HOWARD’S DAILY CHRONICLE
NUMBER 5 VOL 14
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 5TH 2008
WEATHER; WARM, MED HUMIDITY, 60/83 DEGREES
I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE CRUISE SERVO IN THE INTREPID WOULD HOLD VACUUM AND IT DOES! I’LL CHECH THE ELECTRIC CONNECTIONS INSIDE THE SERVO TODAY! THE ONLY OTHER PLACE THAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS A LEAK IN THE VACUUM LINE, VACUUM CANISTER OR ONE OF THE RUBBER HOSES THAT CONNECT THE METAL LINE TO THE VACUUM CANISTER! OR IN THE METAL LINE FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD TO THE SERVO! I’LL HAVE TO HAVE MOM PUT HER THUMB ON ONE END WHILE I SUCK ON THE OTHER END! WE DON’T HAVE A VACUUM PUMP ANY MORE, IT GOT LEFT OUT IN THE WEATHER AND FELL APART!
WHEW! THOSE POLITICAL CONVENTIONS ARE FINALLY OVER! WE WATCHED THEM BOTH AND WILL MAKE UP OUR MINDS AT THE POLES!
KELLYS LITTLE DOG IS DOING A LOT BETTER! NOW IS A CASE OF KEEPING IT QUIET SO ITS RIBS CAN HEAL! I GUESS THAT GERMAN SHEPHERD HAD IT IN HIS MOUTH AND BIT HARD! MOM SAID BOTH DOGS ARE OUT IN THE STREET CHASING CARS! TO ME THAT’S A TRAFFIC HAZARD BECAUSE OF PEOPLE SWERVING TO MISS THEM! LIKE I SAID, IF ONE OF THEM GETS IN FRONT OF ME I FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE ROAD; NEVER LEAVE THE HARD SURFACE OF THE ROAD WAY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT! ONCE YOU GET OFF THE HARD ROADWAY AND IN THE SOFT DIRT OR GRASS OF THE SHOULDER YOU NO LONGER HAVE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE! I HAD A PARTNER WHO WENT TO WORK FOR C&H TRANSPORTATION DRIVING AN 18 WHEELER, HE WAS RUNNUNG EMPTY ON A TWO LANE ROAD WITH A FLAT BED TRAILER ON AND TOPPED A HILL AND A SCHOOL BUS WITH NO BODY IN IT WAS STANDING IN THE ROAD! HE SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT INTO A CONCRETE CULVERT! THE TRAILER TORE LOOSE FROM THE 5TH WHEEL KING PIN AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE TOP OF THE CAB OFF DOWN TO THE DASH BOARD AND HOOD! HE WAS KNOCKED OUT AND WAS LYING ACROSS THE GEAR SHIFT AND PASSENGER SEAT! THE TRAILER CONTINUED ACROSS THE DASH AND OUT OVER THE HOOD, WHEN IT REACHED THE BACK OF THE CAB THE SPARE TIRE RACK STOPPED IT! THIS IS THE REPORT HE SHOWED ME FROM C&H ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION PEOPLE! I HAVEN’T SEEN HIM IN ABOUT 20 YEARS BUT THE LAST TIME I DID HE WAS STILL WALKING WITH A CANE AND COULD HARDLY GET AROUND! HE WAS A RETIRED STAFF SGT OUT OF THE AIR FORCE SO HE HAD FULL MEDICAL BENEFITS! THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE HE LEFT THE ROAD! HE TOLD ME IN CONFIDENCE HE COULDN’T TELL IF THERE WAS ANYONE IN THE BUS AND THERE WERE NO FLARES OR CONES PUT OUT LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE! AS HE LEFT THE ROAD HE SAW THE BUS DRIVER AND SOME KIDS STANDING ABOUT 100 FT’ OFF THE ROAD TO THE RIGHT AND THE DRIVER OR ONE OF THE KIDS WAS WAVING THEIR ARMS! IF THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE WALKED BACK OVER THE HILL AND WAVED HIM DOWN THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AND, IF HE WOULD HAVE GONE TO THE RIGHT HE MIGHT HAVE KILLED SOME KIDS AND THE DRIVER! WE’LL NEVER KNOW! STAY ON THE ROAD NO MATTER WHAT!
THIS IS REALLY WORTH READING, I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID!
THE OLD PHONE
THIS WAS ONE OF THE 'GOOD OLD DAYS' WHEN PEOPLE REALLY CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER
When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to it.
Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was 'Information Please' and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct time.
My personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my Mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy.
I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the Parlor and dragged it to the landing climbing up; I unhooked the receiver in the parlor and held it to my ear.
'Information, please,' I said into the mouthpiece just above my head. A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.
'Information.'
'I hurt my finger,' I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.
'Isn't your mother home?' came the question.
'Nobody's home but me,' I blubbered.
'Are you bleeding?' the voice asked.
'No,' I replied. 'I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.'
'Can you open the icebox?' she asked.
I said I could.
'Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger,' said the voice.
After that, I called 'Information Please' for everything. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and nuts.
Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I called, 'Information Please,' and told her the sad story. She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was not consoled. I asked her, 'Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring Joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers on the bottom of a cage?'
She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, ' Wayne , always remember that there are other worlds to sing in.'
Somehow I felt better.
Another day I was on the telephone, 'Information Please.'
'Information,' said in the now familiar voice.
'How do I spell fix?' I asked.
All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest . When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston . I missed my friend very much. 'Information Please' belonged in that old wooden box back home and I somehow never thought of trying the shiny new phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those childhood conversations never really left me.
Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.
A few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown Operator and said, 'Information Please.'
Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well. 'Information.'
I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, 'Could you please tell me how to spell fix?'
There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, 'I guess your finger must have healed by now.'
I laughed, 'So it's really you,' I said. 'I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?'
'I wonder,' she said, 'if you know how much your call meant to me. I never had any children and I used to look forward to your calls.'
I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister.
'Please do,' she said. 'Just ask for Sally.'
Three months later I was back in Seattle a different voice answered: Information.' I asked for Sally.
'Are you a friend?' she said.
'Yes, a very old friend,' I answered.
'I'm sorry to have to tell you this,' she said. 'Sally had been working part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks ago.'
Before I could hang up she said, 'Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne ?'
'Yes.' I answered.
'Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called. Let me read it to you.' The note said, 'Tell him there are other worlds to sing in. He'll know what I mean.'
I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.
Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.
Whose life have you touched today?
Why not pass this on? I just did....
Lifting you on eagle's wings. May you find the joy and peace you long for.
Life is a journey ... NOT a guided tour. So don't miss the ride and have a great time going around. You don't get a second shot at it.
I loved this story and just had to pass it on. I hope you enjoy it and get a blessing from it just as I did
THAT’S “30” FOR THIS ISSUE
HOWARD
No comments:
Post a Comment