A Lone Stranger

The Terribly Sad Man Once there was a boy who lived in a big house on a hill. He loved dogs and horses, sports cars and music. He climbed trees and went swimming, played football and admired pretty girls. Except for having to pick up after himself, he had a nice life. One day the boy said to God, "I’ve been thinking, and I know what I want when I become a man." "What?" asked God. "I want to live in a big house with a porch across the front and two Saint Bernards and a garden out back. I want to marry a woman who is tall and very beautiful and kind, who has long, black hair and blue eyes, and who plays the guitar and sings in a clear, high voice. "I want three strong sons to play football with. When they grow up, one will be a great scientist, one will be a senator and the youngest will quarterback for the 49ers. "I want to be an adventurer who sails vast oceans and climbs tall mountains and rescues people. And I want to drive a red Ferr...

God's Cup of Coffee A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress." "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink." "What all of you really wanted was coffee, not...

The Precious Gift of Friendship Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they ha...

The Trouble Tree A man hired a carpenter to help him restore an old farmhouse. The carpenter had a rough first day on the job. First, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, then his electric saw quit. At the end of the day, his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While the man who hired him drove him home, the carpenter sat in stony silence. On arriving, the carpenter invited the man to come in and meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. Upon opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles as he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. After introducing the man to his family, the carpenter walked the man to the car. They passed the tree and the man’s curiosity got the better of him. He asked the carpenter about what he had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my ‘Trouble Tree’," the carpenter rep...

I Want To Relive I wanna relive those moments when my heart melted, When I lived my entire life in one beautiful moment, Those moments that enlivened my life & made it scented, And made my living spectacularly different. I wanna relive those magical moments once more... The moment when I first opened my eye, My Mom’s exhilarated eyes glanced through my heart, There was an unconditional adoration in that novel tie, And yes, what wonderful was that start. I wanna relive that affectionate moment once more... The moment when I walked my first step, And looked into that anxious eye, There was an unbelievable motivation for my tiny footstep, And hands waiting to hold me, on whom I could easily rely, I wanna relive that reliable moment once more... The moment when I gave my first exam, My Dad’s confident eyes assured me of success, There was an unsaid belief that told me that capable I am, And then I had to succeed for I had my dear ones for me to bless. I wanna...

Though the day is still in its nascent phase, the collective heaviness in our breath is felt as the muggy sky frowns down upon the world today. A week of rains and murky atmospheres both in daily and nightly lives has dripped this city in a sluggish glaze that leaves me wondering whether we really did avoid the end of days. The sky slivers in and out of a brown-hazy half-smile - one where you can't help but focus on the side that isn't smiling.  I can't help but focus on the grimace formed by hardened eyes whose colorless abyss sucks me into place I haven't been for a long time and don't care to return to. I can't help but wonder why I long for a velvety embrace from tentacles writhing around my wrists, my knees, cracking my joints. This mood has been permeating steadily through my subconscious and I feel the fragmentation from last week growing steadily more apparent. Some mornings, I awake to find a new face in the mirror - one that has returned form a nig...

11 Lessons For Life from Noah's Ark Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark. 1. Don't miss the boat. 2. Remember that we are all in the same boat. 3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. 4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 6. Build your future on high ground. 7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. 9. When you're stressed, float awhile. 10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. 11. No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

The image that I have in my mind right now is of a hand reaching from deep down inside of me, from somewhere inside my core, beyond my sternum, beyond even the physical limits of my body and coming upwards and outwards through my throat, outwards and upwards from my face and reaching......just reaching. It seems to want to stretch out from the sinewy nodule that it has been living in and turn my entire being inside out. I couldn't find picture to portray this through a Google image search. I have a very raw layer of emotion misting up on my skin - it is unsure whether it wants to be sweated out, or cried out, or just examined and held. The palpitations in my heart haven't stopped since I noticed them yesterday, within about an hour of getting to work. True to form, I decided they had nothing to do with me. The pounding on my ribcage, the thrusting upwards on my lungs, the twitching underneath my collarbone...no, not mine. Today, I laid a painted circle, a bit of weara...

I am masking a dull throb in my core with the smile on my face. There is either a tiny creature digging through my organ tissue - burrowing tunnels to connect parts of my body that don't naturally connect.  I'm not sure whether I want to reach in and rip this little creature out or drown it in an acerbic mixture of tea, coffee, and SmartWater. I'm not sure, but I believe that she has invited a few friends to tap dance on my duodenum. She has taken her drumsticks and is playing beat out on my chest cavity. Thump thump thump badump thump... Is there any way to evict a sensation? I wish I could close my eyes right now and sleep them away. I wish that I could spread a layer of material with frosting-like qualities inside of me and drown them into a stupor of silence. Thump thump thump badump thump... I wonder if all of this has to do with how I felt yesterday? I wonder if my nerves need more serious rewiring? I wonder if cold will ever feel cold or just painful? I...

Care For Everyone A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've got a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring with me." "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him." "There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us." "I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live." "No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us." "Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I ...

If We Would Have Hurried There once was a fellow who, with his dad, farmed a little piece of land in Japan. Several times a year they would load up the old ox-drawn cart with vegetables and go into the nearest city to sell their produce. Except for their name and patch of ground, father and son had little in common. The old man believed in taking it easy. The boy was usually in a hurry - the go-getter type. One morning, bright and early, they hitched up the ox to the loaded cart and started on the long journey. The son figured that if they walked faster, kept going all day and night, they'd make the market by early the next morning. So he kept prodding the ox with a stick, urging the beast to get a move on. "Take it easy, Son," said the old man. "You'll last longer." "But if we get to the market ahead of the others, we'll have a better chance of getting good prices," argued the son. No reply. Dad just pulled his hat down over his e...

A Very Good Management Lesson... The Pig And The Horse!!! There was a farmer who had a horse and a pig…..  One day, the horse became ill and he called the veterinarian, who said:  - Well, your horse has a virus.  He must take this medicine for three days.  I'll come back on the 3rd day and if he's not better,  we're going to have to put him down. - Nearby, the pig listened closely to their conversation.  The next day, they gave him the medicine and left. - The pig approached the horse and said:  - Be strong, my friend.  Get up or else they're going to put you to sleep! - On the second day, they gave him the medicine and left.  The pig came back and said:  - Come on buddy, get up or else you're going to die!  Come on, I'll help you get up.  Let's go! One, two, three... - On the third day, they came to give him the medicine  and the vet said:  - Unfortunately, we're going to have to put ...

The Bus Passenger The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg. It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression h...

The Perfect Boss There were about 70 scientists working on a very hectic project. All of them were really frustrated due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting their job. One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him, "Sir, I have promised my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township so I want to leave the office at 5:30 pm." His boss replied, "OK, You're permitted to leave the office early today." The Scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual, he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch only when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8.30 PM. Suddenly he remembered the promise he had made to his children. He looked for his boss but he was not there. Having told him in the morning himself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for havi...

Goodness Find Its Way Back Whether it is our thoughts, actions or behavior, sooner or later they return and with great accuracy. Treat people with respect on your way up because you will be meeting them on your way down. The following story is taken from The Best of Bits & Pieces. Many years ago two boys were working their way through Stanford University. Their funds got desperately low, and the idea came to them to engage Ignacy Paderewski for a piano recital. They would use the funds to help pay their board and tuition. The great pianist's manager asked for a guarantee of $2,000. The guarantee was a lot of money in those days, but the boys agreed and proceeded to promote the concert. They worked hard, only to find that they had grossed only $1,600. After the concert the two boys told the great artist the bad news. They gave him the entire $1,600, along with a promissory note for $400, explaining that they would earn the amount at the earliest possible moment and sen...

Every Success Has Many Failures Failure is the highway to success. Tom Watson Sr. said, "If you want to succeed, double your failure rate." If you study history, you will find that all stories of success are also stories of great failures. But people don't see the failures. They only see one side of the picture and they say that person got lucky: "He must have been at the right place at the right time." Let me share someone's life history with you. This was a man who failed in business at the age of 21 ; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at age 24; overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26; had a nervous breakdown at age 27; lost a congressional race at age 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47; lost a senatorial race at age 49; and was elected president of the United States at age 52. This man was Abraham Lincoln. Would you call him a failure? He could...

The Way We Are There is a legend about a wise man who was sitting outside his village. A traveler came up and asked him, "What kind of people live in this village, because I am looking to move from my present one?" The wise man asked, "What kind of people live where you want to move from?" The man said, "They are mean, cruel, rude." The wise man replied, "The same kind of people live in this village too." After some time another traveler came by and asked the same question and the wise man asked him, "What kind of people live where you want to move from?" And the traveler replied, "The people are very kind, courteous, polite and good." The wise man said, "You will find the same kind of people here too." What is the moral of the story? Generally we see the world not the way it is but the way we are. Most of the time, other people's behavior is a reaction to our own.

Go Beyond Your Limitations Henry Ford gave this world the V8 engine. He did not have much formal education. In fact, he did not go to school beyond the age of 14. He was intelligent enough to know there had to be a V8 engine but he was ignorant and didn't know how to build it. So he asked all his highly qualified, educated people to build one. But they told him what could be done and what couldn't. According to them, a V8 was an impossibility. But Henry Ford insisted on having his V8. A few months later he asked his people if they had the V8 and they replied, "We know what can be done and we also know what cannot be done and V8 is an impossibility." This went on for many months and still Henry Ford said, "I want my V8." And shortly thereafter the same people produced his V8 engine. How come? They let their imagination run beyond academic limitation. Education teaches us what can be done and sometimes also teaches us false limitations.It teaches u...

Shifts you want me to see through this murky blackness and use my eyes when they are caked with mud.  I can't even breathe,  through this foamy fog, and you want me to scream and wave my fighter's flag.  How can you even know what I go through scraping my knees on jagged tiled grounds.  Scratching at skin  that is too raw to start healing.  I can't even see what you want from me.  Bring me your blame Your guilt, your anger Leave me with pain  that I cannot see.  Ice melts in my hand too hot from stuffed embers Your ashes live silently as cancerous cells.  My lungs pushing out what you try to shove deeper Get out of me,  I beg you just leave. God, just get out of me.  It's almost a decade.  Don't you think its enough? You sit on my head.  I just have had enough.  Just let me deal with what it is that I have to and leave ...

A smokey swirl forms on the surface of my coffee this morning.  It embraces the meniscus lapping at the sides of the cup and coils upon itself. I watch as the vibrations from the room, or the souls in it, urge it inwards, until it pierces through and dissipates. My coffee grows cold and the once sweet promise of robust aroma evaporates into a bitter porcelain brew. The swirl seeps further into the murk - drowning in uncertain shadows. It baffles me to be staring at my coffee this morning, lying still in its simplicity - as if the last week never happened, as if it has accepted its natural death as a foggy memory of the velvety bean that it was born as. It lies there, stupid and still, and I wonder if it was consciously aware of the way in which it was picked, prodded, perpetrated, peeled, and perjured until it burst through its pod of life into a death of ground molasses swills. Was it even given a choice when the khefir came down and severed its life-force, herded into the wel...

10 Rules For A Good Day Today I Will Not Strike Back: If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind...I will not respond in a like manner. Today I Will Ask God To Bless My "Enemy": If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker, or a stranger. Today I Will Be Careful About What I Say: I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip. Today I Will Go The Extra Mile: I will find ways to help share the burden of another person. Today I Will Forgive: I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way. Today I Will Do Something Nice For Someone, But I Will Do It Secretly: I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another. Today I Will Treat Others The Way I Wish To Be Treated: I will practice the golden rule - "Do unto others as I would have the...

Education Does Not Mean Good Judgement There is a story about a man who sold hot dogs by the roadside. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio. His eyes were weak, so he never watched television. But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hot dogs. His sales and profit went up. He ordered more meat and got himself a bigger and a better stove. As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from college, joined his father. Then something strange happened. The son asked, "Dad, aren't you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?" The father replied, "No, but tell me about it." The son said, "The international situation is terrible. The domestic is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad time." The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers, and listened to the radio, he ought to know and his advice should not be tak...

Negative People Think Negative There was a hunter who bought a bird dog, the only one of its kind in the world. That could walk on water. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw this miracle. At the same time, he was very pleased that he could show off his new acquisition to his friends. He invited a friend to go duck hunting. After some time, they shot a few ducks and the man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. All day-long, the dog ran on water and kept fetching the birds. The owner was expecting a comment or a compliment about his amazing dog, but never got one. As they were returning home, he asked his friend if he had noticed anything unusual about his dog. The friend replied, "Yes, in fact, I did notice something unusual. Your dog can't swim." Some people always look at negative side.

You - know who you are.  You - the one who thinks I'm no good. You - the one who holds my tears back. You - the one who criticizes me. You - the one who fuels my anger. You - the one who doesn't comfort me. You - the one who hurts me. You - the one who hits me. You  -the one who cuts me. You - the one who makes me sick. You - the one who copes with pain. You - whose red ink is her own blood. You - whose penmanship stores my life. You - who can't tell me you love me. You - the one who can't hold me. You - who acts like she doesn't care. You - who sees my scars. You - who looks away. You - who is ashamed. You - who hides in the cold. You - who runs from it. You - who denies it. You - who is, of course, okay. You - who pushes up against my skin. You - who craves family. You - who holds her mother. You - who feels for her sister. You - who misses her father. You - who wanted to be see...

Triple Filter Test for Truth In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” “Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.” “Triple filter?” “That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?” “No,” the man said, “Actually I just heard about it and...” “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” “No, on the contrary...” “So,” Socrates continued, “Y...

Playing the Game of Life Life is a game with a glorious prize, If we can only play it right. It is give and take, build and break, And often it ends in a fight; But he surely wins who honestly tries (Regardless of wealth or fame), He can never despair who plays it fair How are you playing the game? Do you wilt and whine, if you fail to win In the manner you think your due? Do you sneer at the man in case that he can And does, do better than you? Do you take your rebuffs with a knowing grin? Do you laugh tho' you pull up lame? Does your faith hold true when the whole world's blue? How are you playing the game? Get into the thick of it - wade in, boys! Whatever your cherished goal; Brace up your will till your pulses thrill, And you dare to your very soul! Do something more than make a noise; Let your purpose leap into flame As you plunge with a cry, "I shall do or die," Then you will be playing the game.

The Flow Of Life If the sky above seems cloudy, And you are left out in the rain, If you are searching for a rainbow, But the colors bring you pain, If your world is not revolving, And there is no end in sight, If you are looking for the sunshine, But all you see is night, If all around are smiling, But all you can do is frown, If you are tired of all this living, When life just brings you down,  Then look beyond your teardrops, At the wonders of this land, The beauty of a flower, Like velvet in your hand. Feel the air around you, The smell of new mown hay, Laughing children in the park, The innocence there at play,  Imagine floating with a butterfly, As she flutters between the trees, Or the whispers of the ocean, On warm hot summer's breeze, Think of the taste of candy floss, As it melts upon your tongue, Or the melody of morning birds, As they greet each day with song, Remember words of beauty, Told in you...

The World Is Against Me The world is against me, he said with a sigh.  Somebody stops every scheme that I try.  The world has me down and it's keeping me there;  I don't get a chance. Oh, the world is unfair!  When a fellow is poor then he can't get a show;  The world is determined to keep him down low.  What of Abe Lincoln I asked. Would you say  That he was much richer than you are to-day  He hadn't your chance of making his mark,  And his outlook was often exceedingly dark;  Yet he clung to his purpose with courage most grim  And he got to the top. Was the world against him  What of Ben Franklin I've oft heard it said  That many a time he went hungry to bed.  He started with nothing but courage to climb,  But patiently struggled and waited his time.  He dangled awhile from real poverty's limb,  Yet he got to the top. Was the world against him  I c...

Your heart is born new every day. The greeting of each day is another breath of light for your heart to take in. this makes it vulnerable, sensitive, and open...as a baby is...every time it is awakened. A heart, much like an infant, will continue to reach towards the love of acceptance and understanding, even if it meets the reality of pain and continuous wounding. It is why, although we physically carry upon our hearts the wounds of times we have opened towards another...although we feel the stretched pins of healing in those wounds within us, we continue to open, and continue to reach towards the unity of knowing the rhythm of a lover's beating heart within us. Our souls, however, are reborn each day with the loves it has known in other cycles and the lives it has been with in other times. Our soul searches, continuously, for the loves it has known in previous lives, while present in this life. The soul that is able to find a love it has known before...or many times before, e...

Every morning, my body is dismantled In this blog words Teacher and Mentor is referred to "Dada" Dada is the one to have changed my perspective in all aspects of life I awaken to find that I have traveled far within my dreamworld and that I have returned to my body with new lessons to learn, and new parts to put together. When I sleep, I face some of my most feared monsters, many of which, upon reflection, wear my very own face. I awaken to find that I am looking beyond the depth of my own eyes - beyond the reflected pools of light that show me the world beyond my touch. The world within me rages within caverns of unexplored crystals - where deep pockets of strength lay hidden beneath deceptively protective membranes of anger and fear. Every morning, when I awaken, I am struck by the innocence that lives within me - I am humbled by the miracle of having woken up for another morning. There was a time where I dreaded the moment that my body would awaken, that my...

Some folks ride the train of life Looking out the rear, Watching miles of life roll by, And marking every year. They sit in sad remembrance, Of wasted days gone by, And curse their life for what it was, And hang their head and cry. But I don't concern myself with that, I took a different vent, I look forward to what life holds, And not what has been spent. So strap me to the engine, As securely as I can be, I want to be out on the front, To see what I can see. I want to feel the winds of change, Blowing in my face, I want to see what life unfolds, As I move from place to place. I want to see what's coming up, Not looking at the past, Life's too short for yesterdays, It moves along too fast. So if the ride gets bumpy, While you are looking back, Go up front, and you may find, Your life has jumped the track. It's all right to remember, That's part of history, But up front's where it's...

The road is crowded and the air is littered with the insistent shrillness of a horn being leaned on for far longer than is acceptable. Whistles shriek as traffic controllers are desperate to let cars pass without causing a traffic jam, and without letting themselves become part of the pavement. Sweat drips off their tired brows as they pointlessly gesticulate at the crowding busses and unyielding anxious drivers, racing to get their kids, to the destination  to whatever the next stop of their day is. On the sidewalk, panhandlers crowd around in ephemeral shapeless forms that seem to hover on the outskirts of personal space. Panhandlers desperate to get rid of their ill gotten goods fill my retinas with stolen bags, fake watches, and cheap cheap t-shirts that declare how much I love Noida. Impatient music blares in my ears from the tiny white buds that somehow, by connecting to the slim black contraption in my pocket, smoothly absorb music like a perfectly blended milksha...

Some Moments In Life In every human life, there are some moments when one is sad and depressed  Frustrated from every zone of life, And feel like leaving everything & going away And Life Goes on... Some moments in which  one is wrapped with tensions one wants to get out of them  and fly high in the sky But cant run away, and life goes on... Some moments in which, one who adores hurts sentiments, one needs a support, a shoulder to dry on, But doesnt find one, and life goes on... Some moments in which one gets tired of life  or so intensely hurt that one wants to die  one wishes to end up with life at that very moment, and life goes on... And in every human life on day arrives When there is a big halt to one's life. And then the people cry and show that they were concerned Then the question arises Do they wait for one's death, To care, To understand the one If so, then wait till death and until...