# There's hope for humanity...



## Schrody (Jan 7, 2016)

I just read an article about how Croatian doctors saved a girl's life with the revolutionary surgery!

The girl had an adrenal gland tumor which metastasized to liver and the tumor infiltrated the "vena cava"- large veins that carry deoxygenated blood from the body into the right atrium of the heart, and a thrombus tumor spreading to the right atrium of the heart. The girl had eight larger metastasis on the liver. 

After they removed the primal tumor from the adrenal gland, and before the removal of liver, they made a venous plexus from the internal jugular vein, and two cadaveric veins from another liver donor. Reconstruction began after the removal of the liver together with the "vena cava". When they were through, and removed all the metastasis, liver was put back into the girl's body. 

To reconstruct, i.e., made a new "vena cava", doctors took a vein from the girl's neck, and two veins from the donor. Operation was successful, and lasted for 12 hours. 

So, this is a thread for the things/words/deeds/articles that returned your faith in humanity. Post only nice things, with happy endings!

Happy life! ^^


----------



## Courtjester (Jan 7, 2016)

Three cheers to that idea, Schrody. Cj


----------



## Schrody (Jan 7, 2016)

Thanks, Cj. Sometimes it's necessary to remind the people that world is not such a bad place


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 7, 2016)

I share your view. As a matter of fact, I believe that in truth our world is a very good one. One cannot come to any other conclusion when one begins to understand its higher purpose and meaning.


----------



## BobtailCon (Jan 7, 2016)

As the classic pessimist that I am, I'm glad that good deeds can happen in such a terrible world.


----------



## Schrody (Jan 9, 2016)




----------



## bazz cargo (Jan 9, 2016)

7 Year-old Jack is a lesson to all bigots.


----------



## Kevin (Jan 9, 2016)

Today, I saw people driving stopped for a person crossing at a corner. I know it's a little thing, but around here it most often doesn't happen. The law says you're supposed to. "Cars must yield to pedestrians."


----------



## Schrody (Jan 9, 2016)

From my experience, you don't need much to brighten someone's day


----------



## JustRob (Jan 9, 2016)

I may have posted this in WF before, but it deserves another mention. I used to provide I.T. support as a volunteer at our local Citizens Advice Bureau, one of a national network of general advisory bureaux, many of which are manned entirely by volunteers. When appropriate the assistance can go far beyond advice as the bureau knows all the right agencies to call to get things done. That is why I.T. is an important component of their work and why I donated my own services, because the advisors themselves there deserve all the support possible.

There was an exemplary case on one occasion when a voluntary advisor took the plight of a woman here in the UK entirely to heart and resolved it. Her sister was quite unexpectedly dying in hospital in the USA following a serious accident and she very much wanted to visit her, but she had no money for the air fare, no passport and no visa, let alone the ability to organise any other details of such a trip. Nevertheless, through the efforts of this one man she was at her sister's bedside on the other side of the Atlantic less than 48 hours later. 

When something really needs to happen there is always the possibility that it will now regardless of the probabilities. We may think that there are the people who don't stop to count the cost in such a situation and then there are the bean counters, but this man was a chartered accountant, so where would he fit into such a perception?

We hear so much about how modern technology has made it easier for people to achieve bad things, but in fact far more often when there is a willingness to do good, technology brings even the unlikely within reach. All it needs in addition is the intention and commitment.


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 9, 2016)

BobtailCon said:


> As the classic pessimist that I am, I'm glad that good deeds can happen in such a terrible world.



Cheer up, dear BobtailCon. I do believe that more good things than bad ones are constantly happening in our world. It's just that telling about them doesn't seem to sell newspapers and fill airspace on radio and TV. :smile:


----------



## JustRob (Jan 9, 2016)

My angel and I believe in the old principle of payforward, that a beneficial act is a loan to be passed on to someone else in need in the future. Indeed we have even helped out someone who needed money on this basis, that they would in turn pass on the money when their own circumstances changed. In contrast we see simple payback as in no way beneficial to society and we are upset when anyone feels the need to pay us back a favour for its own sake. The advantage of payforward is that the recipient is not accepting charity there and then and whether they ever have to treat it as charity with no chance of passing it on depends on their future circumstances. The school where I was educated works very much on this principle. It is primarily a charity school but an extremely good school as well with an exemplary record. With a first class education behind them its pupils can do well in life and return later to help fund the education of future generations, something that I myself now do in a small way. I would not regard this as payback to the school, which is itself just a forum where the process takes place, but payforward from generation to generation. As the school has existed for almost five hundred years now the process seems to work. There is also another forum where former pupils provide open-ended interest free loans to others in urgent need. As it is always indeterminate whether any loan will ever be returned to the fund to go round again the accounts can look very odd. 

Pressures on modern society are felt hard by such oases of goodwill nowadays but they do continue to exist, at least for the time being. The most that any generation of such a community can do is to pass it, and with it hope, on to the next in a fair state of health.

I previously mentioned the Citizens Advice Bureau network here in the UK. Some people don't seem to understand that they have a responsibility to organise their own lives and appear to believe that by dumping their current problems on such agencies they are free to carry on creating new ones for themselves that others will always willingly sort out. Perhaps if all schools taught the fundamentals of a responsible caring society and the personal attitudes that make it work then recipients of benefits in times of need might comprehend the difference between informal payforward and outright charity. One can only hope. Financial debt is one thing but moral debt is quite another.


----------



## escorial (Jan 9, 2016)

Schrody said:


> Thanks, Cj. Sometimes it's necessary to remind the people that world is not such a bad place



it's a great place at times......


----------



## BobtailCon (Jan 9, 2016)

Aquarius said:


> Cheer up, dear BobtailCon. I do believe that more good things than bad ones are constantly happening in our world. It's just that telling about them doesn't seem to sell newspapers and fill airspace on radio and TV. :smile:



Our rock is the only thing in thousands of lightyears that can support life, we're born down upon by a sun that wishes for nothing more than swallow us to increase it's size. The very oxygen we breathe is killing us, and yet we still have people polluting our environment and killing eachother over ridiculous fantasies.

I do not believe that there is significantly more good than bad, but it's nice to see it.


----------



## Schrody (Jan 12, 2016)

*Man Gives The Shirt Off His Back To Shivering Stranger On NYC Subway*


----------



## PrinzeCharming (Jan 12, 2016)

Schrody said:


> *Man Gives The Shirt Off His Back To Shivering Stranger On NYC Subway*



I am glad you brought this up to our attention as well. I wanted to share this within your thread. 

Well, I do have local work news. In East Hartford, Connecticut, a customer paid it forward when she bought lunch for the guy standing in line behind her. He was going to order water, soup and oyster crackers. It was nice to see that reassurance.


----------



## Ultraroel (Jan 12, 2016)

See a lot of this. Live in Bulgaria, one of the poorerst EU countries. People who have nothing, still share everything they have and it is wonderful.
I have my own homeless friend that waits for me at work every morning for a cup of coffee, breakfast and a body language conversation as my Bulgarian isn't that good..

People tend to see the bad things more often and more obvious than the good. Good is easier passed over, even though doing something good is not even that common.


----------



## Schrody (Jan 12, 2016)

*Prinze*: doesn't matter is it local or not, good deeds speaks an international language!

*Roel*: I feel ya, as my country's also one of the poorest in the EU. It's nice what you're doing for your friend!


----------



## PrinzeCharming (Jan 12, 2016)

Schrody said:


> *Prinze*: doesn't matter is it local or not, good deeds speaks an international language!
> 
> *Roel*: I feel ya, as my country's also one of the poorest in the EU. It's nice what you're doing for your friend!




Yes, precisely right! I didn't want to make it seem any less than what it was. I live in Connecticut. That's only a few hours away from New York. I can understand, personally, how tough it is to be homeless living up here. The winters are brutal up here, especially New York taking the first hit of Canadian air. I can wake up one more wearing shorts and walking outside for my mail. Just the thought of being fortunate to have jeans inside builds the anticipation to assist those in need. Regardless where anyone lives, you're absolutely right. Good deeds speak for themselves. It's a powerful language all on its own. If we paid for someone's lunch in any country, it can be taken as a blessing. However, I read recently that some Europeans feel as if that's a low blow assuming the person couldn't afford a drink at the bar. It all relies on how we're raised. If we expect good from others, we must show it from within. A good attitude is a firm handshake to the eyes. Oh, boy, here we go. I am in a writing mood. Ha, that's a really good quote!


----------



## Schrody (Jan 12, 2016)

Well, I don't know how it is in other European countries, but we're accustomed to a culture of buying other people's drink or food. Example: if we go with friends to a drink or dinner, we know nobody's gonna pay for themselves; usually one or two people will treat/buy for the rest of the group, another time someone else will pay and so on. Opportunities to pay something of your own are rare, today I'll pay, tomorrow you will, etc. I know other cultures practice paying for themselves, like Germany (and there's nothing wrong with that), I don't know, I think such a hospitality is encoded in our genes, as strangers always say we're hearty and ready to help. So, if you're ever in Croatia, buying a drink certainly won't be viewed as a bad thing (unless you encounter some spoiled rich kids, but that's another story).


----------



## The Green Shield (Jan 12, 2016)

BobtailCon said:


> As the classic pessimist that I am, I'm glad that good deeds can happen in such a terrible world.


I often believe that people are basically, inherently good. I believe Mr. Rogers once said this, and paraphrased, "Whenever I saw scary/terrible things on TV, my mom told me to always find the helpers."

No matter what, there are helpers (ie, people doing good) even when it looks like we're just one short stop away from the Dark Side of the Force.


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 13, 2016)

When the Sun refuses to shine on your day,
And you’re finding it hard to cope,
When you’re seeing more rain clouds
Than stars in the sky,
And you feel like giving up hope,

That’s the time when someone comes along
With a smile and a warm hug that says:
‘It’s okay – tomorrow will be a better day,
So, don’t give up now, for brighter moments
For you are surely on their way!’

Emily Matthews
Edited by Aquarius

From ‘Words Of Hope & Encouragement’

* * *

​


----------



## PrinzeCharming (Jan 13, 2016)

Aquarius said:


> When the Sun refuses to shine on your day,
> ​


I had to step back and reflect on this. Is it really the Sun refusing to shine, when it's simply the clouds in the way of the Sun's recognition? 




Aquarius said:


> ​When you’re seeing more rain clouds
> Than stars in the sky,
> And you feel like giving up hope,




I love the imagery here! Great mix of words and emotions. Thanks for sharing this piece. 


​


----------



## JustRob (Jan 14, 2016)

The Green Shield said:


> I often believe that people are basically, inherently good.



Kaoru Ishikawa, a key figure in the development of ideas about quality in Japan, once wrote that he believed that there was a cultural difference between the eastern and western worlds which was reflected in their religions. In the east people were regarded as fundamentally good with evil being the exception, whereas in the west the perception was that everyone was born a sinner and had to redeem themselves. He then decided that this was too much of a generalisation and didn't pursue the idea any further. He also advocated a holistic attitude to quality in life which involved teaching the principles to children from the earliest age. Much of Japan's increased prosperity following WWII is attributed to his ideas.


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 14, 2016)

The Green Shield said:


> I often believe that people are basically, inherently good. . .



I believe that all of us have everything within, the very best and the worst. It's for us to decide which we wish to bring forth and develop in our present lifetime. The right to choose, in my view, is the only true freedom any one of us has.


----------



## midnightpoet (Jan 14, 2016)

I think bad news sells; at least that's what I get from each morning's headlines.  Global communication and the internet make news seem worse that it is - although I think most would agree some of it is pretty bad.  Although attitudes differ between countries, we are all still human - not perfect, flawed.  There is a lot of hate and misunderstanding out there.  God wants to bring us together in love and forgiveness, it's man who wants to build walls and foster hate.  I'm hoping for love and forgiveness.

Tony


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 14, 2016)

midnightpoet said:


> . . .  I'm hoping for love and forgiveness.
> 
> Tony



Keep on hoping, loving and forgiving. Everything starts with ourselves and our own behaviour. We are created in God's image and all the characteristics and powers that are in God are also in us. Never give up hope and continue to live as good example that others may wish to follow. God bless and all the best on your life's journey.


----------



## Blade (Jan 15, 2016)

This sounds like good news to me. Coal production in the US hits a 30 year low.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ion-hits-30-year-low/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20160114

With a slowing global economy and emerging clean energy sources this may be as good as it gets for coal in the foreseeable future.

And in the 'sort of good news' department the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has been declared over. Thing is that unless we find out the 'carrier source' and have better medical and preventative measures in place there will be future outbreaks although hopefully not as severe as this one.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...tbreak-declared-over/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20160114


----------



## Schrody (Jan 16, 2016)

They wanted to build a power plant powered by coal here, but we said stop!


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 16, 2016)

Do not try to change the world.
You will fail.
Try to love the world.
And lo, the world is changed,
Changed forever.

Sri Chinmoy

If we try to change our world 
Without first changing ourselves, we are sure to fail.
But when we come to terms with its true purpose
And perceive it in a new light, we learn to love it and
For us, quite magically, the world changes forever.

As our inner eyes open, we begin to recognise 
The good in all people and situations.
Our heart and soul then fills with compassion and love 
For those who, trapped in the darkness of 
Their ignorance and greed, still insist on creating suffering,
Maybe for millions, and therefore negative Karma for themselves.
We no longer sit in judgement over anyone 
And that helps us to create ever more positive Karma 
For ourselves and our world. 

Aquarius

From ‘Healers And Healing’

* * *
​


----------



## escorial (Jan 16, 2016)

Schrody said:


> They wanted to build a power plant powered by coal here, but we said stop!



we...are you an activist....


----------



## Lewdog (Jan 16, 2016)

Blade said:


> This sounds like good news to me. Coal production in the US hits a 30 year low.
> 
> http://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ion-hits-30-year-low/?WT.mc_id=SA_DD_20160114
> 
> ...



Not so good news here in Kentucky where a great deal of the families depend on their jobs as coal miners.  :???:


----------



## bazz cargo (Jan 16, 2016)

Every cloud Dude. 

Maybe them miners won't be deep underground getting bad stuff in their systems, maybe they will have a planet left for their kids to enjoy. 

On a positive side: The new Star Wars film doesn't suck.


----------



## Schrody (Jan 16, 2016)

escorial said:


> we...are you an activist....



Residents of the place where they planned to build a power plant protested....


----------



## Crowley K. Jarvis (Jan 16, 2016)

I recently made a passing joke to a friend about my own gender identity.  (I never joke about OTHERS in this subject, only myself in a depreciating manner) 

To my surprise, she said it wouldn't matter to her what gender I identify with. 

I was quite touched. O,Q


----------



## Blade (Jan 16, 2016)

This rates as good news in my books. I have heard nothing but bad news about the "Walton heirs" and the poor dears seem to have had $11B US vanish from their fortune. :beaten:

http://usuncut.com/class-war/walton...n-in-one-day-as-walmart-stock-prices-implode/


----------



## LeeC (Jan 16, 2016)

Sad days indeed Blade ;-)


----------



## BobtailCon (Jan 16, 2016)

Crowley K. Jarvis said:


> I recently made a passing joke to a friend about my own gender identity.  (I never joke about OTHERS in this subject, only myself in a depreciating manner)
> 
> To my surprise, she said it wouldn't matter to her what gender I identify with.
> 
> I was quite touched. O,Q



It's pretty sad that people with differing identities have to think that way, right? 

There is quite a bit of bigotry where I live. I was talking to one chap about it, I said; "I never could understand the disgust and refusal to accept transgendered people. The most energy I have to give is to refer to them as 'he' rather than 'she,' and so forth."

I barely have to give any energy, and I can vastly change someone's outlook of people, and of me.


----------



## Blade (Jan 19, 2016)

Lewdog said:


> Not so good news here in Kentucky where a great deal of the families depend on their jobs as coal miners.  :???:



Progress has its victims. When automobiles became popular what ever happened to blacksmiths and the whole horse and buggy support system?

Also Denmark appears to achieved producing 42% of its electrical needs from wind energy. Its utility must vary from place to place but that is certainly an achievement that other countries should be looking at.

http://grist.org/article/can-you-gu..._source=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily-horizon


----------



## Schrody (Jan 23, 2016)




----------



## MzSnowleopard (Jan 23, 2016)

You don't have to be Superhero to be a hero in a child's eyes. 

This one tends to spring to mind every now and then- especially with the current Hollywood mode focused on superheroes (Yay!). 

We need to remember that in reality we don't have powers of flight, super strength, telekinesis etc. For that matter we don't need to be a soldier or have a badge to be one either. What we do have is our humanity- we can still be a hero to someone, especially a child by doing good to others.


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 24, 2016)

Schrody said:


> A guy feeds two hungry street kids in a restaurant. The restaurant cancels the bill and says: 'We don't have a machine that can issue a bill for humanity.'



It's this kind of thing that restores your faith in humankind, doesn't it? 

Thank you for sharing it with us. 

* * *​


----------



## Aquarius (Jan 24, 2016)

MzSnowleopard said:


> You don't have to be Superhero to be a hero in a child's eyes.
> 
> This one tends to spring to mind every now and then- especially with the current Hollywood mode focused on superheroes (Yay!).
> 
> We need to remember that in reality we don't have powers of flight, super strength, telekinesis etc. For that matter we don't need to be a soldier or have a badge to be one either. What we do have is our humanity- we can still be a hero to someone, especially a child by doing good to others.



*My Heroes*​ 
It seems to me that these days the worshipping of heroes has become a popular pastime and so inevitably from time to time, someone wants to know who mine are. Everybody appears to have some. Yet, I seem to lack the capacity for that kind of worship. Maybe my early experiences taught me which people are truly worthy of my deep love and respect and which ones are not. The worthy ones to me are those who day by day quietly and patiently bear their cross and get on with their lives, as best they can, the same as the brave warriors who fought to free us and our world from the Nazi scourge. Also, I am more than happy to specially honour anyone who has ever played their part in trying to make our world a better place for all to share.

If it were within my power, I would personally hand an award to each one, especially to those now in the world of spirit. As that is impossible, let me do the next best thing by expressing my deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to them here. Whether they survived the nightmare or not and wherever they may be now, I will always remember with gratitude and admiration the courage of those who marched, fought and gave their lives and limbs on behalf of us all. Who knows? Maybe some of them are now among our friends and helpers in the world of light, supporting us and spurring us all on to ever greater efforts. Now, there’s a heart-warming thought for you! 

At the time of writing and editing this, I heard a news item about the fact that not only Germany had been bankrupt by the end of the war, but that the same was also true for the United Kingdom. On the internet I found the following press release: ‘In September 1945, its government borrowed $4.34 billion at a 2% interest rate from the USA and Canada, to rebuild the economy after hostilities had ceased. It had originally been intended that this loan should be paid back over 50 years, beginning in 1950. But it turned out that keeping up the payments was often difficult. There were six years when Britain deferred payment as a result of economic crises and pressure on the official reserves. Just before the New Year 2007, over sixty years after the end of the war, the final payment of £43m was made.’

This confirmed a belief I have held for a long time, namely that in any of the many wars our world has witnessed there never were any winners. In the end, everybody loses and everybody gets hurt – and that not only on the soul level. It is true that in the short term and on the material level, the warmongers and arms makers grow rich and fat. For anyone who still lacks all spiritual awareness, the most important lesson of their present lifetime is the recognition that no material wealth can be taken with us at the moment of physical death. Even the most materialistically minded people gain when this dawns on them upon their return into the world of spirit.

The Universal law of life is love. Any warmongering is a transgression against this law and a crime against all life, not merely humankind. The only true winners in every war are those who realise the futility of warring. Great spiritual growth is sure to come to those who appreciate the significance of the ordeals they had to endure and who know how to extract the learning they contained, individually and collectively. And if such survivors strive to spend the rest of their present lifetime in peaceful ways, they prove that they have grasped the Earth plane’s most important lesson: the value of peace.

Recommended Reading:​


[*=center]‘Love – Nature And Law Of The Universe’ 
 
From ‘War And Peace Between Nations’

* * *​


----------



## Schrody (Feb 21, 2016)




----------



## The Green Shield (Feb 21, 2016)

^ Damn you!  This cannot possibly top that story!

Here's something that I saw yesterday. 

*A store clerk -- who had likely never met deaf people on a routine basis -- patiently and correctly interpreting a deaf customer's hand motions for, "I'm looking for bug sprays because I'm getting bitten a lot." and pointing the way for the person.
*
For those who have heard stories of the disabled getting shat upon by ignorant people who don't care; for those who do know that particular disabled person, or _are_ that disabled person: I've news for ya... Not all non-disabled people are complete asshats to the disabled.  Even if we don't always understand, even if our honest attempts at assistance drives you a bit crazy, not all of us are asshats.


----------



## UtopiasCult (Feb 21, 2016)

The Green Shield said:


> I often believe that people are basically, inherently good.



I believe in the Buddhist mindset of reincarnation - and that your deeds in life (good deeds put you higher to gods, thus the lesser man; and bad deeds make you more animalistic) will determine what you are incarnated as. The chances of a human being finding themselves reincarnated as a human being are so slim they are nearly non-existent. I believe there has been maybe one or two such human to human incarnations ever acknowledged. 

Sorry but I am a truly pessimistic individual and as such I can't help thinking, seeing these images, what is the person to "gain" or what guilt are they trying to appease by behaving as such. Or while we are lauding these individuals how many children are going hungry [charities for example, world's biggest scam right there for if they were doing "good" most of the issues they raise money for would have ceased to exist years ago], how many children are abused by their parents / relatives and no one steps in, etc., etc., etc., etc. 


It takes a lot for me to throw that attitude aside. Mbaye Diagne, during the Rwandan Genocide / read up on him, is someone that'd qualify. A man who took countless risks, for whom being "killed" would have been a mercy had the people he was transporting had ever been discovered by rival soldiers, and with little to no support as the UN / world nations sat looking funny. He asked for nothing, expected nothing in return, aside from knowing he was saving people.

The police officer (some very nice photos for the squad to post on their social media site) and the guy in the restaurant (he did that out of the "goodness" of his heart, yet starving children there is not uncommon not to mention one meal will do a difference - the old saying _give a man a fish and you feed him for a day but teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime - _well, at least, he didn't have to pay).


----------



## dither (Feb 21, 2016)

MzSnowleopard said:


> You don't have to be Superhero to be a hero in a child's eyes.
> 
> This one tends to spring to mind every now and then- especially with the current Hollywood mode focused on superheroes (Yay!).
> 
> We need to remember that in reality we don't have powers of flight, super strength, telekinesis etc. For that matter we don't need to be a soldier or have a badge or religion to be one either. What we do have is our humanity- we can still be a hero to someone, especially a child by doing good to others.



Apologies for tampering with your comment Snowleop but that's my view of things.


GOOD doesn't need a label. It is what it is.


----------



## Blade (Feb 21, 2016)

This is an article about the rooftop, greenhouse growing of lettuce in Chicago IL. I, for some reason, have always thought of rooftop gardening as a sort of marginal food source but this operation looks pretty extensive.

 Rooftop Lettuce production


----------



## LeeC (Feb 21, 2016)

Blade said:


> This is an article about the rooftop, greenhouse growing of lettuce in Chicago IL. I, for some reason, have always thought of rooftop gardening as a sort of marginal food source but this operation looks pretty extensive.





Blade said:


> Rooftop Lettuce production



Nice article, especially in curtailing our impact on habitat  This particular operation is a little unrealistic for us simple folks though. The wife and I grow a lot of our food in a moderate organic garden and a multi-acre natural garden, which also serves to maintain some of the biodiversity. I've also seen pictures of people producing as much of their own food as possible in small rooftop organic gardens, in places like NYC. 

Even so, cultural inculcation by materialistic interests is ever eroding the human mindset. There was a post on social media by (I believe) Over Grow The System about producing one's own food. Numerous individuals stated there was no point since grocery stores had everything we needed. I got the mental image of people wasting away, playing electronic games, waiting for someone to deliver their next meal ;-) 

Thanks for posting


----------



## Schrody (Mar 1, 2016)

*Denmark opens first food waste supermarket selling surplus produce*


----------



## Deleted member 56686 (Mar 1, 2016)

When I worked at a supermarket (Giant Food in Maryland in case anyone is curious), we used to donate out unsold bread mostly to the food bank. They would come in regularly asking if we had any food to donate and they'd usually leave with a considerable amount of day old bread and some pastries. Occasionally, they might get a little produce to go along with it. It was a good deal for those that really needed the food.


----------



## Schrody (Mar 1, 2016)

Nobody here donated food because the VAT on donated food (crazy, I know) was sooo high. They lowered or removed it for donated food, so it's something...


----------



## Schrody (Mar 2, 2016)




----------



## Aquarius (Mar 3, 2016)

*What Is Hope?*

When things go wrong, as they sometime will,
The optimist thinks: ‘They’ll come right again!’,
While the pessimist grumbles: ‘It’ll only get worse!’
And as our thoughts and beliefs create our earthly reality,
Both forecasts duly come true.
Each one nodds sagely: ‘I told you so!’ 
That’s why when times are hard, 
Positive thinkers say to themselves:
‘Things will get better and become easier again.’
And although this may take time, 
They invariably do.

What then is hope?
It is not the closing of one’s eyes to
Difficulties, risks and possible failures, 
But an inner trusting that:
If we fail now, we shall not do so forever.
If we get hurt, we shall be healed.
 If we make mistakes, we shall learn something,
And that will eventually move us on to higher learning.

Hope is the awareness of our innermost soul that
Life is good and the power of love is the most powerful 
Force in the whole of Creation that is capable 
Of straightening all crooked corners and, if we but ask,
Helps us to make good and heal everything, 
Especially our most difficult situations and relationships.

Hope is an inner knowing that in God’s time, not ours,
All things on the Earth plane will come right; 
That our present existence can be likened to 
A huge stage and that one of these days 
We shall step in front of the curtain 
Behind we have been acting for such a long time.
Like performers we shall then stand
In the world of light before a friendly audience 
Of Angels and Masters, friends and helpers. 

Every participant of the comedy of errors that is Earth life,
Eventually feels the need to nail the desires of their small self 
To the cross of consciousness of the Earth.  
At the end of their present lifetime,
Wise ones, who have willingly submitted themselves 
To Saturn’s demands and shown the restraint of self-discipline
And self-mastery in all their relationships, 
Have left behind good and healed ones only.
Life itself present them with a leaving certificate
That sets them free from the need of requiring 
Further lessons on the Earth.

Like in earthly schools, their teachers, 
In this case the Angels, 
Move the wise ones on to increasingly elevated 
Levels of existence and studies. 
And that is how all human souls,
In the fullness of time, take their final bows.

United in friendship and love,
Smilingly we reach out for each other and, holding hands,
We enjoy the roar of applause that greets us,
Although in truth we are much more eager to see 
Where the Angels now wish to lead us. 

Having surrendered our small earthly self to our Highest Self, 
In the shelter of God’s mighty wings, 
In all Eternity we shall serenely venture forth, 
Never to be frightened or lonely again. 

_‘I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever._
_‘I will make my refuge the shadow of Thy wings.’_
Psalm 61:4

Recommended Reading:
​


[*=center]‘The Legend Of Pandora’s Box’ 
 
From ‘Words Of Wisdom For Friendship Healing’

* * *
​


----------



## Schrody (Mar 10, 2016)




----------



## Schrody (Apr 12, 2016)




----------



## Schrody (May 5, 2016)




----------



## Deleted member 56686 (May 5, 2016)

I think he got a bargain


----------



## Schrody (May 10, 2016)




----------



## escorial (May 10, 2016)

we all have the power to change lives and we can so easily forget that...vast wealth can have an impact but the smallest acts of kindness can also last a lifetime to a stranger...


----------



## Kevin (May 17, 2016)

I think it was Thursday... Was driving Ventura Blvd., right near Van Nuys, in heavy traffic. Stopped, I saw a person sprawled facedown off the sidewalk. A dozen bystanders picked him up, flipped him, and placed him back in his chair. Young black man, sort of pseudo-gang/ghetto attire ('fashion'-I know), paralyzed, riding a toggle-chair. Someone carefully adjusted his clothes, last thing, and he seemed okay. I think he'd done an accidental jump off the step down toward the bank. Anyhow, the light was green and the oncoming cars were making lefts in front of me. No one honked and I went. We'd all been enthralled by the lack of lack of concern...


----------



## The Green Shield (May 17, 2016)

I always find it curious how the news seem to paint a wholly different world than this one. In their world, everyone hates each other, everyone wants Group XYZ gone/destroyed/whatever. People seek new ways to properly fuck each other for their own gains. Yet when I look away from the news onto other channels, I see a stark different reality: people from all walks of life co-existing peacefully. People from two totally different cultures working together in harmony for a bigger goal, some laughing and having a good time while they're at it. 

How is it that we can have this world and the world the news show us co-exist on the same planet? Sometimes I get very confused and unsure about the whole thing.


----------



## Schrody (May 17, 2016)

Media will show you what they want you too see. They want you scared, because it's easier to manipulate you that way. Remember, politicians (and some governments) don't want educated voters and citizens, because then you might want to fight for your rights, making a better environment for you and your loved ones. Money. It's all about money, ever was, ever will be. Someone once said that when we destroy all the nature around us, we'll realize we can't eat money.


----------



## Aquarius (May 17, 2016)

*A Matter Of Attitude*
​ 
I once knew a man by the name of Michael. He was one of those who is always in a good mood and has something positive to say about everything and everybody. When someone asked him how he was doing, his usual reply was: ‘If I were any better, I would be twins!’ Michael was a natural motivator. If one of his employees was having a bad day, he pointed out to them the importance of looking at the positive side of whatever is bothering us. Watching him for some time with wonder, I became curious. One day I went up to him and asked: ‘Nobody can be as positive as you are all the time. How do you do it? Do you have some kind of a secret?’ 

Michael replied: ‘It’s very simple really. Every morning when I wake up, I say to myself: ‘I have two choices today. I can be in a good or a bad mood.’ I always go for the good option because I know that each time something unpleasant happens, we can play the role of the victim or choose to learn something from the experience. I always look for what the Universe may wish to tell me. Every time someone approaches us to complain about something, we can either go along with their negative perception of life or we can point out to them that there is a positive side to everything.’

‘It’s surely not that easy,’ I protested. ‘Oh, but it is,’ Michael replied. ‘Life is all about choices. When one cuts the junk from any situation, there is always some kind of a choice to be made. Human behaviour is not compulsive, it is chosen. The only true freedom we have in our present existence consists of deciding how we wish to react in any situation. The corollary of this is that we can choose whether we allow other people to affect our moods. Being in a good or a bad frame of mind depends on the choices we make. As the captain of the boat of our life, we are always the bottom line. It is up to us to decide how we wish to conduct our life.’ 

I reflected on what Michael had said. Soon after our encounter I left the company we both worked with and started my own business. Although I lost touch with Michael, I was often reminded of his words when I had to make some choices, rather than merely reacting to life, the way I had done in the past. 

Several years later, I heard that Michael had been involved in a serious accident. He had a sixty feet fall from a communications tower. After eighteen hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital, complete with some rods that had been placed in his back. 

I met him about six months later and when I asked him how he was, he replied: ‘If I were any better, I’d be twins. Do you want to see my scars?’ I declined his offer but asked him what had gone through his mind, at the moment of the accident. ‘The first thing I thought of was the wellbeing of my soon to be born daughter,’ Michael replied. ‘Lying there on the ground, I remembered that as ever I had two choices. I realised that this was one of those moments when I could choose to live or die. I chose life.’ 

‘Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?’ I asked. Michael replied: ‘The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when I got to the hospital’s emergency reception and saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared because I could clearly see the message in their eyes that they were tempted to give me up as a dead man. I realised it was time for some action.’ 

‘What did you do?’ I asked. ‘When one of the nurses asked me whether I was allergic to anything, I replied: ‘Yes.’ All action stopped. They were waiting for my reply. Taking a deep breath, I said: ‘Gravity’.’ Over their laughter, I told them: ‘I am not ready to die, I want to live. Go ahead and operate on me.’ 

Michael did make it, not only thanks to the skill of those attending to him but most of all because of his positive approach to life. He was the one who taught me that every day is filled with choices for either living fully or walking around like a zombie and half dead. His behaviour showed me that attitude matters more than anything else in our present existence. These days I refuse to worry about tomorrow because I know that in truth it does not exist and that all we ever have is this moment of here and now. And each one of them brings us fresh opportunities for learning and growing in wisdom and understanding. I let tomorrow take care of itself and if they so wish, may others worry about it. I will never join them again, that’s for sure. 

As we know by now, thinking is the most potent instrument in the whole of Creation. Our thoughts create our reality and a positive attitude towards life shows our faith and trust in the ultimate goodness of the gift of life the Universe is giving us. A positive outlook acts like a powerful magnet that not only draws good things into our lives, but also people who in many different ways are capable of helping us forward on our evolutionary pathway. It’s good to know that, whenever we have worked our way through particularly difficult and traumatic times, the way Michael did, the Universal law of compensation is activated and rewards us. This is particularly true when we steadfastly held on to our positive mind-set and do not forget to give thanks for our life and all those who – unseen by earthly eyes – are constantly beavering in the background, to bring us into being and to keep us going, through thick and thin.

There are two streams of consciousness in our world, a negative and a positive one. It’s up to us to choose into which one we tune the transmitter/receiver station of our earthly mind. The positive stream is an upwards moving spiral that helps us to discover ever more of the good things in our world and all its inhabitants. In contrast to this, the negative stream moves its participants in a downwards direction. This is the realm of the whingers and moaners of our world, who with the passing of time can no longer see anything good in anyone or anything. As a result their picture of our world becomes increasingly gloomy and that gradually takes them ever deeper into the abyss of depression. At worst they wind up by being pestered by thoughts of putting an end to their misery by their own hands. 

The main contributors to the negative stream are the mass media. A chill wind of fear spreads from what they are constantly bombarding us with. Don’t pay attention to any of it. Refuse to be dragged down by anything and anyone’s negativity by reminding yourself that at all times millions and millions of good things are also happening in our world. The only reason why they don’t get published is that they neither sell newspapers nor fill airtime on radio and TV. Do not allow the mass media to sweep you into the darkness of anxiety and depression. Switch off and look for that which is already good, right and beautiful in our world. Focus on them as much as possible and trust that in the background of life God and the Angels are working very hard to make the ugly things beautiful and all crooked corners straight. This knowledge makes it easier to remain in the positive stream of consciousness. And that is the best way for each one of us, on a daily basis, can do something constructive and helpful for our world and do their share of establishing God’s kingdom on the Earth. 
 
Recommended Reading:
​


[*=center]‘About Time’
 
From ‘Words Of Wisdom & Healing From The Tree Of Life’

* * *
​


----------



## Schrody (Jun 25, 2016)




----------



## Carly Berg (Jun 25, 2016)

I decided to stop watching the news on TV for a while because I got tired of the constant barrage of horrible happenings in the world. Here I'd be content and just going about my day and end up feeling upset, angry etcetera after being informed regularly of the most atrocious things that had happened that day, most of them by far totally out of my control of course. Now that I'm a bit more desensitized to it, I can hardly stand it. 

If it's something I can do something about, for example an alert to be on the lookout for a missing person in my vicinity, great. Otherwise, all those negative messages don't do anything but bring me down. I think I was so used to it that I wasn't even aware of it on a conscious level enough to just change the channel or turn it off. Who needs it.


----------



## dither (Jun 25, 2016)

Schrody said:


> Media will show you what they want you too see. They want you scared, because it's easier to manipulate you that way. Remember, politicians (and some governments) don't want educated voters and citizens, because then you might want to fight for your rights, making a better environment for you and your loved ones. Money. It's all about money, ever was, ever will be. Someone once said that when we destroy all the nature around us, we'll realize we can't eat money.



Hey!

I'm a brit.
Don't i know it.


----------



## Schrody (Jun 26, 2016)

Carly Berg said:


> I decided to stop watching the news on TV for a while because I got tired of the constant barrage of horrible happenings in the world. Here I'd be content and just going about my day and end up feeling upset, angry etcetera after being informed regularly of the most atrocious things that had happened that day, most of them by far totally out of my control of course. Now that I'm a bit more desensitized to it, I can hardly stand it.
> 
> If it's something I can do something about, for example an alert to be on the lookout for a missing person in my vicinity, great. Otherwise, all those negative messages don't do anything but bring me down. I think I was so used to it that I wasn't even aware of it on a conscious level enough to just change the channel or turn it off. Who needs it.




I feel the same - I still cry when I hear some natural catastrophe happened. Actually, it's not  the news that bothers me, it's when I see people suffering that puts me  down.


----------



## Schrody (Jun 26, 2016)




----------



## The Green Shield (Jun 30, 2016)

So here's something that'll warm your hearts: As I was passing someone who was at the computer in my local library, I happened to catch a glimpse of what they were doing: looking at a video on their Facebook page. The video? A father helping his paralyzed son play soccer by strapping the youngster to his body with a bunch of different straps (one over the waist and one on each leg). The kid had the most joyful look on his face, and if sound were playing laughter would be coming from the speakers.


----------



## LeeC (Jun 30, 2016)

*Youth to be proud of*

These are youth to be proud of. They have their problems, but are a lot more caring and conscious of the real world than what I normally see.

[A hour and thirty-two minute video. Vimeo security settings direct you to watch the video on their site.]

https://vimeo.com/44907982

One thing that struck me is how the corrupt politicians step up to be seen when good things happen. Another thing that strikes me is how many youth don't have a clue, not because they don't have the potential, but because of the adults they follow in the footsteps of. Our future is our children, and I hope more come to see what's happening to the world they'll have to get by in. There is no us and them, there is a community of all life, which is what sustains our being,


----------



## Schrody (Jul 12, 2016)

Nothing is black and white 

[video=youtube;E9badYAPWVs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9badYAPWVs[/video]


----------



## Deleted member 56686 (Jul 12, 2016)

Yeah, I saw this on Facebook (I think). It's an example of when you show kindness (the guard was friendly to the prisoners before the heart attack) you get kindness back. :smile2:


----------



## Schrody (Jul 13, 2016)

[video=youtube;IcdqK6Fee2U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcdqK6Fee2U[/video]


----------



## Ultraroel (Jul 13, 2016)

mrmustard615 said:


> Yeah, I saw this on Facebook (I think). It's an example of when you show kindness (the guard was friendly to the prisoners before the heart attack) you get kindness back. :smile2:



That's what I've been taught, but also experience.
Being fair, honest and friendly had never put me in a situation where I felt threatened or scared. Most bad situation can be defused with a smile, a laugh a joke or a sympathetic remark on the right time.


----------



## Schrody (Jul 22, 2016)




----------



## Aquarius (Jul 22, 2016)

Ultraroel said:


> That's what I've been taught, but also experience.
> Being fair, honest and friendly had never put me in a situation where I felt threatened or scared. Most bad situation can be defused with a smile, a laugh a joke or a sympathetic remark on the right time.



This is a practical example of the Universal law of cause and effect at work. It decrees that whatever we send out in thoughts, words and actions must return to us.


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 22, 2016)

*The Value Of A Smile*
​ 
The ability to smile is one of the finest and greatest gifts God has bestowed upon humankind. A smile is one of life’s most profound paradoxes. In spite of being very valuable it costs nothing. Precious beyond compare, like all the best things in life, there is no charge for it. Although it has no intrinsic value, it cannot be bought, begged, stolen or borrowed. A gift of love that can only be given away, it enriches giver and receiver simultaneously. 

A smile is a vital part of life’s magic. Sometimes it acts like a light that someone suddenly switches on in a darkened room. It can make the plainest face beautiful; and though a smile takes but a moment, its memory may linger forever in someone’s heart and soul. A smile can create happiness wherever it is placed, in the home, between friends and in business. It is a signal of goodwill between all people, nature’s best antidote to trouble, rest to the weary and a ray of sunshine to those who are discouraged and sad. No-one needs a smile as much as those who feel as if they had nothing to smile about. So, next time you meet someone who seems to have forgotten how to smile, grant them the gift of one of yours and see what happens.

The law of the Universe is love and God communicates with us through people. A smile that comes from the heart is a part of the universal language of love that requires no interpreter; everybody understands it. Through such a smile we find God in everyone; we open our hearts and souls to each other and convey the message: ‘I love you; you are my sibling.’ 

At times smiling takes courage, because it makes us vulnerable and we may risk rejection. But it’s worthwhile trying, for when someone returns our smile, our souls open and we are looking at each other through the eyes of God. Somehow we recognise in the other the great love of our Divine Father/Mother, who cares for us especially when we have to endure pain and confusion, to send someone along whose smile reassures us and shows us that all rests safely in God’s loving hands. Smiling allows us to take part in the goodness of Heaven. Wherever we may find ourselves, each time someone smiles a small piece of Heaven is brought onto the Earth plane that can be shared by all who know how to respond to it.

This is dedicated to my friend Eva, now in the world of light. When she was still with us, at eighty-eight and wheelchair bound, she had the most infectious and glorious smile. It was sheer magic to watch her face light us in one of her smiles. It made her look astonishingly young and it was easy to see how her soul’s secret beauty radiated into our world, like a bright golden Star that lit up all it touched. She was living proof of the truth that the human soul and spirit are ageless and eternally young, and that seeing indeed is believing!


Created by Anon.
Edited by Aquarius

From ‘Words Of Wisdom for Relationship Healing’

* * *
​


----------



## dither (Jul 22, 2016)

Aquarius said:


> ​ So, next time you meet someone who seems to have forgotten how to smile, grant them the gift of one of yours and see what happens.



I wouldn't dare.


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 22, 2016)

dither said:


> I wouldn't dare.



Be bold! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Here is one for you:


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 23, 2016)

_*Life Is A Journey*_
​ 
•    Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. On the inner level of life we are all one and although in many ways we are all the same, each one of us is a special and unique being and therefore different. 

•    Refuse to set your goals by what other people think of as important. You alone and your inner guidance know what is good and right for you, at any given moment. So listen carefully and follow its advice.

•    Don’t take anything for granted, especially not the people and things that are closest to your heart. Believing that without them your life would be meaningless is utter folly.

•    Just be thankful for everything that is in your life and don’t cling to anything, when the time for letting go has come.

•    Rest safely in the knowledge that only the higher and highest aspects of life have lasting and eternal value.

•    Don’t allow your life to slip through your fingers – live it now.

•    Don’t dwell unduly on past or future. Instead, live consciously one day at a time, so you can learn something from every single moment of your present lifetime and in this way benefit from it, no matter what life may present you with. 

•    For as long as there is love in your heart and soul, and you have something to give and share with others, never give up. Things are only over when we stop trying. 

•    Do not be afraid of taking risks, because they are life’s way of teaching us to be strong and brave.

•    Don’t shut love out of your life by saying you cannot find it. Love is eternal and once given, it will always return.

•    The quickest way of receiving love is by giving it. And the fastest way of losing it is by trying to hold onto it.

•    The best way of keeping love is by giving it wings, setting the beloved free to fly, so they can grow through their own experiences.

•    If it is love, it will return to you. If it is not, you would not want it anyway.

•    Pay attention to your dreams. Having no dreams means living without hope. And without hope life has no purpose.

•    Take time and stop once in a while. Do not run through life so fast that you can no longer recognise where you have been and where you are meant to go. 

•    Life is a journey and not a destination. Make an effort to savour it, every single step of the way, for even if our present lifetime should last one hundred years, it will be but a small stopping point on our evolutionary pathway back home into the oneness with God and all life. 

Created by Anon. 
Edited by Aquarius​
From ‘Words Of Hope & Encouragement’

* * *
​


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 24, 2016)

*Risks*

‘If you win, you will be happy.
If you lose, you will be wise.’
Anon.

To the small earthly self life frequently is 
A risky and scary business.
That’s why we usually dislike and resent the changes
The Universe has in store for us, 
So that we may learn and grow 
From as many and varied experiences as possible. 
While the personality, our small earthly self,
Detests the changes, our spirit and soul rejoice,
Because they understand that this is the only way 
The earthly self will ever discover its own true nature.

Risks have to be taken so that our approach to life 
And the way we perceive its purpose transforms itself. 
We need to shed the deeply ingrained wrong thinking 
And behaviour patterns, prejudices and false beliefs 
That create the obstacles and difficulties in our lives.
We have to say goodbye to anything that has outlived
Its usefulness, including people and places. 

It is true that that life can be a risky thing when 
Laughing sometimes carries the risk of appearing foolish,
Weeping may come across as sentimentality,
Reaching out for others to become involved with them
And exposing one’s feelings could reveal too much of our true self. 
Hoping means risking despair.
Trying means risking failure. 
Living brings the risk of dying.

So what? 
Risks have to be taken. 
The greatest hazard in life is risking nothing.
The one who risks nothing,
Does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
Souls who hope that in this way they can avoid
The suffering and sorrows of this world are mistaken,
As these things are a necessary part of human growth and evolution.
The only thing that can be achieved by risking nothing
Is avoiding precious opportunities for
Learning, changing, growing, loving and living.

Souls who allow themselves to remain enslaved and enchained
By their false beliefs, rigid opinions and prejudices
Forfeit the only freedom we truly have and that is
The spiritual freedom to think and believe what our inner Self tells us is true,
And having the courage to act upon the knowledge
That we have come from love and that love alone can show us the way 
Home into what we always have been and forever will remain: 
Spirit and soul.

Only those who are willing to take the risk
Of loving all life the way our Creator loves us, 
Unconditionally and wisely, 
Can truly be free.

Anon.
Edited by Aquarius

From ‘Our World In Transition’

* * *
​


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 25, 2016)

‘Come to the edge,’ He said.
They said: ‘We are afraid.’
‘Come to the edge,’ He said.
They came . . .
He pushed them . . .
And they flew.

Guillaume Apollinaire 1880 – 1918
French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic

Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It’s too high!

Come to the edge!
And they came.
And we pushed.
And they flew.

Christopher Logue 1926 – 2011
English poet associated with the British Poetry Revival

* * *
​


----------



## Kevin (Jul 25, 2016)

Aquarius said:


> ‘Come to the edge,’ He said.
> They said: ‘We are afraid.’
> ‘Come to the edge,’ He said.
> They came . . .
> ...


 plagiarism? Did one of the other?


----------



## bdcharles (Jul 25, 2016)

Kevin said:


> plagiarism? Did one of the other?



There's a story there, with these two gentlemen poets - and their followers, the Logueists and the Apollinairians - brawling it out. Might have to reimagine Apollinaire's death though and make Logue born earlier.

"Fie!" challenged Logue, jabbing a trembling umbrella towards the louche Frenchman. "And fie! To think that I - I! - would steal from a Gaul! Face facts, old chap: I had the same ideas as you, excecuted twice as pleasingly!" He faced the gurning onlookers. "Eh? More than twice, eh, lads? Eh?"

"Pah!" Apollinaire blew smoke across the checquered table, one leg crossed. "Et, encore, pah! You do not _know_, I say, you do not _know _your trochee from your spondee, nor your meter from your foot nor your arse from your elbow. You would utter words in a rhythmical fashion and call it _poesie_, hah?"


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 27, 2016)

bdcharles said:


> There's a story there, with these two gentlemen poets - and their followers, the Logueists and the Apollinairians - brawling it out. Might have to reimagine Apollinaire's death though and make Logue born earlier.
> 
> "Fie!" challenged Logue, jabbing a trembling umbrella towards the louche Frenchman. "And fie! To think that I - I! - would steal from a Gaul! Face facts, old chap: I had the same ideas as you, excecuted twice as pleasingly!" He faced the gurning onlookers. "Eh? More than twice, eh, lads? Eh?"
> 
> "Pah!" Apollinaire blew smoke across the checquered table, one leg crossed. "Et, encore, pah! You do not _know_, I say, you do not _know _your trochee from your spondee, nor your meter from your foot nor your arse from your elbow. You would utter words in a rhythmical fashion and call it _poesie_, hah?"



Considering that Guillaume Apollinaire lived from 1880 – 1918 and Christopher Logue from 1926 – 2011, it seems pretty obvious to whom the idea came first. I very much prefer the earlier version in any case.


----------



## Donnam (Jul 28, 2016)

Thank you for posting this good news story. It is too easy to become down heartened and apathetic about the state of the world. It is much nicer to be reminded that good outweighs the bad. I will never understand why only bad news sells.


----------



## dither (Jul 28, 2016)

Donnam said:


> I will never understand why only bad news sells.



Sensationalism.

It's meant to shock us.  The real tragedy is that it doesn't, and that's a shame.

Now _good news, _wouldn't _that _be shocking, OMG! Someone did good?


----------



## The Green Shield (Jul 28, 2016)

This morning I saw a guy trying to pull out of the McDonalds out onto the main road. I stopped for him to give him room, but the lane next to me kept going. Eventually, someone behind me honked and he smiled politely and waved for me to go on through, and I waved back. Even if things didn't go exactly as planned, hey, at least the attempt _was_ made, no?


----------



## Aquarius (Jul 29, 2016)

The Green Shield said:


> This morning I saw a guy trying to pull out of the McDonalds out onto the main road. I stopped for him to give him room, but the lane next to me kept going. Eventually, someone behind me honked and he smiled politely and waved for me to go on through, and I waved back. Even if things didn't go exactly as planned, hey, at least the attempt _was_ made, no?



A bit of plain  ordinary human kindness and friendliness towards each other does go a  long way towards making our lives more pleasant and agreeable, in many  small ways. That's where freedom of choice enters the picture. Do you  personally – never mind what those around you are thinking and how they  are perceiving the matter – wish for the negative and destructive ways  of the past to continue or would you prefer that our world moves  forwards and upwards on the evolutionary spiral of life? The future of  our world lies in the hands of simple folks like you and me. The more of  us together move in the same direction, the more we as a race grow into  an increasingly powerful force. An unknown author said: ‘Many small  people, in many small places, doing many small things can alter the face  of our world.’ This is very true and the seemingly impossible dream of a  peaceful world will in due course become a reality, for the simple  reason that God and the Angels will be working with us and helping us to  bring it into being.

From ‘The Impossible Dream’

* * *​


----------



## Schrody (Aug 2, 2016)

*We need more people like this *


----------



## Aquarius (Aug 2, 2016)

Schrody said:


> *We need more people like this *



I could not agree more!


----------



## JustRob (Aug 7, 2016)

We forget the successes of humanity so easily. It is now six years since the Copiapo mining accident in Chile which held the whole world's attention when 33 miners were trapped deep underground on the 5th August 2010 for 69 days. They were all rescued in a remarkable operation against all the odds on the 12th and 13th October. Just how easy is it for any of us to maintain our faith in humanity for the next 69 days? They had no option. 

Just a thought.


----------



## escorial (Aug 7, 2016)

JustRob said:


> We forget the successes of humanity so easily. It is now six years since the Copiapo mining accident in Chile which held the whole world's attention when 33 miners were trapped deep underground on the 5th August 2010 for 69 days. They were all rescued in a remarkable operation against all the odds on the 12th and 13th October. Just how easy is it for any of us to maintain our faith in humanity for the next 69 days? They had no option.
> 
> Just a thought.




and a nice thought to man..cool


----------



## Aquarius (Aug 7, 2016)

JustRob said:


> We forget the successes of humanity so easily. It is now six years since the Copiapo mining accident in Chile which held the whole world's attention when 33 miners were trapped deep underground on the 5th August 2010 for 69 days. They were all rescued in a remarkable operation against all the odds on the 12th and 13th October. Just how easy is it for any of us to maintain our faith in humanity for the next 69 days? They had no option.
> 
> Just a thought.



Thank you for sharing it with us.


----------



## JustRob (Aug 7, 2016)

Just an afterthought. The DVD of the film "_The 33" _about the Copiapo mining disaster starring Antonio Banderas is now on release. Some of the miners, who still have many problems, are complaining about how little of the royalties from the film is finding its way to them. Back to reality for humanity then, but at least they have been given the opportunity to complain, a living voice.


----------



## escorial (Aug 7, 2016)

so they were shafted....


----------



## dither (Aug 7, 2016)

escorial said:


> so they were shafted....



Well that's one way of putting it.


----------



## Schrody (Nov 29, 2016)




----------



## JustRob (Nov 29, 2016)

Hey Mustard, I don't see the joke. How many eyes do you have crossed?


----------



## Deleted member 56686 (Nov 29, 2016)

Oops, I meant to like. Thanks, Rob. :icon_cheesygrin:


----------



## Schrody (Dec 10, 2016)




----------

