Fw: Fw: marbles

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Good morning to all ;This is a pretty long story but I think that is well woth reading.

Have a real good day!!!!!

D.G.

> > > > >Subject: Saturday mornings > > > > > > > > > > The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. > > Perhaps it's the quiet > > > > solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or > > maybe it's the > > unbounded > > joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the > > first few hours of a > > Saturday morning are most enjoyable. > > > > A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the > > basement ham-shack with a > > steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning > > paper in the other. What > > > > began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one > > of those lessons that > > life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me > > tell you about it. > > > > I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the > > band on my ham radio in > > order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. > > Along the way, I came > > across > > an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and > > a golden voice. You > > know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the > > broadcasting business. He > > > > was telling whomever he was talking with something > > about "a thousand > > marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to > > what he had to say. > > > > "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with > > your job. I'm sure they > > pay > > you well but it's a shame you have to be away from > > home and your family so > > much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to > > work sixty or seventy > > hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed > > your daughter's dance > > recital" he continued, "Let me tell you something > > Tom, something that has > > helped me keep a good perspective on my own > > priorities." And that's when he > > > > began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles." > > > > > > "You see, I sat down one day and did a little > > arithmetic. The average > > person > > lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live > > more and some live less, > > but on average, folks live about seventy-five years. > > Now then, I multiplied > > > > 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the > > number of Saturdays that > > the average person has in their entire lifetime." > > "Now, stick with me, Tom, > > > > I'm getting to the important part." > > > > "It took me until I was fifty-five years old to > > think about all this in any > > > > detail" he went on, "and by that time I had lived > > through over twenty-eight > > > > hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I > > lived to be seventy-five, I > > only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy." > > "So I went to a toy store > > > > and bought every single marble they had. I ended up > > having to visit three > > toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them > > home and put them inside a > > > > large, clear plastic container right here in the > > sack next to my gear. > > > > Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble > > out and thrown it away." > > > > > > "I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I > > focus more on the really > > important things in life. There is nothing like > > watching your time here on > > this earth run out to help get your priorities > > straight." > > > > "Now let me tell you one last thing before I > > sign-off with you and take my > > lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took > > the very last marble > > out > > of the container. I figure that if I make it until > > next Saturday then I > > have > > been given a little extra time. And the one thing we > > can all use is a > > little > > more time." "It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you > > spend more time with > > your family, and I hope to meet you again here on > > the band. 75 year Old > > Man, > > this is K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!" > > > > You could have heard a pin drop on the band when > > this fellow signed off. > > > > I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had > > planned to work on the > > antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet > > up with a few hams to > > work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went > > upstairs and woke my wife > > > > up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and > > the kids to breakfast." > > > > "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. > > "Oh, nothing special, it's > > just been a long time since we spent a Saturday > > together with the kids. > > Hey, > > can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need > > to buy some marbles.... > > > > A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my friend. > > > > "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be > > a hundred minus one day, > > > > so I never have to live without you." -Winnie the > > Pooh > > > > Pass this on to all of your FRIENDS, even if it > > means sending it to the > > person that sent it to you. And if you receive this > > e-mail many times from > > many different people, it only means that you have > > many FRIENDS. And if you > > get it but once, do not be discouraged for you will > > know that you have AT > > LEAST ONE GOOD FRIEND ... And that would be ME.

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