STORYTIME TAPESTRY

The Newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world

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Sept 10, 2005? 

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A very special happy birthday goes out to my love, Hikmat Ibrahim.

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Now on to the good stuff..........

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Today's Queue Stories

~**~**~**~

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ValueSpeak
A Weekly Column
By Joseph Walker

Valuespeak@msn.com

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SOMETHING LIKE THAT

Joseph Walker

? Look, I??™m not trying to be Pollyanna.?  I??™m not playing some ???glad game,??? where you try to find silver linings strapped to the back of every dark, angry cloud.?  The past week has been brutal, especially for those who are trying to survive calamity along America??™s Gulf Coast.?  The massive loss of life and property has touched a responsive, compassionate chord in us.
? And it makes us wonder: what if something like THAT happens here?
? Wherever ???here??? is.
? Sure, the city of New Orleans was uniquely designed, and much of the trauma and tragedy inflicted during and after the visit of Hurricane Katrina was a result of that unique design.?  But wherever we live, stuff can happen.?  We won??™t ever experience a hurricane where I live, and I don??™t think there??™s a levee within four or five states of here.?  But we live within a few miles of an earthquake fault line, and seismologists tell us it isn??™t a matter of ???if??? we will experience a sudden, dramatic shift in the earth??™s surface, but ???when.???
? There??™s something like that where you live, too ??“ isn??™t there??  Some grave inevitability is lurking out of sight and usually out of mind.?  And then something like this happens and you remember ??“ shuddering ??“ that something like that could happen to you.?  Maybe it??™s a tornado.?  Or a fire.?  Certainly terrorism could rear its ugly head anywhere, at any time, in any way.
? How will we handle it when ??“ not if ??“ we come face to face with something like that?
? If there is anything good that can come from something like that, it is the opportunity it provides for all of us to learn vicariously, and to reassess our personal and family preparedness for such situations.?  For example, we have learned that it might be a good idea to store an ax in the attic.?  To be honest, that??™s something that never occurred to me before.?  But now it seems like a pretty good idea, just in case there comes a time when your only way out is through the roof.
? We have learned not to count on help arriving instantaneously.?  This is not a criticism or an indictment of anyone or anything.?  It??™s a simple fact of life ??“ especially during times of crisis.?  All kinds of things may make it difficult to get food, water and emergency supplies to us and to our families.?  So we need to be prepared to take care of ourselves for as long as possible.?  Yes, it is the government??™s job to take care of us.?  But it is first and foremost OUR job to take care of us.
? When I was little Civil Defense experts talked about the importance of having a ???72-hour kit??? available for each family ??“ and possibly for each member of the family.?  The kit was to be something that could be easily carried ??“ like in a backpack or something ??“ and could be stored at a convenient place in the home where you could grab it and go . . . whenever.?  It would include the things most needed in an emergency ??“ water, food, medicines, a change of clothes, a transistor radio and batteries and maybe even a little cash.?  It was not intended to maintain a lifestyle ??“ just to sustain life for a few days until more meaningful help could be obtained.
? Perhaps the past week has taught us that something like that would be a good thing to have on hand in case we are suddenly confronted by . . . well . . . something like that.
? The past week has also reminded us that no matter how large and diverse our nation may be, we are really just one big community.?  When one segment of our population is in crisis, we are ALL in crisis.?  We hurt for each other.?  We worry and fret.?  And then we reach out in any way we can to ease suffering and help the healing.?  We??™ve seen it in large-scale humanitarian outreach operations, and in the hometown efforts of small groups of young people to raise funds for Katrina??™s refugees.?  We are not an unfeeling nation.?  We care.?  And because we care, we find ways to overcome obstacles and conquer adversity.
? Even when it??™s . . you know . . something like that.

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~**~**~

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Care For One Another

Bill Walker

wildbill6807@yahoo.com

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I read, hear, and see things people do. I wonder why and what happened??  I have known of cases where people change and do things. I hear some times the change is slow in coming, some times it is fast.

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I like going to this one place to eat. It is tank up all you want to eat for so much.?  I notice a lot of older people seem to make it there.?  I wonder about some, I watch some, I see how those that seem to be married gets along.

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I have seen this both ways. I will just tell each way if I can.?  Maybe my five minutes of your time will allow me to do so.

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I watched a older couple come in one day, he is using a cane to get to the table, slow. He at last will get set down.?  I? take it to be his wife, she isn't walking much better, but she turns and get him a plate of food, brings it back.?  Then she slowly goes for hers. They both set, eat slow, no hurry. She will get up from time to time and make a trip for different things. I notice as a rule these don't talk much, a few words. He may say something, she will put her fork down, and slowly get up and go get what ever.

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I have seen it the other way, she isn't moving very fast. The man will make sure she seated. say something and off he goes, in a bit one plate of food for her.. He at last will be back with one for his self.?  These take care of one another. One is feeble, the other is even more so. They have been man and wife for many years.?  There was the day so long ago the spring in the step. He ran after her till she hooked him. Now age has taken it's toll. The spring in the step is gone, but love isn't.

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Made me think of a couple I knew some years ago. Caroline, and George Logan.?  It was second marriage for George I do know that. His first wife died from a house fire. I think a child also, believe she got one child out of the house, went running back into the house after the other, never made it back out, both died in the house.?  That was so long ago.? 

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Caroline and George married,? and I have heard many stories from Ed, the barber, and others.? ?  There never was any stories but what wasn't good stories, and always one that some where one couldn't get a? chuckle out of it.?  Like the time George was selling Fords.?  He stopped and picked up his Caroline and they went for a ride in the country.?  He said he knew some farmer that might buy the car.?  Ha.. I think he just wanted to take his girl for a ride. Well here we are out on this country road, and there is a dead end, got to make a right or left turn.?  Car brakes is bad, don't make turn and rolls through a barb wire fence, hit a straw pile.?  She is picking straw out of her hair, fussing. George asked if she was hurt, she said no just mad.?  He says OK shut up.?  Got car back on road and heads back to town, forget the selling. Now I got the story from Ed.?  Ed got the story from his wife.?  You see all them old gals jaw boned then just like now.

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The last time I seen them, was both was in last days. I had to take Caroline to the hospital.?  Her words to me was, "Poor George, he is in a bad shape."?  She died I think it was next day,?  Poor George lived one more day, and he too went home to be with his Caroline.?  True Love.

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A good marriage, makes no difference if your rich or in the poorer range.?  You take care of one another. You worry about the other, are they getting enough to eat, is there anything I can get for the other. You may be old, but you have the memories of the good times, and the bad times. The funny times, like picking straw out of your hair, and George saying are you all right??  True Love.

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I guess some don't take care of another at the end. Maybe never really did. I hear? a lot of that, I can't understand any of those. I remember Caroline and George. He would stop and fill the Caddy up with gas,?  write out a check for 20 dollars, and go get his Caroline.? She was putting the finish touch to the dress or doing the girl thing, you know, the make up deal.? ? Head out to Jansen to the Red Rooster.?  Eat, and? sip a drink or two, and dance the evening away. That would be one evening a week. Any strange Dollies was out of luck thinking the next dance was theirs. ? No It was Caroline and George. True Love.

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Bill Walker

wildbill6807@yahoo.com

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

About Me:

Well I??™m a story teller, not a writer. Never learned the art of fancy English. I

happen to live in Nebraska, but I??™m still Missouri. Never married, all the Dollies I

ever took a second look at was too smart. Now at 74, just turned that other day, I

figure they all home safe. I love Doggies and Dollies in that order. Lost my two

true friends this year, that be Tinker and Poo. So I found me a new one. This

time a little girlie Peke. She is a normal female. Got a mouth, talks all the time.

She will never be a great writers of stories like Tinker and Poo. They have

about 50 stories on HWS. And now writing back from Rainbow Bridge.

I just try to write about people, places and things best I remember. Have something

over 250 stories on HWS. under three names.? ? ? 

~**~**~

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Exposing my heart

Norma Liles

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I well remember how I felt when I heard other kids talk about

their grandmothers.?  I wondered how it felt to have a grandma

with whom you could spend nights or weekends.?  I thought it would

be nice to climb upon her lap and have her tell me stories or sing

a song, just for me.?  From that day to this, I feel I missed a lot as

I didn't get the chance to meet either one of my grandmothers.

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One of my playmates whom I shall call Carolyn? stayed with

her grandmother a lot since her Mother worked as well as her Father.?  Sometimes, she was not too kind to this lady and I recall

telling her that if I had a grandmother I would love her too much to sass her.

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My father's mother, Mary, passed away when my dad was only

eleven years old so I was deprived of his Mother but not as much

as he was.?  My Mother's Mom, Sarah, ? passed away one year before I was born so I didn't get to know her, either.

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In my mind, I have always felt that if I lived long enough that I

would possibly be a grandmother, someday.?  In time to come,

this dream has come to a reality.?  I have two lovely grandaughers who are the love of my life as well as one step grandson and one step grandaughter so God has given me a lot to live for.

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It is my prayer that my grandchildren will relish the time that we have spent together, making memories.

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NormaLee Liles ?©

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Ties that Bind

? Joyce C. Lock

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When growing up, if there was a sibling dispute,? mom had the perfect solution.?  She would refuse to choose.?  In stead,? mom would? bang our heads together.?  She'd say that it takes two to fight ~ so we both got it.?  Now, that really hurt!?  But, it worked, every time.?  We'd hush, immediately.?  Though we didn't like it,? we didn't dare say another word.

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Even today, we make effort to get a-long with family.?  Though, that doesn't solve all things ~ as we look to family for approval as to who we are.?  In that way,? they still disappoints us ... always expecting something? more.

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It may have developed as a result of the depression, when parents prayed that their children would never have to experience anything so hard.? ? But, whatever the case, it use to be that adults believed the way to encourage their young, to be all that they could be, was to find fault with everything that could, yet, be improved upon.?  No doubt, somewhere, we've experienced, first hand, that mentality still lingering.

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Yet, the best tool we can provide is to receive our children as already valuable members; who's gifts, abilities, thoughts, heart, and feelings are? important, received, and appreciated as? unique and special creations of (not us, but) God.?  (Hey, this works in churches, too.)

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That's right.?  We're called upon to teach our children, but not to try to re-create them into an image of us or the us we had hoped to be ... no graven images.?  News Flash ... when God made you, your mate, children, siblings, friends, neighbors, boss, and even your preacher ... in? all cases,? God did not? make a mistake.

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True, they will either be your heavenly cheerleaders or your heavenly sand paper.?  But, in either case, they have purpose.

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I once heard said that Jesus' family did not recognize who He was, spiritually ~ that they only knew Him as family.?  So, I imagine He knew that hurt, too.

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None-the-less, we may fail to realize that? others are? also looking? at us to validate who they are.?  And though we can't be their everything, we can make sure our mouth doesn't call? others things they are not.

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When we have checked our heart and motive, and our heart condemns us not, God is pleased.?  He doesn't look for perfect people, just perfect hearts ~ as God knows who we are spiritually.?  Therein is where we get our confidence, assurance, self esteem, and such.

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And even when our behavior is out of line, due to other's blows, God sees the source.?  Yet, as we grow in seeking and accepting only God's approval, we have less need to respond to negative input ~ as their opinion isn't what counts.

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When we? depend upon? people? for? our self worth, we set both them and us up to fail.

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People fail us.?  But, God never will.

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?© 2005 by Joyce C. Lock

http://www.angelslight.org/viewauthor.php?id=8

http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

This writing may be used in its entirety, with credits in tact,
for non-profit ministering purposes

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