J’ville Pilot Club
Legal secretaries November 99
Some day I’ll give a speech on speaking experiences. ---IC.. “Shut up! The sooner…” ---Large church in S’field. Senior Saints Club.. all there had been members for over 50 years. Nearly all in wheelchairs and walkers. 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. Huge room. No P.A. yet. “You may have to speak up.” ---Peoria.. during Caterpillar strike.. Management on one side and labor on the other.. asked to speak on “Effect Communication”… there was none present. ---YMCA here in town.. 11 and 12-year olds.. had not slept all night.. Supposed to sing for them. They’d forgotten the piano. They put them on couches.. Night of the Living Dead. ---Pilot Club last April… The strange feeling that no one remembered I was coming. (finally admitted last night) “We’re behind. Would you mind speaking while the meal is served?” ---Decatur last week.. in the Decatur Holiday Inn 75 inner city kids “I don’t want to disturb you, but I think you might like to know that Jesse Jackson is at the front desk.”
A simple premise: We all want to be happy. You want to be happy. This Joy is not something that just happens. It’s something you can work for. It’s something you can attain.
If you buy that premise, then listen up. If not, please busy yourself with something quietly. I’m easily distracted
7th Quest.. track their emotions for 24 hours.. All caused by events.. only one little girl listed 10 a.m. Monday “I was happy because I decided to be.” So few of us know the secret to unreasonable Joy.. Illogical Joy… Unfounded Joy. A Joy not based upon our current situation. We’ve all known people who seem to smile their way through life, no matter what happens. We figure it must be biological. We figure they must be a little crazy. My Uncle Harris.. funny man.. leg… Tornado. Helen: “Jesus Loves you and I do too!” .. lose business? “Yes, praise God!”
Let me propose to you that they are neither anatomically nor psychologically different from you or I. Let me propose to you that it is a conscious choice they make every day of their lives.
About to enter the Holiday Season. The season known for the highest hopes for happiness of our entire year. The most stressful season. The highest rates of depression … and worse. Again, let me remind you of our premise. Joy is not an accident; it’s a choice.
My mother entered St. John’s a year ago July… routine by-pass. Less than one percent risk. She died.
Last Christmas: our first without a mother. Many of you have experienced this already. Some will spend this first Christmas without a loved one. The rest of you live in dread of it happening for the first time.
My dad: a very practical man. Once gave Mom a chainsaw for Christmas. 10-cent versus 15-cent Pepsi.. A thousand dollars to burned-out family. We chose Joy over sorrow. It sounds too simple to be true, but we chose Joy. We purposely got out the videos and watched them together. We purposely talked about Mom. We chose Joy.
This morning I’d plan to spend the half-hour before school working with kids on their speeches. Instead, I had my favorite tie ruined, holding an 8th-grade girl who found hateful things written on the inside of her locker. I now have a formerly white Mickey Mouse tie stained with Max Factor # 22 and mascara. Words.. just words.. I had her in class at 2:00. “How are you doing?” “Great.” “How come?” “You told me that it was my choice. I decided to be happy.” I never dreamed she’d actually take the advice.
If you would choose joy in this holiday season, I have two simple pieces of advice for you. Think simple. Just when you think you’ve given all you can give, give more.
Think Simple:
---Frank Morgan.. The wisest man I’ve met in my life.. the kindest..Ford 8N ..a book of poetry and a New Testament with the Psalms. Tool box. “I have never lived a day without joy. Simply because it’s more fun than the alternative.”
I’ve sat through thousands of communions in my life.. but the most special..Lucerne Switzerland… My hotel room.. long, hard day. Two Catholics in our group, hadn’t found a church on this Sunday. All were believers… Invited them to my room to simply share our joys and pray. “Could we take communion?” Uh… mixed denominations.. One boy from Griggsville.. “I’ve got two Twinkies and a hot can of Dr. Pepper.” We re-wrote the fishes and loaves story. It was beautiful. I now seldom take communion without tasting Twinkie in my mouth.
Think simple:
Heather Baccus, New Salem.. “Tell Me Why”
I teach with a man named Ed Anderson. One rule at Christmas: You cannot give anything you don’t make yourself. Nothing. Not even a pair of socks. A wife and two teenaged daughters.. Never fails: after Christmas break, HIS is the Christmas we want to hear about.
Think simple this holiday season. Think simple. Think only of what’s truly important and let the rest of the world go crazy doing the rest of the silliness.
Coonridge prayer ride.
The best meal I’ve ever had: Paris-Madrid train ride. Hot Coke and ham sandwich.
2nd: Just when you think you’ve given all you can, give more of yourself.
Forget the current psycho-pop advice of taking care of your inner child. God will take care of that. It’s your job to take care of the other “inner childs” around you.
Puppy Story.
FINALLY: SKIP THE MULTITUDE OF GIFTS AND GIVE YOURSELF THIS SEASON:
---Send a love letter to someone you love then don’t sign it..let them suspect everybody in the whole world.
---What do you dread the most? Those things you have to do because you always do them and somebody expects you to do them. GIVE MORE SURPRISES! The fifty-dollar gift you always give to the same person isn’t much of a thrill..to them or to you. Go ahead and give it if you have to, but give the one-dollar gift that nobody expects you to give. ---Give a flower to the lady at the checkout counter who’s always so friendly ---a decorated apple to the lady who always smiles at you at church..tell her it’s just because she smiles. ---I turned 50 on November 7th . Birthday reception. Family in our community… recently moved in.. four children… Mother a teacher but chose not to get a job until kids are grown. Successful husband.. Company crashed a month ago. She has been undergoing tests for an unexplained illness.. Been sick for two months. “Fifty reasons why we love you.” Each member contributed. The best gift I ever got. First thing I grab for each morning.
---I know a man who spends one hundred dollars every Christmas.. buys 10, 10-dollar gift certificates to Lonzerotti’s and when he goes Christmas shopping, he gives them out to the 10-most harried sales clerks or checkout girls.. He pulls into Burger King and pays the bill of the car behind him. “Tell them God loves them.”
---Simply tell someone...”I’ve waited all year to say this, but I really appreciate you.” It’ll be remembered long after their Nintendo or their designer scarf has worn out. ---We have a lady in our church who brings fresh flowers for the alter every Sunday (flower shop refuse)...Nobody ever brings her any flowers.
---Give more gifts without letting anyone know who did it. A Christmas project for my kids…. The best gift: when the giver is unknown. Lockers at school for Mary. Goon Squad.
THE IDEA BEHIND CHRISTMAS IS “SURPRISE”...When I was born, I had no idea that a baby was born 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem to take away my sins. It was a surprise to me!
A GIFT FORYOURSELF:---Think of a problem you have which you just can’t get off your mind and you can’t do anything about. MAKE YOURSELF FORGET ABOUT IT FOR ONE WEEK. ---Think of a relationship you have which has been damaged. HEAL IT THIS SEASON. How? Pray for them and see what happens.
It’s a season of miracles.. Let giving create your miracle.
Marty…& Kenny
Don’t worry about being thanked. Conway Twitty.
Our beginning premise:
- We all want to be happy. You want to be happy. This Joy is not something that just happens. It’s something you can work for. It’s something you can attain.
This holiday season, don’t let the world decide how much Joy should be yours. Make it your choice. Make it simple. Make it a gift of yourself.
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