... Chicken Soup for the Soul ...

Stories, Anecdotes, Parables, Maxims,
some Advice and a Shorty

Eraclius the emperor, condemned a knight to death because the companion who went out with him failed to return. "Thou hast slain thy fellow," said the emperor, "and must die. "Take him away," he said to another knight, "and lead him to death."

On their way they met the knight supposed to be dead, and returned to Eraclius, who, instead of revoking his sentence, ordered all three to be put to death ... the first because he had already condemned him to death; the second because he had disobeyed his orders; and the third because he was the real cause of the death of the other two ... I included this anecdote as an example of twisted reasoning.

This anecdote is from Chaucer or Seneca, I'm not sure, but it is ascribed to Eraclius, the Roman emperor ... aren't you glad you live in this age?

SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS

Even this page can use a joke, but one with a lesson; so try this one:

A man asks his successful employer a question:
"Sir, What is the secret of your success?"
He answers: "two words""And, Sir, what are they?"
"Right decisions"
"But how do you make right decisions?"
"One word" he responds.
"And, sir, What is that?"
"Experience"
"And how do you get experience?"
"Two words"
"And, Sir, what are they?"
"Wrong decisions"

Now ain't that the truth.
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The idea of "sharing" in the above story reminds me of this Russian tale (it's a story appropriate all over the world): In Communist Russia there were "Good Citizenship" classes for the "proletariat", they were designed to educate them in the Marxist ideals. So one time a peasant farmer had attended a series of classes and it was now time for the test. The instructor is testing the peasant as follows:

"Tell me, Comrade" the instructor asks the farmer, "what would you do if you had a million rubles?"
"That's easy", the farmer says, "I'd share it with all the other Comrades"

"How about a beautiful 20-storey skyscraper?"
"I'd share it with all the other Comrades"

"And how about a beautiful big 50 foot boat?"
"I'd share it with all the other Comrades"

"And what if you had a new pair of boots or a nice bottle of vodka?"
"Well that I'd keep for myself, obviously"

What's the important lesson to learn here: It is very easy to operate on a theoretical level ... to share that which I cannot ever conceive of owning, to pledge that which will probably never require action. When it comes to everyday things which we appreciate and are able to put a value on, it is much harder to share and to accommodate others.

SNOBBERY AND TRUE CLASS
Story is told by Rabbi Stephen M Wylen

When my wife Cheryl and I went to New York City for our honeymoon, we wanted afternoon coffee and cake. We went to every hotel on Central Park South and were turned away from each one, because we were dressed for tourism and our appearance did not match the hotels' stereotype of the kind of guest they wanted seen in their caf�.

Finally, out of other options, we tried the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel. They welcomed us, and we had the most pleasant and most expensive cup of coffee we have ever enjoyed. The other hotels would not let us in, of course, because they were trying to be the Plaza. The Plaza let us in because they didn't have to try to be the Plaza. They were the Plaza.

That is the difference between snobbery and true class.
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A beggar asked alms at a lordly mansion, but was told by the servants they had nothing to give him. "Sorry for it," said the man, "but will you let me boil a little water to make some soup of this stone?" This was so novel a proceeding, that the curiosity of the servants was aroused, and the man was readily furnished with saucepan, water, and a spoon.

So in he popped the stone, and begged for a little salt and pepper for flavoring. Stirring the water and tasting it, he said it would be the better if could add some fragments of meat and vegetables they might happen to have. These were then supplied, and ultimately he asked for a little catsup or other sauce ... When fully boiled and ready, each of the servants tasted it, and happily declared that stone soup was excellent.

STORY OF LOVE IN A HEARTBEAT

Many years ago, after graduating from medical school, I worked for several months in a clinic in El Valle, a little town in the central highlands of the Dominican Republic. The staff at the clinic consisted of myself, another physician fresh out of school, and a nurse�all under the supervision of a doctor who'd just completed his residency. Together, the four of us lived and worked in a cinder block building with two examination rooms, a small surgical area, a waiting room, and some tiny sleeping quarters.

Since the nearest hospital was more than an hour and a half's drive away, we offered the only medical care for the entire region. Despite our meager stores of drugs and equipment, we saw nearly seventy patients each day and treated nearly every conceivable disorder. People would literally walk barefoot for a day to come to our clinic, and often were hopelessly ill. I felt as if I'd somehow been transported back in time to a different reality, far the one I had known.

Although I spoke workable Spanish, communication was often difficult because many of our patients were French-speaking migrant workers from Haiti who spoke Spanish haltingly. Once, a young Haitian woman was brought to us in a state of shock after her arm was mangled by a threshing machine. We rushed her to our makeshift operating room and poured IV fluids into her as we struggled to control the bleeding. Her hematocrit was so low it barely registered on our equipment. She needed blood badly and it was clear that we were going to lose her without it.

The sole method we had for giving blood was a direct transfusion from one person to another. With our rudimentary blood-typing kit, the only potential donor we could find was her younger brother. His Spanish was poor, but he seemed to understand when we explained that we needed to take some of his blood to save his sister. He turned a little pale, sat silent for a moment, and asked if there was any other way. "No," I replied, and he slowly nodded his head in agreement.

We placed an IV in him and began transfusing his sister. Almost immediately, she started regaining her color. Her brother smiled as he saw this, then turned his head to me, and in his soft, broken Spanish asked, "�Cuando voy a morir?"�"When will I die?" I stood dumbfounded, and then realized he'd misunderstood our explanations and thought we needed all his blood to save his sister.

The situation seemed humorous until a stunning fact hit me. This child, this precious child, with hardly a moments hesitation, had been willing to sacrifice his life to save the sister he loved. At that moment, I stood in awe of this boy. As I looked down at him, his face glowed with a kind of radiance, and despite his fear, he seemed at peace.

STORY OF TWO MEN

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs ... His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their youth, wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside ... The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.

Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats, young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow, grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

And as the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. And one warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade that was passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep ... She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window ... The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly and painfully he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed ... It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall ... she paused and said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

STORY OF THE TWO POCKETS

... A story for all seasons ...

The question is asked ... "Why do you usually have two pockets, one on each side?" ... You could just as easily have one, or six or seven ... but why two?

The answer ... In one pocket you have a note which reads: ... "You are nothing but dust and ashes, meant to eventually be food for the worms and maggots ... and nothing more."

BUT, in the other pocket, you have a note which reads: ... "The whole world, the entire universe, was made for you and for you alone."

This story was told to me some time ago by an old and wise rabbi ... A rabbi of many years, and my interpretation is as follows:

To live successfully, you have to balance both notes ... The first note seems to be very obvious ... too obvious ... But the second note requires special attention and consideration.

It means you are a prince, or a princess ... And you are to see yourself as a prince, or a princess - And you are to be treated as a prince or a princess ... that's right, you are VERY SPECIAL ... after all, the world is yours. Reminds me of the cute line said by Stuart Smally in SNL ... "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, people like me."

But remember, this world is only yours while you are here ... So your time here is precious and must be used carefully ... As the nun says in the story, Lilies of the Field, "so much to do, so much to do." She can hardly stop to accept the priest's gratitude for building the church.

Yeah, we know ... it was Homer Smith who built it ... But from where did Homer get his intelligence, his skills, his energy, etc ... That's another story ... back to ours ... Btw, just like you ... Homer was a prince in his world ... and he left his world a little better than he found it.

So it is for that reason you were placed here in this world ... And since it is yours, you have to give it some direction ...You have to take some personal responsibility with what you do ... So you can make it a little better than when it was given to you.

So? ... My prince or princess ... look up, wherever you are, whatever your condition, past notwithstanding, not your genes, not your education nor lack of ... not family, friends, nor neighborhood ... should deter your mission ... as long as it is a proper one.

Stand tall, my someone ... the world is yours ... it is waiting for you ... Dream, don't limit your thinking. Fences are made for those who cannot fly. Compromise too much with your dreams, and you'll forget who you really are (you will then be everybody). But it takes hard work, and a little bit of luck ... Now everybody, repeat after me (I'm listening) ... We are all individuals ... we really are ... and everyone has value, nobody is worthless ... and even if you are worthless, you can always be used as a bad example ... right? ... oh well.

STORY OF TWO TRAVELING ANGELS

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family ...The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room ... Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it ... When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied ... "Things aren't always what they seem."

All right, the next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife ... After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed so that the angels could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears ... Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel .. "How could you have let this happen?

"The first man had everything, yet you helped him," the angel accused ... "and the second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die." ... "Things aren't always what they seem", the older angel again replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall ... Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall in a way that he would never find it.

Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed ... the angel of death came for his wife ... I gave him the cow instead ... Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later. What is it they say? "Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery." I've also heard it said, "Today is a gift" ... I guess that's why it's called the present."

THE BIG PICTURE

There once was a farmer who owned a horse. And one day the horse ran away. All the people in the town came to console him because of the loss. "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a bad thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the horse returned to the farm accompanied by 20 other horses. (Apparently he had found some wild horses and made friends!) All the townspeople came to congratulate him ... "Now you have a stable full of horses" ... "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a good thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the farmer's son was out riding one of the new horses. The horse got wild and threw him off, breaking the son's leg. Naturally all the people in town came to console the farmer because of the accident. "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a bad thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the government declared war and instituted a draft of all able bodied young men. They came to the town and carted off hundreds of young men, except for the farmer's son who had a broken leg. "Now I know," said the farmer, "that it was a good thing my horse ran away."

The point of this story is obvious. Life is a series of events, and until we've reached the end of the series, it's hard to know exactly why things are happening ... That's one reason we should give respect to every elderly person - it is because through the course of life's experiences, they have seen the jigsaw puzzle pieces fall into place.

THE BIRD FLYING SOUTH
Thank you, Marnie ... in our northern neighbor, Canada.
And thank you, Rhoda, in San Antonia, Texas � for the small revision.

A bird watched his friends fly south for the winter. But the day was autumn warm and he couldn�t see the point of flying south when the weather was so lovely where he was. After a few weeks, the weather turned bitterly chilly and he knew he had to try to catch up to his friends. He started flying south but the higher he flew the colder it got and he began to freeze. He fell to the ground, and landed in a field. A cow came along took a dump on him and the dung actually started thawing him out. As he lay there all warm and happy he sang for joy. A passing cat, hearing the singing, promptly ate the bird. Moral:
1) Not everyone who drops sh*t on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of sh*t is your friend.
3) And, when you're in deep sh*t, keep your mouth shut.

According to the theory of aerodynamics and as may be readily demonstrated through wind tunnel experiments, the bumblebee is unable to fly ... This is because the size, weight and shape of his body in relation to the total wingspread making flying impossible ... But the bumblebee, being ignorant of these scientific truths, goes ahead and flies anyway ... scratching my head ... it sure makes one wonder.

Any comments? ...

... good enough.

Or how 'bout more chicken soup ... Page 3... with noodles and matzah balls.
Or return to ... Navigator... it's enough.