Tale of a Shooting Star…

There are some days when the moral of this story really rings true. Those are the days where, at the end of the day, I’m left with nothing but a jar full of sand…

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favourite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

I have not been feeling much for the past several days, at least not that anyone reading this would know. I feel so lost without my friendly little UnkyMoods! *sniff sniff* *sob*

UnkyMoods, UnkyMoods, wherefore are thou, UnkyMoods?
I miss you, I love you, please let your website come back up soon.

Seriously, though, I have heard that he’s had problems before with the site, including last month, so I wonder what’s happening. It is a free service after all, but having it go offline for a while with no suitable replacement makes me want to donate some serious cash to keep the project alive! I feel for the man – his web hosting costs must be through the roof with the kind of bandwidth I imagine his site sucks up. 🙁

I was browsing around and read someone complaining about how his measly 100+ moods were not enough to allow this person to fully and properly express themselves. Hey, that’s fine, you don’t like it, don’t use it. Or better yet, I’d like to see you try and illustrate every possible mood that you can have on any given day. 😛 Yeah… that’s what I thought. I can only wish that I was half the artist/cartoonist that guy is!

I wonder if we can start a “Please Bring UnkyMoods Back” fund-raising effort?

I’m not sure if I’ll stitch any more today, as I have some much-neglected web work that I really should do. Besides, I’m still fighting a headache and my eyes are totally fried from stitching and computer use.

However, in the meantime, I did make some progress this weekend. Yesterday, I started and finished a small model. Of course, it’s only one out of 12 that I need to stitch, but hey, it’s something! Sorry I can’t show a scan, but the designs are unpublished at this point. I’ll post them once they are all finished and the designs have been released.

I also started a square for a baby quilt. It’s an Ursula Michael design, actually a motif from a larger design of hers that I purchased from Patterns Online because I had nothing to stitch for baby quilts. I’m more than 50% done, with just one color left to fill into the background.

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee on “insufficient funds” when they know there is not enough?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why doesn’t glue stick to the bottle?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an “S” in the word “lisp”?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end you first try?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, “It’s all right?” Well, it isn’t all right so why don’t we say, “That hurt, you stupid idiot?”

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that’s falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter, why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

If at first you don’t succeed, shouldn’t you try doing it like your wife told you to do it?

And obviously if at first you don’t succeed, then don’t take up sky diving!

And last but not least……

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends, and if they’re okay, do you understand that it’s you?

I know I said that I wasn’t going to post anything intelligent today, but it’s a significant date which depresses me and I just can’t ignore it.

Today is my brother’s birthday. One year ago today, I posted about finding an article that he helped to write in a scientific (computer) journal. Unfortunately, that post was lost last year in the great database debaucle; however, I still remember it. And I remember wishing him well, wherever he is and whatever he is doing.

That wish still holds true today. But even more, I wish him happiness. In everything.

So, my dear brother, no matter what has happened or will happen, you are my brother and I love you. Always.