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 Summer Fun!
A Place to Dream
My daughters love to climb a giant red rock that
shoots up from the ground in our back yard. They go there just to
hang out or to hide away from the world. I hear then up there
pretending to be pirates high in the mast of the ship. Sometimes
they say they are on a climbing expedition, heading to the summit of
Mount Everest. Sure there are certain dangers
when kids climb up 70 feet or so, and I do warn them to
watch for rattle snakes that love these rocks in the summer, but I
don't forbid them from going up to this hide-out.
When I was living in Hawaii as a kid, I loved to walk
down to an old pier in Ewa Beach that faced Pearl Harbor.
Sometimes I went with my friend, but many times I went alone. I
could lay out on that pier for hours throwing rocks into the water
and waving to submarines and ships that came cruising into the harbor
to rest. There were signs posted all around this area
warning of sharks, but that only added to my desire to hang out
there. (But now that I think about it, I also spent a lot of
time swimming at a beach that doubled as a rifle range, even when the
red warning flags were flying. It's all starting to make
sense now.)
I was commander of my own ship when I was out
there. I remember imagining that I was stranded on a deserted
island and these ships were coming to my rescue. Maybe it was just
too many episodes of Gilligan's Island, but it was my
sanctuary. It was far enough away from the call of my mother's
voice, and close enough to my dreams to catch a glimpse of them on
occasion.
Sometimes we tuck away in safety to dream of
secure futures and other times we must climb right out on the ledge of
life and dream of adventures, both great and noble. Perhaps when
we are tempting death, our dreams find life! Where can you go to
breathe life into your buried dreams? Have you stopped dreaming
of adventures? Climb to the top of your ships mast, look to the
horizon and you will spot them.
TRIVIA
1. How many flowers must honey bees tap to make one pound of honey?
A. 50
B. 10
C. 10,000
D. 2 million
2. Who was the first major league baseball player to pitch a ball over 100mph?
A. John Elway
B. Dwight Goodan
C. Nolan Ryan
D. Babe Ruth
3. On Three's Company, what was Chrissy's father's occupation?
A. A professional wrestler
B. A zoo keeper
C. A bus driver
D. A reverend
4. What is the only US coin ever minted that has a profile facing right?
A. The quarter
B. Susan B. Anthony dollar
C. The Kennedy fifty cent piece
D. The Lincoln penny
Attitude in High Altitude
Last year as a group of us were heading up to
Boulder, Colorado for our first skydiving experience, we found out the
new twin engine plane that was supposed to take us up as a group had
some mechanical problems and they were going to have to transport us
two by two in a MUCH SMALLER single engine plane. I told my
husband that I wanted to go first so my sister, Sharon, and I went on
the first run (Kirk and I figured we'd better take separate plane
rides, since our kids were there watching...you know just in
case!).
When we climbed in this tin can with wings (that
looked as if they were taped on) I felt more nauseous when I saw our
"pilot." He looked sixteen or seventeen with hair sticking out in
all directions under his knit beanie and he was still rubbing
the sleepy-crumbs, or eye-buggers, from his eyes.
I thought this had to be a part of the skydiving
strategy--put the jumpers in a situation where they would feel safer
jumping out of the plane than staying in it. And it was
working. As the plane climbed to 11,000 feet I noticed a few
screw holes that did not have screw in them and then I began chatting
nervously with my instructor, who was strapped to my back.
"What happens if our parachute doesn't open?" I asked.
"I will pull open the reserve." He replied calmly.
Then just to continue making conversation I asked, "What if that one doesn't open? Then how long do we have before we hit the ground?"
He replied with a grin on his face, "The rest of our lives."
I scooted to the edge and before I could
change my mind, he gave me that needed push and we were off and
soaring! It was awesome.
Laugh A Little!
"I never get tired of housework. I don't do
any. When guests come to visit, I just put out drop cloths and
say we're painting." ~Joan Rivers
"I took my parents back to the airport today. They leave tomorrow." ~ Margaret Smith
"I think men who have a pierced ear are better
prepared for marriage. They have experienced pain and bought
jewelry." ~Rita Rudner
"My mother said, 'You won't amount to anything because you procrastinate.' I said, 'Just wait.'" ~Judy Tenuta
 Tony the Toenail & Other Stories to Inspire
A collection of favorite stories like Tony the
Toenail, "Beauty in your own backyard" along with plenty of new stories
like Unc and Tale with Two Sides. If you are tired of chicken soup but
love a good story, this will hit the spot!
Marriage Mechanic 
Does your relationship need a "Tune
Up?"Get ready for Sparks with Marriage Mechanics Marriage Mechanics: A
Tune Up for the Highway of Love
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ASK BOB 
A Regular Column on Relationships by Man's Best Friend
Q: Bob,
you have to help! My wife and I are having a serious debate (or
argument) and I just know you will have a simple answer
to settle it. Is there a correct side of the shower a person
should get in from? I say you should enter near the shower head
so you can feel the water before getting in, and my wife says you
should enter from the side furthest from the shower head so you do not
spray water onto the floor. We have agreed that your answer will
be the final answer in this argument.
A: My answer is more
complex than you were probably hoping for, but I believe it will solve
your dispute. First I believe that you need to get a
dog that will occupy your time. If you have the time
and energy to argue or debate over which side of a shower to get in,
you have too much time on your hands. Secondly, as long as you
are not trying to get into the shower at the same time from different
sides, what difference does it make how people get in the shower as
long as they close the door after they get in. Lastly, I hate
showers and baths all together, so I wouldn't get in either side.
Q:
Bob, I have been married for six years to a very good man that I dated
for eight years before we married. While we have a good and solid
marriage, we seem to have grown into two very different people. I
feel as if I have grown personally and professionally, and I think my
husband is content to keep everything the same and doesn't want to grow
in any way. Do you have any ideas or are we doomed?
A: You
are definitely not doomed, so sit down and loosen your collar.
First sit down with your hubby when you can talk uninterrupted.
Tell him that you are concerned about the direction your relationship
is heading and that your desire is to get it back on track.
Because relationships become stagnant if you do not work at them, I
would suggest that you sign up to take a course or some lessons
together--like dance lessons, a foreign language, or a new hobby
or sport. You would be surprised how much you will have in
common to talk about and how much fun learning can be when it is done
with a partner! Tell him it is very important to you. After
presenting your case, sit back and listen to his
response. There's also a very good obedience course
offered at most PetSmart stores if he doesn't go for any of your
ideas! Don't put it off. Your marriage is too
important!
Bob "Barker" is the faithful
companion to the Schreck family and resides in Littleton, Colorado.
Like most dogs, Bob is a relationship expert and would love to answer
your questions. Just send mail to Bob@schrecktalk.com
P O W
(Pearls of Wisdom)
"The places that used to fit me can't hold all the things I've learned." ~Unknown
"Enjoy yourself--it's later than you think." ~Chinese Proverb
"The man of understanding finds all things laughable, the man of reason few." ~ Goethe
"I have never seen a monument erected to a pessimist." ~Paul Harvey
"Without fun, marriages don't work; when jobs are not
fun, they become intolerable and dehumanizing; when children aren't fun
to be with, they are heartbreaking; when churches aren't fun, religion
becomes a drag; when life is not fun, it is just plain hard."
~Tony Campolo
"There's something unique about being a member of a
family that really needs you in order to function well. One of
the deepest longings a person can have is to feel needed and
essential." ~Mister Fred Rogers
Did You Know...?
- Yo ho ho and shiver me timbers! September 19th is
"Talk Like A Pirate Day." You only have 90 +/- days left to scrape yer
barnacles off and decorate yer Poop Deck! If you want to learn to Talk
Like a Pirate before the date comes and goes--check out www.talklikeapirate.com
- The first letter of every continent's name is the same as the last--AmericA; AsiA; EuropE; AntarticA; AustraliA; AfricA
- It takes one week to make jelly beans!
- You can burn 40 calories if you laugh for 15 minutes each day! Find something to laugh at.
Monthly Challenge!
Schedule 3 fun activities to make sure you are taking time to relax and enjoy. Here are a few ideas:
1. PAck a pic nic breakfast and go to your favorite park or lake.
2. Rent a row boat or paddle boat at a lake and have some fun.
3. Dig out your old tent and plan a camping trip...even if it's in your own backyard.
4. Look in your local paper to find the parks that are hosting concerts--get out and dance.
5. Buy some water balloons and challenge your kids or the neighborhood kids to a water balloon fight.
The Power of a Father's Love
Since this past weekend was Father's Day, I want to
tip a late hat off to all of you Dads out there and share a bit of
research I've been doing for the past eight years. I have asked close
to 1000 people, both men and women, to rate the level of self-esteem
(on a scale of 1-10) they feel they possess and then tell me the
greatest contributor to their self-esteem being where it is. 91% of
people have said their fathers played the biggest role in their
self-esteem being high or low. (I'm not quite sure why mothers don't
play a bigger role, but I have a few theories around that too.) In
short form, here are a few keys to a successful Father/Child
relationship, and even though we moms are basically chipped liver when
it comes to impacting our kids' self-esteem, I'm sure they apply just
as much!
Here are 3 things all children need to hear:
1. I love you...unconditionally! No matter
what stupid things you may do, regardless of the grades you earn or the
career you choose, I love you.
2. I forgive you. Even when you say you're
sorry and then do the same wrong thing again, I will forgive you and we
can start over.
3. I'm proud of you. I'm proud of how hard
you have tried. I'm proud of you for not giving up. I'm proud of the
young man/woman you are becoming. I'm proud of how you have handled
that tough situation.
If a child grows up and does not hear these things,
they will seek the love, forgiveness and pride somewhere else, and it
is usually in unhealthy ways. Find some time this week to tell a child,
"I love you, I forgive you and I am proud of you." (Look for more on
this topic coming soon.)
Answers to Trivia
1. D 2 million
2. C Nolan
Ryan. September 7, 1974 Ryan broke the 100mph barrier to set the record
at 100.8mph.
3. D Chrissy's father was a reverend
4. D The Lincoln penny
© 2005
Feel free to forward this to all of your friends, family members and even those you don’t particularly care for!
It may not be sung in a high school
play, written in sand on beaches west of Belize or photocopied without
our permission though, so for reprint permission, please call
303-978-0887.
"Random Thoughts" is a monthly email distributed by The Pinnacle Group & SchreckTalk Keynotes. www.Schrecktalk.com |