Winning Words 12/21/11
“There’s no success like failure.” (Bob Dylan) Someone I know has a cat named …Is it Dillon or Dylan? A cat’s nature is to be independent, so I imagine the name is, Dylan. Bob Dylan, the songwriter-singer was popular in the 1960s as one who appealed to people of the counter-culture. He could be right at home today among the “occupiers.” Does he hang out with the failures or the successful? ;-) Jack

FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Liked your WW today too. Our pastor left to become Chaplain at a homeless shelter in Philadelphia for young people, teens and early twenties. It was such an inspirational move. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out well for him, because the Sanctuary administration moved him into working more with the fundraising when he wanted most of all to Pastor. For some reason now, in our community, our Pastors are more engaged in working with people who pass through the church doors to use the food pantry and to ask for other various assistance and, to a person, the Pastors seem to respond by getting really down and messy and involved. Our last interim Pastor even had a homeless person living with him in the parsonage which was also among the reasons the Pastor had to leave as some people felt he had really breached some boundaries. But I believe that the fact that we have these religious leaders leading the way for us is finally the only thing that makes sense about our Christian walk with Jesus, we've all got to hob-nob with the poor, at least on one level or another, in order to be in any way authentic about responding to what we hear in church, in order to even feel real and not superficial, in order to succeed at what we finally come to believe is important in our lives. Thanks again for your WW. It will be interesting to read your blog again today. ////FROM JACK: You can see that I edited your remarks, but I hope the point you wanted to make is still evident. God keeps a different score sheet on what is success and what is failure.////MORE FROM SS: I believe failure moves us the closest to God, helping us to realize we are utterly and totally dependent on a Higher Power for everything and then we are the most useful to God and He can use us in loving others most authentically without any artificial and superficial blinders as to who they really are too, God's children. We are all beggars and the quicker we find that out the better (in my opinion but it's really, really hard to hold this view in today's American culture, we all need the most compassionate and faithful teachers along the way).

FROM GAP IN MICHIGAN: Even though it's the hardest way to learn and succeed, failure is often the only way. Personally, I don't think the "occupiers" have accomplished much, if anything at all. But, it just points out people like Dylan. I call them one layers. If they would only peel back the rest of the layers, they would see what and where and how and who keeps the workers working. All of those presidents and CEO's have failed at some point but they kept going. Some very good people, some not so good. Layers upon layers....failures and successes.////FROM JACK: I am still trying to figure out the "occupiers." In the 50s, I was trying to figure out the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. With time, it came to me. Everything has to have a beginning. Sometimes we want immediate answers. Life doesn't always provide us with what we want. Success and failure are relative terms.

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: This class warfare crap has got to stop! We're all in this together and we had better start acting that way. My dad drew a variation during the Great Depression. Bum sitting on a garbage can. Caption ["If you're so damn smart why ain't you rich?' I still have it.////FROM JACK: The warfare will continue so long as the "haves" ignore the "have nots." Through the years I have been moved by the story of the rich man and Lazarus, as told by Jesus (Luke 16:19-31). I like the song from Fiddler on the Roof..."If I were a rich man..."

FROM BLAZING OAKS: This certainly seems like a contradiction in terms! No one I know feels good about failing...but it does often teach valuable lessons...maybe that puts a more positive focus on failure. Better to fail than to never try!! I like Jane Garton's observation (365 Ways to a Better You). "The key to success is self-confidence, and the key to self-confidence is preparation." Much truth in this!////FROM JACK: One of our human foibles is the tendency to make snap judgments. Success or failure can only be determined with the passage of time. Patience is hard to learn.

FROM MY ATTORNEY: Greetings from Florida. I always loved Bob Dylan's music. He really told some interesting stories with his music. Here's a Dylan song (Gotta Serve Somebody) that you can relate to. Enjoy. ////FROM JACK: A great song, with a great beat and a great message. But, John Lennon didn't think so and wrote a song in response, "Serve Yourself."