Feel good Story - How I Harnessed the Wind

From TED, worth watching. The message is more powerful than the story. Trust yourself and try.

 

How I Harnessed the Wind

The World Peace Game

Our children are the future. Whether we like it or not, we will cede control to them at some point in our lives. It’s one of those things that makes me believe the investments in education are important, perhaps even more important than some of the other places where we spend money.

This is a great talk from John Hunter, teacher in my native VA. It talks about a game for fourth graders that helps them to learn and understand the world, and in many ways, learn to think about their impact on the world.

Here’s the link: http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html

It’s humorous and inspiring. Someone that recognizes children are not only our future, but that they have perspectives worth listening to.

Live and enjoy your life

You never know when the end will come. A good friend of mine died a couple weeks ago at the age of 47. He left behind a wife, 4 children, and many friends and extended family. He never saw it coming. In The Last Post, Derek Miller is dead, he knew it was coming, and prepared a post.

We don’t know when the end will come, but it will come. We are all dying, hopefully slowly, but at some point we will move on.

Invest for the future, work to build the life that matters to you, but don’t forget to live along the way and enjoy your short time in this world.

Accepting death, and making a final post, inspired me. I hope I get the chance to walk out of this world in a similar way.

Sermon Walking

Posted elsewhere on the web, but sent to me today by my Mom and I liked it. Your character and your actions stand out more than anything.

Sermon Walking
In 1953 reporters gathered at a Chicago railway station waiting to meet the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

He was a big man, well over six feet tall, with bushy hair and a large mustache.


Reporters were excited to see him and expressed what an honor it was to meet him. Cameras were flashing, compliments were being expressed when, looking beyond the adulation, the visitor saw an elderly black woman struggling to carry her two large suitcases.


"Excuse me," he said as he went to the aid of this woman. Picking up her cases, he escorted her to a bus and then apologized to the reporters for keeping them waiting.


The man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary-doctor who had invested his life helping poor and sick people in Africa.


A member of the reception committee remarked to one of the reporters, "That's the first time I ever saw a sermon walking." The measure of any man or woman is not their name, nor their fame, nor what they say, but what they do.

Inspirational

My little girl is something. She took her whole allowance from this week, $5, and put it in an envelope along with a letter for the ASPCA. She had me send it off, and I’m hoping for a good response. Here’s a copy of her letter:

In case you can’t read it, here is the text:

October 11, 2010

Dear ASPCA

Hi ASPCA, my name is Kendall. I am Atieh’s daughter. I love animals. I donated the money. Using my allowance. I can give you money. I have 17 animals. My Mom owns and boards nine horses. It is 6:52 and four are standing out my window. They are Jemini, Tina, Reo, and Zarha. The other horses are Starlight, Yurecka, Eemler, Cowboy, and Rain. I have three dogs. Deuce, Oscer, and Kolhy. Three cats: Jewl, Nero, and Milky Way. Jewel and Nero are barn cats. Two guinea pigs: Tiffany and Trixy. OK all my animals done. Now time to learn about me. I love animals more than anything. My favorite animal is the wolf. My favorite domestic animal is the German Sheperd. I love them because they were bred with wolves. So next time you ship to my Mom, write a letter about yourself. Thanks you!

Your New Friend,

Kendall Jones

The Average SQL Saturday Attendee

I have been to quite a few SQL Saturdays. This year I have been to 5 and will go to 2 more, and next year I’ll do a few and perhaps run my own events.

One of the things that I’ve noticed from attendees is they often work at local companies, governments, with a common theme: a lack of training dollars.

However these people take a Saturday away from their families, some driving for hours (I’ve seen up to a 6 hour drive) to go and learn something. To go improve their skills, and make the investment in their career.

It should pay back for them, but I’m not sure that I would have made that investment when  I was younger. It certainly makes me want to deliver more training, and do more to help others.

And work on my own career.

The Sack Lunch

A story shared by the Scoutmaster from Delaney’s Boy Scout troop inspired me this morning. It’s the way that I would love to see more people behave.

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The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

‘Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time...

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.  'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks.  I'll wait till we get to base.'

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty  dollar bill.  'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

'This is your thanks..'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, 'I want to shake your hand.' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base.. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America  ' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'