Serious Business

by: Author Unknown,

Let me take you back a couple years. Come with me as we relearn a lesson; one that has stuck with me, in my present memory, and inspires me yet. I don't remember exact conversation, but bear with me as I supply something that would sound normal. We walk into Elida Road Hardware. An old fashioned hardware store. No automatic door, not a computer in the building. Nothing unusual about the day, or the fact that we go to that store. It is one that I go to fairly often. As we enter the door, two sounds greet us. The sleigh bells of yesteryear, the ones that make that sweet, peaceful tinkle as we open the door. The other sound is the electronic beeper that alerts Andy of our presence. "Good afternoon, Ryan," comes the cheerful acknowledgment. Andy Bianco is a very friendly sort of proprietor. He is of medium build and height, we'll say about 50, and the smile on his face welcomes us. We walk across the old wood floor -- destitute of stain or varnish, and worn smooth -- with its squeaky spots, and uneven joints. Andy asks us what he can help us with. I tell him we are looking for a spring. He very patiently replies "I carry lots of springs, you're going to need to be more specific." "Beats me what they're called; just a spring for an old-fashioned screen door." "That's it. A screen door spring. Right down there." We turn to where he is pointing, and sure enough, there they are. Andy knows his store, and his products. That's why I come here instead of Meijer. The service can't be beat. The price, Yes. But service and satisfaction; No. I pick up one and follow him to the counter. A keg of peanuts sits beside the counter, and beside it, another for the hulls. Let me know when Lowes does that. Covering the counter is a piece of Plexiglas, and under it, all manner of business cards. "Hey got a card? Put one under here. Free advertising space." "Thanks Andy, but I already have one. See, over here." "Well, I'll be; you do." He figures up the price, doing the math in his head. "$1.88, with Uncle Sam's share comes to $1.99" "Put it on Pop's account." He nods and smiles, remembering that this is the third item this week that received that verdict. "Good ole' Pop's account." He chuckles. "I don't know what you boys would do without Pop's account!" He hands me the ticket and as I sign it I ask rhetorically, "You really trust my signature?" His reply startles, yet gladdens me. "When I can't trust Jerry Hoover's boys; I can't trust nobody!" We leave, and the brain immediately starts to forget things, in order of importance. But what Andy Bianco said that day, rang in my ears. And it rings in my ears today. That's a tall order to live up to. It's a high standard of integrity. My father made a reputation for that name, and I get to enjoy the benefits thereof. But by the same token, I must maintain that reputation. And that's serious business.

Moonlight Ride

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Jenny was so happy about the house they had found.

For once in her life 'twas on the right side of town.

She unpacked her things with such great ease.

As she watched her new curtains blow in the breeze.
How wonderful it was to have her own room.

School would be starting, she's have friends over soon.There'd be sleep-overs, and parties: she was so happy.

It's just the way she wanted her life to be.
On the first day of school, everything went great.

She made new friends and even got a date.

She thought, "I want to be popular and I'm going to be,

Because I just got a date with the star of the team!"
To be known in this school you had to have a clout,

And dating this guy would sure help her out.There was only one problem stopping her fate.Her parents had said she was too young to date.
"Well, I just won't tell them the entire truth.They won't know the difference: what's there to lose?"Jenny asked to stay with her friends that night.Her parents frowned but said, "All right."
Excited, she got ready for the big event.But as she rushed around like she had no sense,She began to feel guilty about all the lies,But what's a pizza, a party, and a moonlight ride?
Well the pizza was good, and the party was great,But the moonlight ride would have to wait.For Jeff was half drunk by this time.But he kissed her and said that he was just fine.
Then the room filled with smoke and Jeff took a puff.Jenny couldn't believe he was smoking that stuff.Now Jeff was ready to ride to the point,But only after he'd smoked another joint.
They jumped in the car for the moonlight ride,Not thinking that he was too drunk to drive.They finally made it to the point at last,

And Jeff started trying to make a pass.
A pass is not what Jenny wanted at all(and by a pass, I don't mean playing football)."Perhaps my parents were right....maybe I am too young.Boy, how could I ever, ever be so dumb."
With all of her might, she pushed Jeff away:"Please take me home, I don't want stay."Jeff cranked up the engine and floored the gas.In a matter of seconds they were going too fast.
As Jeff drove on in a fit of wild anger,Jenny knew that her life was in danger.She begged and pleaded for him to slow down,But he just got faster as they neared the town.
"Just let me get home!I'll confess that I lied.I really went out for a moonlight ride."Then all of a sudden, she saw a big flash."Oh God, Please help us! We're going to crash!"
She doesn't remember the force of impact.Just that everything all of a sudden went black.She felt someone remove her from the twisted rubble,

And heard, "Call an ambulance! These kids are in trouble!"
Voices she heard...a few words at best.But she knew there were two cars involved in the wreck.Then wondered to herself if Jeff was all right,And if the people in the other car were alive.
She awoke in the hospital to faces so sad."You've been in a wreck and it looks pretty bad."These voices echoed inside her head,

As they gently told her that Jeff was dead.
They said "Jenny, we've done all we can do.But it looks as if we'll lose you too.""But the people in the other car?" Jenny cried."We're sorry, Jenny, they also died."
Jenny prayed, "God, forgive me for what I've done.I only wanted to have just one night of fun."Tell those people's family, I've made their lives dim,

And wish I could return their families to them."
"Tell Mom and Dad I'm sorry I lied,

And that it's my fault so many have died.Oh, nurse, won't you please tell them that for me?"The nurse just stood there-she never agreed.
But took Jenny's hand with tears in her eyes.

And a few moments later Jenny died.

A man asked the nurse, "Why didn't you do your best,To bid that girl her one last request?"
She looked at the man with eyes oh so sad."Because the people in the other car were her mom and dad."This story is sad and unpleasant but true,

So young people take heed, it could have been you.

Maintain Your Integrity

by: Author Unknown,

A while back, there was a story about Reuben Gonzolas, who was in the final match of his first professional racquetball tournament. He was playing the perennial champion for his first shot at a victory on the pro circuit. At match point in the fifth and final game, Gonzolas made a super "kill shot" into the front corner to win the tournament. The referee called it good, and one of the linemen confirmed the shot was a winner.
But after a moment's hesitation, Gonzolas turned and declared that his shot had skipped into the wall, hitting the floor first. As a result, the serve went to his opponent, who went on to win the match.
Reuben Gonzolas walked off the court; everyone was stunned. The next issue of a leading racquetball magazine featured Gonzolas on its cover. The lead editorial searched and questioned for an explanation for the first ever occurrence on the professional racquetball circuit. Who could ever imagine it in any sport or endeavor? Here was a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory in his grasp, who disqualifies himself at match point and loses.
When asked why he did it, Gonzolas replied, "It was the only thing I could do to maintain my integrity."

Goat and the Goatherd, The

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

A Goatherd had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, "Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent."
Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.

Emperor's Seed, The

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"
There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.
By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grown, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

Courage of His Convictions, The

by: Author Unknown, Good Stories for Great Holidays

ABE LINCOLN made the great speech of his famous senatorial campaign at Springfield, Illinois. The convention before which he spoke consisted of a thousand delegates together with the crowd that had gathered with them.
His speech was carefully prepared. Every sentence was guarded and emphatic. It has since become famous as "The Divided House" speech. Before entering the hall where it was to be delivered, he stepped into the office of his law- partner, Mr. Herndon, and, locking the door, so that their interview might be private, took his manuscript from his pocket, and read one of the opening sentences: "I believe this government cannot endure permanently, half slave and half free."
Mr. Herndon remarked that the sentiment was true, but suggested that it might not be good policy to utter it at that time.
Mr. Lincoln replied with great firmness: "No matter about the policy. It is true, and the nation is entitled to it. The proposition has been true for six thousand years, and I will deliver it as it is written."

Admitting Flaws

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown

In the mid-1980's researchers at Cleveland State University made a startling discovery.
They conducted an experiment by creating two fictitious job candidates David and John. The candidates had identical resumes and letters of reference. The only difference was that John's letter included the sentence "Sometimes, John can be difficult to get along with". They showed the resumes to a number of personnel directors. Which candidate did the personnel directors overwhelmingly prefer? Difficult to get along with, John.
The researchers concluded the criticism of John made praise of John more believable. Admitting John's wart actually helped sell John. Admitting flaws gives you more credibility. A key to selling.