A Charcuterie Board of Fun and Wisdom

Every once in a while, I like to write an article containing some fun and wisdom. These are primarily others' thoughts that have impacted or inspired me. Hopefully, these thoughts will do the same for you; some may even change your life. These stories or quotes are easily accessible on the internet or other public sources. So let's get equipped for living in today’s chaotic world.    

This story is called ‘Everything You Need to Know About Life in Three Minutes.’   

God created a dog and said, “Sit by the door of the house and bark at everyone who comes by, and I will give you 20 years.” The dog replied, "That's too long. So I'll take ten years and give you back the other ten." Then God created a monkey and said, “Entertain people and do tricks. I’ll give you a 20-year life span.” The monkey said, “That’s too long. I can’t do boring monkey tricks for 20 years. So I'll take ten years and give you back the other ten years."  

Then God created a cow. “Go out into the field, eat grass, work in the sun, have calves, and support the farmer. I’ll give you a 60-year life span.” The cow replied, “That’s too long. I’ll take 20 years and give you back 40 years.” Then God created a man and said, “Eat, sleep, play, and enjoy life. I’ll give you twenty years.” The man replied, “Only 20 years, that’s not enough! So I'll take the 20 years, plus the 40 years you gave to the cow, the ten years you gave to the monkey, and the ten years you gave to the dog. That makes 80 years." God said, "Okay, you have a deal."   

But somehow, all these things ended in men and women in reverse. That's why we eat, sleep, and play in the first 20 years of our lives. Then, we work in the sun for the next 40 years to support our family. Then the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain our grandchildren. And, the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone who goes by or everything we read or see on TV.  

Aha! Now, you’ve had life explained to you. If you’re sitting by someone, read this story to them and say, “I think Ed’s talking to you.” 

Here’s an “Aha!” about a compliment someone recently received. "You know, somebody complimented me on my driving today. They left a note on the windshield of my car. It said, 'Parking Fine.' 

Here's another driving 'Aha.' "I picked up a hitchhiker. He asked if I wasn't afraid that he might be a serial killer. I told him the odds of two serial killers being in the same car was extremely unlikely." 

Here's a love 'Aha.' "If two people love each other, nothing is impossible; except deciding where to eat.” 

Consider this Super Bowl ‘Aha’: "You should be as excited about going to church as about the Super Bowl. So, when your pastor makes a great point this Sunday, pour Gatorade over their head.”     

Consider this thought about valuing time and investing time with people.  

“To realize the value of FOUR YEARS, ask a graduate. To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade in school. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the weekly newspaper editor. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers waiting to meet each other. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask someone who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have. Realize the value of your family. Realize the value of real friends.” 

Here’s some wisdom for many of us at this present time. “Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside of you and weigh you down.” Consider this statement: “If you don’t fight for what you want, don’t cry for what you lost.” Here’s Poet Mary Anne Radmacher’s ‘Aha’ about courage: "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is a quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" Think of this: “Growth is stepping over the things you used to trip on.” 

Consider this ‘Aha’ about happiness or the lack thereof. How to Be Unhappy: stay inside all day; move as little as possible; spend more than you earn; take yourself (and life) too seriously; look for reasons why things won’t work; always consume, never contribute; resent the lucky and successful; never say hello first; be unreliable.  

Now, let’s invert each point for happiness: get outside each day; move, walk, exercise, dance; spend less than you earn; view life as an opportunity to live and play; be the one who looks for solutions; develop a mindset to contribute and create; learn from the lucky and successful; be the first to say hello; be reliable. 

Here’s the last quote for us to remember today. “Faith and fear both demand that you believe in something you can’t see. You choose.” 

Now, turn to the person sitting next to you and say, “Now I know Ed’s talking to you!”