7793.-Life is too short NOT to laugh

Nuestra  Nuestra muy querida Ivonne nos envía desde las antípodas este pequeño cuento lleno de verdades y de pequeñas miserias…

A man came home from work and found his 5 children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn around garden, The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and no sign of the dog, walking in the door, he found ...an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, the throw rug was against one wall, In the front room the TV was on loudly with the cartoon channel, the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel... She looked up at him, smiled and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?' She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?...
''Yes," was his incredulous reply..
She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.

7792.- Tradutore traitore…

Siguiendo el ejemplo de la ONU donde esa palabras jocosas sobre los traductores son lugar común, trataré de escribir en Castellano  lo que he entendido en lo que publica María Sheibl en Facebook:

Dos amigos vagaban por el desierto. Se sucedió  una controversia durante la caminata y uno golpeó al otro en la cara.
La respuesta fue inmediata. Sin decir una palabra, el agraviado se arrodilló y escribió lo siguiente  en la arena: "Hoy mi mejor amigo me ha golpeado en la cara ."
Continuaron su marcha y pronto llegaron a un oasis. Allí, ambos decidieron tomar un baño. El amigo, que había golpeado  se había quedado  enterrado en el barro y amenazaba con ahogarse. Pero su amigo lo salvó literalmente en el último minuto.
Después de que el amigo que casi se había ahogado, se recuperó, tomó una piedra y escribió en ella estas palabras : "Hoy mi mejor amigo ha salvado mi vida".
El amigo que había golpeado  preguntó sorprendido: "cuando te hice  daño, escribiste en la arena, pero ahora  anotas las palabras en una piedra. ¿Por qué?'
El otro amigo respondió: "si alguien nos ofende o nos ha ofendido, escribimos las palabras en la arena, para  que el viento del perdón pueda eliminarlas de nuevo. Pero si alguien hace algo que es bueno para nosotros, lo  grabamos en una piedra, para que el viento no lo pueda borrar nunca."

7791. El Árbol Confundido

Reflexiones –

Había una vez, algún lugar que podría ser cualquier lugar, y en un tiempo que podría ser cualquier tiempo, un hermoso jardín, con manzanos, naranjos, perales y bellísimos rosales, todos ellos felices y satisfechos. Todo era alegría en el jardín, excepto por un árbol profundamente triste. El pobre tenía un problema: “No sabía quién era.” “Lo que te falta es concentración”, le decía el manzano, “si realmente lo intentas, podrás tener sabrosas manzanas. ¿Ve que fácil es?” - No lo escuches, exigía el rosal. Es más sencillo tener rosas y “¿Ves que bellas son?” Y el árbol desesperado, intentaba todo lo que le sugerían, y como no lograba ser como los demás, se sentía cada vez más frustrado. Un día llegó hasta el jardín el búho, la más sabia de las aves, y al ver la desesperación del árbol, exclamó: - No te preocupes, tu problema no es tan grave, es el mismo de muchísimos seres sobre la tierra. Yo te daré la solución. No dediques tu vida a ser como los demás quieran que seas. Sé tu mismo, conócete, y para lograrlo, escucha tu voz interior. Y dicho esto, el búho desapareció. - ¿Mi voz interior…? ¿Ser yo mismo…? ¿Conocerme…?, se preguntaba el árbol desesperado, cuándo de pronto, comprendió. Y cerrando los ojos y los oídos, abrió el corazón, y por fin pudo escuchar su voz interior diciéndole: - Tú jamás darás manzanas porque no eres un manzano, ni florecerás cada primavera porque no eres un rosal. Eres un roble, y tu destino es crecer grande y majestuoso. Dar cobijo a las aves, sombra a los viajeros, belleza al paisaje… Tienes una misión “Cúmplela”. Y el árbol se sintió fuerte y seguro de sí mismo y se dispuso a ser todo aquello para lo cual estaba destinado. Así, pronto llenó su espacio y fue admirado y respetado por todos. Y sólo entonces el jardín fue completamente feliz. Y tu… ¿dejas crecer el roble que hay en ti? En la vida, todos tienen un propósito que cumplir, un espacio que llenar. No permitas que nada ni nadie te impida conocer y compartir la maravillosa esencia de tu ser. Pero sobre todo recuerda, jamás podrás conocer el propósito de tu vida si no rindes tu corazón a aquel quién te creo. Conocer a Dios es encontrar el propósito de Dios para nuestra vida. ¡Cuán bienaventurado es el hombre que no anda en el consejo de los impíos, ni se detiene en el camino de los pecadores, ni se sienta en la silla de los escarnecedores, sino que en la ley del Señor está su deleite, y en su ley medita de día y de noche! Será como árbol firmemente plantado junto a corrientes de agua, que da su fruto a su tiempo, y su hoja no se marchita; en todo lo que hace, prospera. Salmo 1:1-3 Reflexiones – Renuevo.net

7790.- “Sin quejas y sin alharacas”

Gracias a Dios no perdemos nuestra capacidad para asombrarnos… Perdidos en la nebulosa de los recuerdos mustios, mi cerebro ha colocado una grandísima cantidad de nombres y caras de personas, de las que me precio de ser su amigo y a las que, al lograr el ensamble de miles de pequeños detalles, recuerdo entonces, si, plenamente, reviviendo los momentos que compartimos en épocas pasadas. En lo tocante al Camino de Santiago, a las montañas de Mérida, a los montes de Aragua, a los Parque naturales de USA, Pirineos, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, a la Caminata de San Sebastián, y otros sitios donde he caminado, que al momento son parte de la nebulosa,  casi siempre he estado acompañado por otros caminantes con quienes, gracias a Dios, hemos hecho empatía y disfrutado, sufrido, soportado, realizando esa travesías que han dado luz y calor a nuestra vida. La memoria interna no tiene limitaciones por cuanto entrelaza los recuerdos y solo hace falta gatillarlos para que, cual holograma, se presenten ante nuestros ojos  los rostros, los paisajes y las incidencias que nos tocaron vivir juntos. Y no es tan solo una presentación fría y vaga, sino que a la luz del tiempo transcurrido, libres de las ataduras circunstanciales de cada uno de esos momentos, los recuerdos toman vida propia y se engrandecen… su peso especifico crece y nos llena de sentimientos, a veces encontrados, pero en mi caso, el promedio lo estimo positivo pues me ha permitido revivirlos y tratar de entenderlos en su real contexto.

No me puedo quejar de mis compañeros de camino!!! He sido muy afortunado, me ha tocado compartir con personas a quienes no puedo calificar con menos de “Maravillosas”, personas que me han brindado su aprecio, su don de gentes, su misericordia, su apoyo, su cariño, su capacidad de trabajo, su inteligencia, su visión de futuro.

Tampoco puedo quedarme corto hablando solo de Las Caminatas… He de referirme a la caminata de mi vida… de acuerdo a mis números “oficiales” llevo trabajando desde el 4 de agosto de 1951 lo que implica que estoy conociendo gente desde hace 61 años y “trabajar” ha sido una constante de estudios, producción, dirección, etc.… tal como todos, respetando la muy sabia doctrina materna de: “Sin quejas y sin alharacas”, trabajando en la línea del “bajo perfil”…  Me ha pasado como a todo el mundo,  he conocido muchas clases de gentes, diferentes, de distintas culturas, con distinta educación, con distinta formación, con miras a veces opuestas a las mías. Pero, repito, debo darle Gracias a Dios porque El me ha cruzado en el camino con gente realmente maravillosa.

Tuve la oportunidad de hacerme adulto disfrutando las mieles de vivir prohijado por varias familias y a fe que no me puedo quejar de cuanto he recibido de cada una… me engolosinó la experiencia del vivir compartiendo cariño de familia brindado por muchas personas de distintos apellidos, me enseñaron a querer con el corazón y no con la costumbre. Y así como recibí calor de hogar, amor y consideraciones, también encontré donde y a quienes les brindé y brindo el mío. Lo entrañable siempre lo ha sido así, “Sin quejas y sin alharacas”

En estas fechas de mi vida, cuando el cerebro poco a poco reúne los datos y me presenta las imágenes de las personas, los lugares y los hechos, y me deja tratar de darles el sentido real que una vez tuvieron, he comenzado a darles mucho mayor valor tanto a esas personas como a los momentos que tuve la suerte de compartir con ellas. !!Cuanto tengo que agradecerles a cada una de ellas!!. Se hace pequeño el corazón porque demasiado grandes son los sentimientos y muchos son las amistades y los conocidos.  “Sin quejas y sin alharacas”, quiso la buena fortuna que me criasen en ciudad pequeña y hermosa, quiso que me educasen en buen Colegio, buen Liceo, en buena Escuela de formación profesional, buenos fueron los estudios universitarios y las especialidades. Mi carrera profesional estuvo siempre signada por buenos conductores, lideres, personas que daban su vida por quienes trabajamos para ellos. Al escribir estas líneas se me llena la mente de situaciones especificas que hablan, sin palabras, de la calidad de esos conductores que me toco conocer. Claro, hubo de todo… pero, a estas alturas no podemos mirar atrás y revivir los malos momentos, en todo caso hay que estudiarlos y buscar lo que de bueno tuvieron y la enseñanza que nos dejaron, “Sin quejas y sin alharacas”.

Como hablar de mis “Compañeros”, de aulas, de clases, de Promociones, de Trabajos… gentes especiales que tuvieron que soportarme durante tanto tiempo… amistades entrañables y… nombres… grandes cantidades de nombres propios, y nunca mejor el termino, propios, cada uno con su personalidad, ellos y ellas… compañer@s de tiendas de campaña, de sueños, de logros, de caminatas, de escaladas… de trote….de madrugonazos esperanzados… de incidentes y accidentes… de pensar en y por la Patria, de trabajo tesonero, constante y sin fin…

Asomándonos ya a eso que llaman quinta edad, ya no valen las palabritas de esperanza, es un hecho que la tierra ha girado muchas veces y que la naturaleza es sabia, la luz al final del camino nos indica que en los próximos cincuenta años me encontraré con los que ya partieron y a quienes espero ver para agradecerles todo lo que se molestaron por mi, todo lo que trataron de enseñarme, espero que en ese momento me de Dios la lucidez para expresar las palabras correctas que les digan lo que realmente pasa por mi mente. Claro, como estaremos haciendo colofón en ese reino infinito, todo tendrá que ser: “Sin quejas y sin alharacas”.

7789.- Del Blog de Paulo Coelho

And we survived…

by Paulo Coelho on November 3, 2012

I have received three litres of products that substitute milk.

A Norwegian company wants to know if I’m interested in investing in the production of this new type of food, because, according to the opinion of an expert, David Rietz, ‘ALL (the capital letters are his) cow’s milk has 59 active hormones and substantial amount of fat, cholesterol, dioxins, bacteria and viruses.’
I think of calcium, which ever since I was a child, I heard my mother say was good for the bones, but the expert anticipated my thought: ‘Calcium? How are the cows able to acquire sufficient calcium for their voluminous bone structure? From the plants!’

Of course, the new product is made from plants, and milk is condemned based on innumerable studies done at the most diverse institutes spread throughout the world.

And its proteins? David Rietz is implacable: ‘I know that people call milk the liquid meat (I never heard that expression, but he must know what he is talking about) due to its high amount of protein.

But it is the protein that makes calcium not able to be absorbed by the organism. Countries with a rich diet in proteins also show a high index of osteoporosis (lack of calcium in our bones).’

On that same afternoon, I receive a text my wife found on the Internet: ‘Those who are between 40 and 60 years old today drove cars with no seatbelts, head support or airbag. Children sat lose on the back seat, having fun and jumping around.

I, for example, am part of a generation that built the legendary soapbox cars (I don’t know how to explain this to today’s generation – let’s say the ‘roller-skate wheels’ were metal balls fixed between two iron rings) and we would descend the steep streets of Botafogo, using our shoes as brakes, falling, hurting, but proud of the high-speed adventure.

Children were never right, they were always grounded, and that didn’t mean they had psychological problems of rejection or lack of love. In school there were good and bad students: the first went on to the next stage, the latter failed.

Psychotherapists weren’t sought out to study these cases – those who failed would just repeat the year.

And even so we survived despite some scratched knees and a few traumas. We not only survived, but we remember the time when milk wasn’t poison, when children would solve their problems without help, fight when necessary, and spend great part of the day without electronic games, inventing children’s plays with their friends.

But let’s go back to the initial issue of this column: I decided to try the new product that substitutes the killer milk. I couldn’t drink the second sip. I asked my wife and our housemaid to taste it without saying what it was, and both of them said they had never tasted anything so bad in their lives.

I’m concerned about the children of tomorrow, with their electronic games, parents with cell phones, psychotherapists helping out at every defeat, and – over all – having to drink this ‘magic potion’ that will keep them without cholesterol, osteoporosis, 59 active hormones, and toxins.

They’ll live with great health, considerable balance, and when they grow up they will discover milk (at this point, possibly an illegal beverage). Who knows a scientist of 2050 will take upon himself to rescue something that had been consumed since the beginning of times?

Or will milk only be obtained through drug dealers?

7788.- In Memory of Dr. Richard Teo (1972 - 2012)

Malaysia belongs to Jesus!

Below is the transcript of the talk of Dr. Richard Teo, who is a 40-year-old millionaire and cosmetic surgeon with a stage-4 lung cancer but selflessly came to share with the D1 class his life experience on 19-Jan-2012. He has just passed away few days ago on 18 October 2012.

Hi good morning to all of you. My voice is a bit hoarse, so please bear with me. I thought I'll just introduce myself. My name is Richard, I'm a medical doctor. And I thought I'll just share some thoughts of my life. It's my pleasure to be invited by prof. Hopefully, it can get you thinking about how... as you pursue this.. embarking on your training to become dental surgeons, to think about other things as well.
Since young, I am a typical product of today's society. Relatively successful product that society requires.. From young, I came from a below average family. I was told by the media... and people around me that happiness is about success. And that success is about being wealthy. With this mind-set, I've always be extremely competitive, since I was young.
Not only do I need to go to the top school, I need to have success in all fields. Uniform groups, track, everything. I needed to get trophies, needed to be successful, I needed to have colours award, national colours award, everything. So I was highly competitive since young. I went on to medical school, graduated as a doctor. Some of you may know that within the medical faculty, ophthalmology is one of the most highly sought after specialities. So I went after that as well. I was given a traineeship in ophthalmology, I was also given a research scholarship by NUS to develop lasers to treat the eye.
So in the process, I was given 2 patents, one for the medical devices, and another for the lasers. And you know what, all this academic achievements did not bring me any wealth. So once I completed my bond with MOH, I decided that this is taking too long, the training in eye surgery is just taking too long. And there's lots of money to be made in the private sector. If you're aware, in the last few years, there is this rise in aesthetic medicine. Tons of money to be made there. So I decided, well, enough of staying in institution, it's time to leave. So I quit my training halfway and I went on to set up my aesthetic clinic... in town, together with a day surgery centre.
You know the irony is that people do not make heroes out average GP (general practitioner), family physicians. They don't. They make heroes out of people who are rich and famous. People who are not happy to pay $20 to see a GP, the same person have no qualms paying ten thousand dollars for a liposuction, 15 thousand dollars for a breast augmentation, and so on and so forth. So it's a no brainer isn't? Why do you want to be a gp? Become an aesthetic physician. So instead of healing the sick and ill, I decided that I'll become a glorified beautician. So, business was good, very good. It started off with waiting of one week, then became 3weeks, then one month, then 2 months, then 3 months. I was overwhelmed; there were just too many patients. Vanities are fantastic business. I employed one doctor, the second doctor, the 3rd doctor, the 4th doctor. And within the 1st year, we're already raking in millions. Just the 1st year. But never is enough because I was so obsessed with it. I started to expand into Indonesia to get all the rich Indonesian tai-tais who wouldn't blink an eye to have a procedure done. So life was really good.
So what do I do with the spare cash. How do I spend my weekends? Typically, I'll have car club gatherings. I take out my track car, with spare cash I got myself a track car. We have car club gatherings. We'll go up to Sepang in Malaysia. We'll go for car racing. And it was my life. With other spare cash, what do i do? I get myself a Ferrari. At that time, the 458 wasn't out, it's just a spider convertible, 430. This is a friend of mine, a schoolmate who is a forex trader, a banker. So he got a red one, he was wanting all along a red one, I was getting the silver one.
So what do I do after getting a car? It's time to buy a house, to build our own bungalows. So we go around looking for a land to build our own bungalows, we went around hunting. So how do i live my life? Well, we all think we have to mix around with the rich and famous. This is one of the Miss Universe. So we hang around with the beautiful, rich and famous. This by the way is an internet founder. So this is how we spend our lives, with dining and all the restaurants and Michelin Chefs you know.
So I reach a point in life that I got everything for my life. I was at the pinnacle of my career and all. That's me one year ago in the gym and I thought I was like, having everything under control and reaching the pinnacle.
Well, I was wrong. I didn't have everything under control. About last year March, I started to develop backache in the middle of nowhere. I thought maybe it was all the heavy squats I was doing. So I went to SGH, saw my classmate to do an MRI, to make sure it's not a slipped disc or anything. And that evening, he called me up and said that we found bone marrow replacement in your spine. I said, sorry what does that mean? I mean I know what it means, but I couldn't accept that. I was like “Are you serious?” I was still running around going to the gym you know. But we had more scans the next day, PET scans - positrons emission scans, they found that actually I have stage 4 terminal lung cancer. I was like "Whoa where did that come from?” It has already spread to the brain, the spine, the liver and the adrenals. And you know one moment I was there, totally thinking that I have everything under control, thinking that I've reached the pinnacle of my life. But the next moment, I have just lost it.
This is a CT scan of the lungs itself. If you look at it, every single dot there is a tumour. We call this miliaries tumour. And in fact, I have tens of thousands of them in the lungs. So, I was told that even with chemotherapy, that I'll have about 3-4months at most. Did my life come crushing on, of course it did, who wouldn't? I went into depression, of course, severe depression and I thought I had everything.
See the irony is that all these things that I have, the success, the trophies, my cars, my house and all. I thought that brought me happiness. But i was feeling really down, having severe depression. Having all these thoughts of my possessions, they brought me no joy. The thought of... You know, I can hug my Ferrari to sleep, no... No, it is not going to happen. It brought not a single comfort during my last ten months. And I thought they were, but they were not true happiness. But it wasn't. What really brought me joy in the last ten months was interaction with people, my loved ones, friends, people who genuinely care about me, they laugh and cry with me, and they are able to identify the pain and suffering I was going through. That brought joy to me, happiness. None of the things I have, all the possessions, and I thought those were supposed to bring me happiness. But it didn't, because if it did, I would have felt happy think about it, when I was feeling most down..
You know the classical Chinese New Year that is coming up. In the past, what do I do? Well, I will usually drive my flashy car to do my rounds, visit my relatives, to show it off to my friends. And I thought that was joy, you know. I thought that was really joy. But do you really think that my relatives and friends, whom some of them have difficulty trying to make ends meet, that will truly share the joy with me? Seeing me driving my flashy car and showing off to them? No, no way. They won’t be sharing joy with me. They were having problems trying to make ends meet, taking public transport. In fact i think, what I have done is more like you know, making them envious, jealous of all I have. In fact, sometimes even hatred.
Those are what we call objects of envy. I have them, I show them off to them and I feel it can fill my own pride and ego. That didn't bring any joy to these people, to my friends and relatives, and I thought they were real joy.
Well, let me just share another story with you. You know when I was about your age, I stayed in king Edward VII hall. I had this friend whom I thought was strange. Her name is Jennifer, we're still good friends. And as I walk along the path, she would, if she sees a snail, she would actually pick up the snail and put it along the grass patch. I was like why do you need to do that? Why dirty your hands? It’s just a snail. The truth is she could feel for the snail. The thought of being crushed to death is real to her, but to me it's just a snail. If you can't get out of the pathway of humans then you deserve to be crushed, it’s part of evolution isn't it? What an irony isn't it?
There I was being trained as a doctor, to be compassionate, to be able to empathise; but I couldn't. As a house officer, I graduated from medical school, posted to the oncology department at NUH. And, every day, every other day I witness death in the cancer department. When I see how they suffered, I see all the pain they went through. I see all the morphine they have to press every few minutes just to relieve their pain. I see them struggling with their oxygen breathing their last breath and all. But it was just a job. When I went to clinic every day, to the wards every day, take blood, give the medication but was the patient real to me? They weren't real to me. It was just a job, I do it, I get out of the ward, I can't wait to get home, I do my own stuff.
Was the pain, was the suffering the patients went through real? No. Of course I know all the medical terms to describe how they feel, all the suffering they went through. But in truth, I did not know how they feel, not until I became a patient. It is until now; I truly understand how they feel. And, if you ask me, would I have been a very different doctor if I were to re-live my life now, I can tell you yes I will. Because I truly understand how the patients feel now. And sometimes, you have to learn it the hard way.
Even as you start just your first year, and you embark this journey to become dental surgeons, let me just challenge you on two fronts.
Inevitably, all of you here will start to go into private practice. You will start to accumulate wealth. I can guarantee you. Just doing an implant can bring you thousands of dollars, it's fantastic money. And actually there is nothing wrong with being successful, with being rich or wealthy, absolutely nothing wrong. The only trouble is that a lot of us like myself couldn't handle it.
Why do I say that? Because when I start to accumulate, the more I have, the more I want. The more I wanted, the more obsessed I became. Like what I showed you earlier on, all I can was basically to get more possessions, to reach the pinnacle of what society did to us, of what society wants us to be. I became so obsessed that nothing else really mattered to me. Patients were just a source of income, and I tried to squeeze every single cent out of these patients.
A lot of times we forget, whom we are supposed to be serving. We become so lost that we serve nobody else but just ourselves. That was what happened to me. Whether it is in the medical, the dental fraternity, I can tell you, right now in the private practice, sometimes we just advise patients on treatment that is not indicated. Grey areas. And even though it is not necessary, we kind of advocate it. Even at this point, I know who are my friends and who genuinely cared for me and who are the ones who try to make money out of me by selling me "hope". We kind of lose our moral compass along the way. Because we just want to make money.
Worse, I can tell you, over the last few years, we bad mouth our fellow colleagues, our fellow competitors in the industry. We have no qualms about it. So if we can put them down to give ourselves an advantage, we do it. And that's what happening right now, medical, dental everywhere. My challenge to you is not to lose that moral compass. I learnt it the hard way, I hope you don't ever have to do it.
Secondly, a lot of us will start to get numb to our patients as we start to practise. Whether is it government hospitals, private practice, I can tell you when I was in the hospital, with stacks of patient folders, I can't wait to get rid of those folders as soon as possible; I can't wait to get patients out of my consultation room as soon as possible because there is just so many, and that's a reality. Because it becomes a job, a very routine job. And this is just part of it. Do I truly know how the patient feels back then? No, I don't. The fears and anxiety and all, do I truly understand what they are going through? I don't, not until when this happens to me and I think that is one of the biggest flaws in our system.
We’re being trained to be healthcare providers, professional, and all and yet we don't know how exactly they feel. I'm not asking you to get involved emotionally, I don't think that is professional but do we actually make a real effort to understand their pain and all? Most of us won’t, alright, I can assure you. So don't lose it, my challenge to you is to always be able to put yourself in your patient's shoes.
Because the pain, the anxiety, the fear are very real even though it's not real to you, it's real to them. So don't lose it and you know, right now I'm in the midst of my 5th cycle of my chemotherapy. I can tell you it’s a terrible feeling. Chemotherapy is one of those things that you don't wish even your enemies to go through because it's just suffering, lousy feeling, throwing out, you don't even know if you can retain your meals or not. Terrible feeling! And even with whatever little energy now I have, I try to reach out to other cancer patients because I truly understand what pain and suffering is like. But it's kind of little too late and too little.
You guys have a bright future ahead of you with all the resource and energy, so I’m going to challenge you to go beyond your immediate patients. To understand that there are people out there who are truly in pain, truly in hardship. Don’t get the idea that only poor people suffer. It is not true. A lot of these poor people do not have much in the first place, they are easily contented. for all you know they are happier than you and me but there are out there, people who are suffering mentally, physically, hardship, emotionally, financially and so on and so forth, and they are real. We choose to ignore them or we just don't want to know that they exist.
So do think about it alright, even as you go on to become professionals and dental surgeons and all. That you can reach out to these people who are in need. Whatever you do can make a large difference to them. I'm now at the receiving end so I know how it feels, someone who genuinely care for you, encourage and all. It makes a lot of difference to me. That’s what happens after treatment. I had a treatment recently, but I’ll leave this for another day. A lot of things happened along the way, that's why I am still able to talk to you today.
I'll just end of with this quote here, it's from this book called Tuesdays with Morris, and some of you may have read it. Everyone knows that they are going to die; every one of us knows that. The truth is, none of us believe it because if we did, we will do things differently. When I faced death, when I had to, I stripped myself off all stuff totally and I focused only on what is essential. The irony is that a lot of times, only when we learn how to die then we learn how to live. I know it sounds very morbid for this morning but it's the truth, this is what I’m going through.
Don’t let society tell you how to live. Don’t let the media tell you what you're supposed to do. Those things happened to me. And I led this life thinking that these are going to bring me happiness. I hope that you will think about it and decide for yourself how you want to live your own life. Not according to what other people tell you to do, and you have to decide whether you want to serve yourself, whether you are going to make a difference in somebody else's life. Because true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself. I thought it was but it didn't turn out that way.
Also most importantly, I think true joy comes from knowing God. Not knowing about God – I mean, you can read the bible and know about God – but knowing God personally; getting a relationship with God. I think that’s the most important. That’s what I’ve learnt.
So if I were to sum it up, I’d say that the earlier we sort out the priorities in our lives, the better it is. Don’t be like me – I had no other way. I had to learn it through the hard way. I had to come back to God to thank Him for this opportunity because I’ve had 3 major accidents in my past – car accidents. You know, these sports car accidents – I was always speeding , but somehow I always came out alive, even with the car almost being overturned. And I wouldn’t have had a chance. Who knows, I don’t know where else I’d be going to! Even though I was baptised it was just a show, but the fact that this has happened, it gave me a chance to come back to God.
Few things I’d learnt though:
1. Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart – this is so important.
2. Is to love and serve others, not just ourselves.
There is nothing wrong with being rich or wealthy. I think it’s absolutely alright, cos God has blessed. So many people are blessed with good wealth, but the trouble is I think a lot of us can’t handle it. The more we have, the more we want. I’ve gone through it, the deeper the hole we dig, the more we get sucked into it, so much so that we worship wealth and lose focus. Instead of worshipping God, we worship wealth. It’s just a human instinct. It’s just so difficult to get out of it.
We are all professionals, and when we go into private practise, we start to build up our wealth – inevitably. So my thought are, when you start to build up wealth and when the opportunity comes, do remember that all these things don’t belong to us. We don’t really own it nor have rights to this wealth. It’s actually God’s gift to us. Remember that it’s more important to further His Kingdom rather than to further ourselves.
Anyway I think that I’ve gone through it, and I know that wealth without God is empty. It is more important that you fill up the wealth, as you build it up subsequently, as professionals and all, you need to fill it up with the wealth of God.
(Please share his photo and words with others) —Posted By Rich Wong. ♥

Y, ahora en español, ¿que nos queda de esto que leemos? Somos minucias en el espacio infinito del Señor, solo eso somos… será por eso que perdemos nuestra muy fútil vida dispersándonos en tonterías, ocupando nuestra mente en todo lo que no nos es productivo? Dios nos da siempre oportunidades y al perderlas, desaprovecharlas, le echamos las culpas a todas las demás personas…Dios también nos dio esa alternativa para mantener en algo nuestra cordura… Lastima que con esa alternativa desperdiciamos la oportunidad de aprender de nuestros errores… en el caso de hoy, se nos da la oportunidad de aprender en el ojo ajeno, viendo como en el propio ojo fue tardío el descubrimiento. Gracias al Dr. Richard Teo  nos llega esta andanada de felicidad que, ojala, nos sirva para ver de otra forma el mundo.

7787.- Compañeros de Camino

En la primavera de este año tuve la oportunidad de hacer el Camino de Santiago y, como evento especial, continué hacia Muxía  y Fisterre y , para felicidad de este caminante, me vi acompañado por cinco maravillosas personas a quienes me aproxime en Negreira (las dos parejas) y en el tramo final hacia Muxía ( Maime). Cree uno ingenuamente que se comporta bien  cumpliendo con todas las reglas de sociabilización y promete recordar los nombres, las fechas aniversarias, las direcciones de correos, la menudencia de esos momentos que tanto llenan nuestras vidas de caminantes. En lo tocante a direcciones, presumimos de haber escrito, entregado y recalcado sin fin de veces nuestra sacrosanta dirección;  el tiempo nos da la realidad cuando las buenas amistades nos reclaman los errores en lo escrito, la inoperancia de los datos, el olvido…  Nos pasamos el tiempo pensando en lo que pudo ser el detalle inoportuno de ultima hora que molestó a nuestros amigos.. finalmente, los recuerdos se agolpan en nuestra mente... felices momentos compartidos entre cansancio, sudor, ganas de comer, sueño… El otro detalle es la gente de la Casa Manolo, el Señor José, Alejandro, María y Ramón, Walf, Evaristo, Néstor, la gente de Hosvol… y paremos de contar porque hemos de tener en cuenta al Dr. Aloise, habitual compañero quien se adueña de los recuerdos…

 

Camino 2012 (becece@cantv.net) VER PRESENTACIÓN DESCARGAR TODO

7788.- El judío Andaluz

Un judío andaluz está bebiendo en un bar de Almería.

Recibe una llamada en su celular...

Atiende y al minuto, una sonrisa de oreja a oreja se dibuja en su cara… Ordena una ronda de bebidas para todo el mundo en el bar y anuncia lleno de orgullo:

-¡Mi mujer ha parido un bebé de 11 kilos!

Nadie puede creer que un recién nacido pueda pesar 11 kilos ... pero bueno ... se lo preguntan, y el tipo responde:

-Es la media en Andalucía, tíos. Como he dicho, mi niño es un típico bebé andalú de la colectividá.

Las felicitaciones le llueven de todos los que están cerca y se oyeron muchas exclamaciones de ¡¡GUAU!!

Una mujer incluso se desmaya debido a dolores empáticos.

Dos semanas más tarde el tipo vuelve al bar.

El camarero dice:

-Usted es el padre del niño que pesó 11 kilos al nacer, ¿no? ... Todo el mundo ha estado haciendo apuestas sobre cuán grande sería en dos semanas.

Le íbamos a llamar por telefono ... así que, ya que está aquí, díganos, ¿cuánto pesa ahora?.

El orgulloso padre responde "ocho kilos".

-Pero ¿qué ha sucedido? El bebé ya pesaba 11 kilos el día que nació.. ¿cómo es que ha perdido tanto peso?.

El padre se toma pausadamente un sorbo, se seca los labios en la manga, se inclina hacia el camarero y orgullosamente le dice:

-Lo hemo' circuncidao.

7787.- El hilo de la verdad.

The Facelift

A woman decides to have a facelift for her 50th birthday. She spend $5,000 and feels pretty good about the results. On her way home, she stops at a news stand to buy a newspaper. Before leaving, she says to the clerk, "I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old do you think I am?"
"About 32," is the reply.
"Nope! I'm exactly 50," the woman says happily.
A little while later she goes into McDonald's and asks the counter girl the very same question. The girl replies, "I guess about 29."
The woman replies, "Nope I'm 50."
Now she's feeling really good about herself. She stops in a drug store on her way down the street. She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question. The clerk responds, "Oh, I'd say 30."
Again she proudly responds, "I am 50, but thank you."
While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question.
He replies, "Lady, I'm 78 and my eye sight is going. Although, when I was young, there was a sure way to tell how old a woman was. It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra. Then, and only then can I tell you EXACTLY how old you are."
They wait in silence on the empty street until curiosity gets the best of her. She finally blurts out, "What the hell, go ahead."
He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully. He bounces and weighs each breast...He gently pinches each nipple. He pushes her breasts together and rubs them against each other.
After a couple of minutes of this, she says, "Okay, okay...How old am I?"
He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and says, "Madam, you are 50."
Stunned and amazed, the woman says, "That was incredible, how could you tell?'
The old man says, "promise you won't get mad?"
"I promise I won't." she says.
"I was behind you in line at McDonald's."

7784.- ¡Epa pana! Chávez se va

THAYS PEÑALVER| EL UNIVERSAL

jueves 25 de octubre de 2012 12:00 AM

Hola. De nuevo es contigo. Sé que sigues pensando en irte de Venezuela. Es natural, pero quiero que observes, que mientras tú y muchos de tus amigos barajan las opciones y posibilidades, el Instituto de Estadísticas de España acaba de explicar que un millón de chamos como tú, se marcharon de ese país porque sentían que no tenían futuro de nuevo en su historia. Si hace 5 años yo te hubiera dicho que 1 de cada 3 jóvenes italianos estaría desempleado y que muchos se marcharían a África a trabajar, que de cada 10 trabajos que se perderían, 8 estarían ocupados por chamos como tú en España o que en Grecia volverían al trueque como moneda. ¿Qué habrías pensado?
Si ves el periódico (ABC de España 02/01/2002) verás cómo millones de jóvenes se agolparon en Europa cuando llegó el euro. En Irlanda "el país Milagro de la UE" a su Banco Central no se le ocurrió mejor idea que ofrecer champaña a cada ciudadano y Grecia, fue el primero que se desbordó a utilizar el euro. No pasaron 10 años y esa misma gente que se agolpó a beber en los bancos, y que ocupaba los mejores lugares en felicidad del mundo está hoy en las plazas exigiendo salir del euro, mientras sus abuelos que emigraron hace 50 años, ven a sus nietos marcharse.
No faltará quien te diga algo así: "sí, hay crisis. Pero no tiene precio caminar a las 2 de la mañana sin que te pase nada". Verás, el problema de esas frases es que "sí tiene precio" y no me refiero a dejar tu país, familia y amigos. Se trata de otro precio que ellos no conocen, es el precio que han pagado los jóvenes de esas sociedades organizándose y trabajando políticamente para alcanzar ese bienestar, solo que los que dicen esas frases no lo pagaron, se fueron y hoy usufructúan "el trabajo político de otros jóvenes" y lo presentan como algo "que no tiene precio".
Te digo que fueron los jóvenes chilenos los que se organizaron para levantar a Chile y esos sí tuvieron un feroz dictador, míralos hoy. Fueron los jóvenes alemanes los que reconstruyeron Alemania, ¡míralos! y los jóvenes estadounidenses los que llevaron a ese país a ser lo que es. Ellos dijeron: ¡no me voy! y mira lo difícil que la tuvieron. Fíjate cuál es la diferencia, en una encuesta (generation opportunity) dos tercios de los jóvenes estadounidenses piensan que su futuro es terrible y que van a tener que posponer "el sueño americano", ¿Sabes cuál es su secreto? Que la misma encuesta sostiene que ese 66% de jóvenes entre los 18 y 29 años "tiene ideas de cómo organizarse para salir de la crisis" sigue ese principio alemán, chileno o estadounidense, ten ideas, organízate.
Por eso llegó tu momento. O te vas a usufructuar el trabajo de esos jóvenes o haces lo que hicieron esos jóvenes. Llegó el momento de organizarte con los tuyos para "politizar la política" (devolverle su contenido) porque quienes te vendieron la antipolítica, el antisistema, el odio a los partidos y más recientemente "la indignación", fueron precisamente quienes vieron que comenzabas a interesarte en ella y sabían que si tú y muchos como tú, se interesaban demasiado los ibas a desplazar. Esa es la razón por la que los verdaderos políticos, son una raza casi extinta en muchos países y han sido sustituidos por burócratas mediocres. Así es que: ¡ponte pilas! no te indignes, dígnate a actuar, desplázalos.
Sobre Venezuela te digo que es un tremendo país. Está entre los 30 más grandes del mundo (de casi 300 países), es parte del 10% de los mejores. Mira esta lectura, Chávez tuvo un inicio con 56% de los votos, un auge en 2000 con 59%, llegó al 2006 con casi el 63% de los votos y comenzó su declinación cayendo al 54% en 2011. Pero mira lo que pasó, hasta 2006 a Chávez le habían ingresado apenas 200 mil millones de dólares y no se endeudó ni un centavo (BCV). Y de esa elección para acá ha tenido que vender hasta sus muebles, le entraron 550 mil millones, casi triplica la deuda externa, devaluó el 100% para gastar más, inventó el Estado misionero y con la mayor bonanza petrolera el 55% de los votantes no votaron por él y el 45% lo hizo en contra. Nada menos que el 90% de los industriales, al 85% de la clase media y al 80% de los estudiantes universitarios lo adversan. Con todo y las misiones bajó 7 puntos en votos y digan lo que digan, el "Partido Único" solo agrupa a un 30% de los votantes, cuya mayoría se fundamenta en el empleo público y los cheques-beca. Un apoyo efímero, que no querría jamás un buen político.
Si me permites dos consejos adicionales: deja el miedo, deja de pensar que los problemas no tienen solución, si hablas hoy con los jóvenes en Bogotá, te dirán que la inseguridad se resuelve y el precio es darle cara a la política. El otro, deja de hablar de Chávez, es el pasado, trátalo como tal. Dale su lugar en la historia, porque ya es historia. Chávez no es el futuro, el futuro eres tú. Pase lo que pase, en los próximos 3 años se activará un mecanismo electoral presidencial, si le das cara a la política, todo cambiará, te juro que Chávez se va, pero depende únicamente de ti.
tpenalver@me.com