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Topic: 1000 Saturdays (Read 196 times) |
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TerryS
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1000 Saturdays
« on: May 16th, 2003, 5:47pm » |
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1000 Saturdays ...
The older I get,
the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes
with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work.
Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.
I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show.
I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business himself.
He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "Tom." I was intrigued
and sat down to listen to what he had to say.
"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your Family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."
He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep
a good perspective on my own priorities."
And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."
"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years."
"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."
"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on,
"and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy."
"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to roundup 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large,
clear plastic container right here in my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since then,
I have taken one marble out and thrown it away."
"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."
"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones......
"It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!"
You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."
"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.
"Oh, nothing special," I said.
"It has just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL AND
May you have many happy years after you lose all your marbles
May God bless you in all you do
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> It is only a tiny rosebud,
> A flower of God's design;
> But I cannot unfold the petals
> With these clumsy hands of mine.
> The secret of unfolding flowers
> Is not known to such as I.
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OneEyeBlind
New Board Hall of Famer
Yea, I can do this
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Re: 1000 Saturdays
« Reply #1 on: May 16th, 2003, 5:58pm » |
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I am on my way out to buy some marbles !!! That was a cool story !!!!!!!
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One cannot step twice in the same river, for fresh waters are forever flowing around us.
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jonny
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Kinda like putting a penny in a jar every time you have sex for the first two years you are married, then taking one out every time you have sex after two years....you will die before you empty that jar. ;D
........................................jonny
Modified:....I should be dead...LMMFAO!!!! ;D ;D
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| « Last Edit: May 16th, 2003, 6:05pm by jonny » |
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Linda_Howell
CH.com Alumnus
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Hearing is one thing. Listening is another.
 
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Re: 1000 Saturdays
« Reply #3 on: May 16th, 2003, 6:05pm » |
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and even though you're fighting your own battles right now , you still find the time to post things like this.
AND THIS, IS WHY WE LOVE YOU TERRYS
Linda H
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Kindness, is gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us.
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don
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out-fucking-standing Terry
OUT-FUCKING-STANDING
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jimmers
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Hello GOD! The gene pool needs some chlorine!
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Re: 1000 Saturdays
« Reply #5 on: May 16th, 2003, 9:32pm » |
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Cool story Terry!
I like it when people view the cup as half-full! 
I'ts the only way to be!
Take care,
Jimbo
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I don't suffer from INSANITY; I'm enjoying every minute of it!
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suzy617
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Love is friendship set on fire
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Re: 1000 Saturdays
« Reply #6 on: May 16th, 2003, 9:35pm » |
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Great post Terry. You gave me chills down my spine.
Thank you,
Suzy
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When God measures men, He puts the tape around the heart, not the head.
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Marc
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Re: 1000 Saturdays
« Reply #7 on: May 16th, 2003, 9:41pm » |
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Terry,
Someome very special to me sent me a copy of 1,000 marbles awhile back. I printed it and it's been hanging by my desk ever since. We all get a lot of "stuff" by email everyday, but that one just stuck to me. I'm glad you thought to post it here.
I hope your own battle is going well, we are pulling for you.
Marc
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