelance Writer
www.littleredmailbox.com
www.griefcase.blogspot.com
www.storybone.blogspot.com
"...and sometime when I wasn't looking, I got a new life."

By my good friend Keith in Australia:
http://www.agiftofinspiration.com.au/

My friend Phil runs http://www.peoplestuff.com.au/
Phil's awesome and brutally honest

Zev, yes another friend, runs http://empoweringmessages.com/stories/

Heart Catchers is a wonderful site.  www.DianeDeanWhite.com

www.Heartwarmers.com and www.petwarmers.com are two

wonderful story sites.

http://hodu.com/

http://www.mydailyinsights.com/

www.ripplemaker.com

http://www.sermonillustrator.org

http://www.SkyWriting.Net

Here's a newly discovered one I like:

http://www.archive.zinester.com/9516

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WarmFuzzyStories/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WithInSight/

If you, or anyone you know needs prayers for health concerns,
struggles,etc visit www.janetperezeckles.com
Janet's prayer group will respond.

That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with

more, I'll add them.

Enjoy!!!


I love your comments, Send them to msmith4@nj.rr.com.

I'll include some in every post.

Regarding my story, "Just Look 'Em in The Eye."

Mike,
    That is so cool that you know everyone in your
company.  I have done that a couple times in the morning
or throughout the day where I work right now, and it just
seems to make the day go by a little bit better, or
at least a little easier after saying 'Hi' to someone
or asking how they were doing.  You showed us all a good
example of how we should act toward those around us, and
I thank you for that.  Just imagine how much less
backstabbing there would be in the world if we all got
to know those we work with like you do.  I hope and pray
that your work load eases, and the job situation becomes
what you want it to be.
    God bless, your friend, Julie

    *************************
   
Thanks Mike,
I practice the same courtesies with the people I meet and
greet.

"Hi" is OK and universal but the sincerity comes from the
eye contact.  I believe it has a reverse effect for someone
to shake my hand or say Hi while they are looking the other
way.  The "Hi" with the "Eye" works wonders.

When people wake up in the morning and put their feet on the
floor they have no idea where their "Hi and Eye" will come
from. 

Whether they know it or not everyone needs a daily dose of
"Hi and Eye" I believe that God puts people in places so
they can be fed and you and I can be the feeders.

Thanks for sharing your message!

Carpe Diem,

John

 I THANK YOU, JOHN!
Mike
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