Winning Words 2/24/11
“Not a deed would he do, nor a word would he utter, till he’d weighed its relation to plain bread
and butter.” (J. R. Cowell) I pick up the newspaper (not the e-version) and read what I already know….there are so many needs and not enough money to meet them. A variety of people express solutions, but I’ve observed that opinions are often based on how personal “bread ‘n butter” is affected. ;-) Jack

FROM RI IN BOSTON: When my parents were still with us we often asked, "What can we get for you, to eat?" My mother would say, "All I need is a good slice of bread and butter." At the time of their deaths my parents were comfortably "well off", in no small part because that modest attitude pervaded their choices in life, in more situations than just dining. FROM JACK: The world today is interested in a different kind of bread. And butter substitutes are preferred by many who are weight-conscious, rather than hunger-conscious. There's a reason why they are sometimes referred to as, "The good old days."

FROM MOLINER CF: The old NIMBY theory at work. FROM JACK: I spent nine years on our community's Planning Commission, and I saw that theory in action. In case some blog readers don't understand...NIMBY stands for: Not In My Back Yard.

FROM JO IN MICHIGAN: How true. That's the problem...everyone is looking out for themselves. FROM JACK: I wish I could remember a poem where it talks about, "Me, myself and I." Do you know it? FROM BLAZING OAKS: "Me and my wife, my son and his wife We four, and no more..." MORE FROM JO IN MICHIGAN: I remember a rap song about "Me, myself, and I", but no poem... FROM JACK: Come to think of it, there are some things about you that remind me of a rapper.
Mirror mirror on the wall
Tell me mirror what is wrong?
Can it be my De La Clothes
Or is it just my De La Soul
What I do ain't make believe
People say I sit and try
But when it comes to being De La
It's just me myself and I
It's just me myself and I.

FROM BLAZING OAKS: What a truism this is! Especially in these times, when money is tight, and everything is going up in price, there are MANY worthy org. that are hurting, and we DO weigh our donations in respect to our own needs or family experiences. If a family member has diabetes, you usually support that group, if heart trouble, give to the heart funds: My friend has a now-grown son, who always participated in the Special Olympics, and still does, so I sponsor him, etc. We are probably all overwhelmed at the number of worthy causes that we cannot support at this time!! But as Bill used to say, "It is not what you'd do with a Million, if fortune should be your lot, but what you are doing now, with the buck and a half you've got'...and he led by example, let me tell you! Good quote! FROM JACK: One of my favorite stories from the Bible is called, The Widow's Mite...about the poor woman gave more than the rich people, because she gave all that she had. There's a temptation to concentrate on the details and to miss the point.

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Almost always. FROM JACK: Sometimes it's called, survival.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I'd rather spend my own money and be responsible for it, rather than someone I don't know. FROM JACK: That's the point of today's quote. For me...I've adjusted to living in a less than perfect world.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Life was all so different when I was working for Catholic Social Service in Peoria 1949-1950. The parish priests knew their families and the families knew their priest and who really needed help financially,too, and how to help them. Of course, families were a lot stronger, too, and helped each other. Teachers, too, knew who needed help. Have you read My Moline by John Cervantes? He details how his teachers helped him, especially Miss Hendee. FROM JACK: I guess each generation has had its helpers. Ruth and Naomi gleaned the fields of Boaz. Gleaning was a kind of welfare. The Good Samaritan comes to mind. Today, there are safety nets to help the disadvantaged. The Catholic Church two blocks from us has a "Food Bank" van in its parking lot on the 1st Friday of each month, and all people of the community are encouraged to stop by and put food in the van for the hungry.