I shared my thoughts with everyone off-line, but now I understand fully after reading this off-line post. Now don't anyone get any silly ideas and use the list to wish anyone a Merry Christmas or Happy New Year.
-----Original Message----- From: Alexander Zatko [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 2:45 PM To: Storey, Paul Subject: RE: Witango-Talk: [OT] Hope this moves you as it did me To make sure that other people don't get the same silly idea - to post stuff to the list that doesn't have a place there. > -----Original Message----- > From: Storey, Paul [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 3:40 PM > To: Alexander Zatko; 'Steven Reule' > Subject: RE: Witango-Talk: [OT] Hope this moves you as it did me > > > Why not let him know off-line instead of sending your > response to everyone > on the list? Now we are having to read your responses. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Alexander Zatko [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 2:28 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list witango-talk > Subject: RE: Witango-Talk: [OT] Hope this moves you as it did me > > > I am sure there are plenty of mailing lists where this post would be > appropriate, but this is not one of them. If you want to send > this to your > friends, that's OK but please don't post this kind of stuff > here - there are > enough unsolicited messages each of us receives already. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Ben Johansen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 3:13 PM > > To: Multiple recipients of list witango-talk > > Subject: Witango-Talk: [OT] Hope this moves you as it did me > > > > > > Author Unknown > > > > One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid > > from my class > > was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked > like he was > > carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would > > anyone bring > > home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." > > > > I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my > > friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. > > > > As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. > > They ran at > > him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he > > landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them > > land in the > > grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible > > sadness in his eyes. > > > > My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled > > around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. > > As I handed > > him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really > > should get > > lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a > > big smile on > > his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. > > > > I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it > > turned out, he lived near me, so I > > asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to > > private school before now. > > > > I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. > > We talked > > all the way home, and I carried > > some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I > > asked him if > > he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We > > hung out all weekend and > > the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my > > friends thought the same of him. > > > > Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books > > again. I stopped him and said, > > "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with > > this pile of > > books everyday!" He just laughed > > and handed me half the books. > > Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. > When we were > > seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on > Georgetown, > > and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be > friends, that > > the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a > doctor, and I > > was going for business > > on a football scholarship. > > > > Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about > > being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I > was so glad > > it wasn't me having to get up there and > > speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was > > one of those > > guys that really found himself > > during high school. He filled out and actually looked good > in glasses. > > He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. > > Boy, sometimes > > I was jealous. > > > > Today was one of those days. I could see that he was > nervous about his > > speech. So, I smacked him on the > > back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at > > me with one > > of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. > > "Thanks," he said. > > As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and > > began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it > > through those tough years. Your parents, > > > > your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your > > friends. I > > am here to tell all of you that > > being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. > > I am going > > to tell you a story." > > > > I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the > story of the > > first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the > weekend. He > > talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom > > wouldn't have to > > do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard > at me and > > gave me a little smile. > > "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the > > unspeakable." > > > > I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, > > popular boy told > > us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad > looking at me > > and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I > > realize it's depth. > > > > > > Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one > small gesture > > you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. (1 Cor. > > 8:9-10) > > > > God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another > > in some way. > > Look for God in others. > > (Acts 17:26) > > > > You now have two choices, you can: > > 1) Pass this on to your friends or > > 2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart. > > (Matt. 5:15-16) > > > > As you can see, I took choice number 1. "Friends are angels > > who lift us > > to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to > fly." There > > is no beginning or end..Yesterday is history. > > (Hebrews 13:2) > > > > Tomorrow is mystery. (Matthew 6:34) > > > > Today is a gift.(James 4:13-15) > > > > It's National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you > > care. Send > > this to everyone you consider a FRIEND. If it comes back to > you, then > > you'll know you have a circle of friends. > > > > > > Ben Johansen > > (I added the scripture references to back the impact of > this message) > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > > __________ > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > > > ______________________________________________________________ > __________ > TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body > ________________________________________________________________________ TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send a plain text/US ASCII email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe witango-talk in the message body
