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Topic: I haven't lost my marbles ... I have a bunch here (Read 255 times) |
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OneEyeBlind
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Yea, I can do this
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I haven't lost my marbles ... I have a bunch here
« on: Jun 20th, 2003, 6:24pm » |
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During the waning years of the depression in a small Idaho community, a lady used to stop by Mr. Miller's roadside stand for farm fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used extensively. One day Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for the lady. She noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. She paid for her potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. She was a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, she couldn't help overhearing the conversation
between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to her. "Hello Barry, how are you today?" "H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas ... sure look good." "They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?" "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?" "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas." "Would you like to take some home?" "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with." "Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?" "All I got's my prize marble here." "Is that right? Let me see it." "Here 'tis. She's a dandy." "I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" "Not zackley ... but almost." "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble." "Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller." Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."The lady left the stand smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later she moved to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid that the previous one. Just recently she had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while she was there she learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing her friends wanted
to go, she agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary they fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort they could. Ahead of them in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts . all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. The lady's turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. She told her who she was and mentioned the story Mrs. Miller had told her about the marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took the lady's hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size .. they came to pay their debt."
"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," Mrs. Miller confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho." With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.
Today ... I wish you a day of ordinary miracles .
A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself .
An unexpected phone call from an old friend .........
Green stoplights on your way to work .........
The fastest line at the grocery store .
A good sing-along song on the radio .........
Your keys right where you left them ..........
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an
hour to appreciate them, A day to love them, But an entire life to forget them.
Send this to the people you'll never forget. If you don't
send it to anyone, it means you are in too much of a hurry, and that you've probably forgotten your friends
p.s. Thanks for a lot of wonderful memories.
May " GOD " bless you !!
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One cannot step twice in the same river, for fresh waters are forever flowing around us.
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Sean_C
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Re: I haven't lost my marbles ... I have a bunch h
« Reply #1 on: Jun 20th, 2003, 7:58pm » |
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Where am I ?
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KingOfPain
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Disgusted!
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Re: I haven't lost my marbles ... I have a bunch h
« Reply #2 on: Jun 20th, 2003, 8:56pm » |
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Thanks OEB.
Very,very nice.
KOP
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Arrived August, 1999.
We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.
- Denis Diderot
Real friendship is shown in times of trouble; prosperity is full of friends. - Euripides
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CathiP
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Re: I haven't lost my marbles ... I have a bunch h
« Reply #3 on: Jun 20th, 2003, 11:02pm » |
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Ahhhhhh, Nan......honey, you're one of my marbles......so see, I haven't lost them all yet! ;D
Thanks for the beautiful reminder!
(now Cathy is gonna jump in and make me threaten her again.....just watch!)
Cathi- who still has plenty of marbles!
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cathy
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Not all those that wander are lost......
 
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Re: I haven't lost my marbles ... I have a bunch h
« Reply #4 on: Jun 21st, 2003, 4:03am » |
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Lucky for you DGussett that I'd gone to bed, but now your in bed and im here....Nancy im another marble so thats two you haven't lost, but not sure that Cathi's isn't a duff one, maybe you should try and do a swappsie...thanks for the post... 
Cathy
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My own tears would mean nothing to me, if I could stop you from just shedding one....
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