Winning Words 1/12/12
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” (Stephen Hawking) Even in his wheelchair Hawking puzzles over great scientific mysteries. He also expresses his opinion on the mystery of God. Recently, I read that he thinks the biggest mystery of all is the mystery of women. In the life of this brilliant man, I found that to be “funny.” However ALS, which cripples his body, is not funny, and I pray for a cure. ;-) Jack.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON: It does seem so many times that it is the funny, ironic solutions/answers to our prayers that absolutely delight and enthrall us and turn tragedy into comedy. How and why does God make these kinds of people/experiences/things happen in the scheme of things that make us laugh and laugh out loud?!!!! Don't know much about Stephen Hawking but wonder if he has an amazing woman or women in his life who love him not even minding his ALS, sometimes something that seems so monumental of a detriment turns out not even to be a blip to someone else and everything becomes surprisingly funny and enchanting and mysterious in its appeal to another side of a person. Even so, I pray for a cure too.////FROM JACK: I got a book on the subject of puns as a Christmas gift. Puns often rely on the fact that words have different meanings...like the word, funny.

FROM ILLINOIS LIZ: I read he has suffered from als for 50 years-- unheard of! He is a total enigma.////FROM JACK: I think that there's something puzzling about each of us, but I'm especially tolerant when it comes to the words of Hawking. 50 years with ALS is bound to shape one's opinions.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I read that at this point, Hawking can only communicate with the right cheek. What a brilliant mind he has.////FROM JACK: I find Stephen to be a fascinating individual. There's so much yet to discover about the workings of the body and why we are as we are.

FROM CPA BOB: Is his long-term survival with ALS a “scientific mystery”?////FROM JACK: Doctors don't know everything, althought sometimes we wish they did.

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: A sense of humor is sometimes the greatest cure. Hawking seems to have found that.////FROM JACK: Having a sense of humor is also a mystery. Why do some have it while others don't?

FROM JO IN MICHIGAN: Hawking just might have something there with that "women" thing...////FROM JACK: Did you talk that over with your wife?

FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: my brother joe would have been 65 yesterday. i shared his funny stories with pretty much everyone i came in contact with. joe loved women, babies, and animals. if we, his siblings, couldn't see the humor and significance in that, we may have found his life, (and our loss of him), tragic. ////FROM JACK: I remember working with him on his God and Country Scouting award. I liked Joe. I liked the whole clan.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: He has a wonderful way of looking at serious issues. We lost a dear friend and a wonderful carpenter to ALS. It's a terrible way to die. Thankfully, he also had a wonderful outlook on life. ////FROM JACK: The best way to die is "Safe in the arms of Jesus." Do you remember that hymn?
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations;
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears!