Time, a Hurricane and a Lesson Learned

Time Teaches a Lesson

A dozen or so years ago, I was home due to a snow and ice storm. That morning, as I looked out my bay window, I saw an elderly woman slowly walking with a child. I didn’t know who she was, but noticed she had a shopping bag. Suddenly she slipped and fell hard on the ice. I felt bad, rushed to put my coat on, started my car and went to her aid. I asked if she was alright and she said “yes.” I asked her where she needed to go, and she said home. I realized that she was a Spanish speaker and told her that I would drive her home. She lived less than two blocks from my house.  I go out of my car, opened her door and asked again if she was alright.  I told her she shouldn’t be walking on such a cold icy day.

I didn’t think about that day until this October, when we were doing a Puerto Rico Food drive at the Iglesia Pentecostal de Dios. A young man stopped by and made a cash donation to help the Hurricane victims. We asked his name and he said, I think, Eric Rivera. He told us that his Grandmother was Puerto Rican but that she had passed several years ago. He told me where they had lived at the time. Much to my surprise, I realized that the woman and the child I had given a ride to a dozen years earlier, on a very cold snow/ice day, was Eric and his Grandmother. Now you would think that that is all I learned from the young man, but it wasn’t. He volunteered that his Grandmother was from the same city, Añasco, Puerto Rico, my place of birth. For the past 30 years, I always thought that I was the only Puerto Rican from Añasco ever to live in Adrian, Michigan!

As I look back, I wish I had spoken more to the lady and her grandchild, but I was too busy just trying to get her home safely, that day.  Now, I would like to thank Mrs. Rivera, for having taught her grandchild about Puerto Rico, and about giving.

Paraprosdokian

I liked these so much that I decided to share them once again! 

"Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation."   For example:  "Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

 

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

18. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

19. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

20. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

21. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

22. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

23. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

24. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

25. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

26. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

27. A diplomat is someone who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip.

28. Hospitality is making your guests feel at home even when you wish they were.

29. I always take life with a grain of salt. Plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

30. When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

 Words of Wisdom:   "The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese."

Sent by Bill Blackerby

Would Latino Youth Benefit by Having Padrinos/Madrinas for Education?

Latinos/Hispanos/Mexican Americans are excellent at organizing Padrinos/Madrinas for events such as Quinceañeras/weddings! It is a time when friends/families come together to help each other make these events celebratory. Seems that people come together, pool their resources and help each other. We do this also for funerals and other needs. $10,000 or more dollar events, such as these, become less of a burden on the few. This is a wonderful aspect of our culture.

For years, I have always believed that if we applied this same approach to helping our young people pay for their education we could make a big difference in their lives. Wouldn’t this be a major step towards ensuring a better life for our youth? Education, is something that lasts a life time, not just one day. Perhaps it is time to start another great tradition: Padrinos/Madrinas for the education of our youth! I have actually made this offer to several young people, and have actually had a couple take me up on my offer. I have actually given money to a couple of young people to help with books and even tuition. The only thing I asked in return, was that they get good grades!

I can’t think of a better way to help our “youth” than helping them get an education, which in the long run will benefit them, their families and our community! It is a way to lift ourselves up as a community, to be able to compete in the work force, help our youth to become more productive and caring individuals. The goal is that they in turn will help those who follow them. Let’s be realistic, today’s job market indicates that 6 out of 10 jobs require some college! In the future, it may be 8 or 10 jobs that will require a degree or skilled trade!

Some may wonder, why should I help someone else get an education, that’s their responsibility or their parent’s. Well, to that I ask, why should some of us help pay for someone else’s Quinceañera? Or wedding. It is not my responsibility. As stated earlier, education of our youth, will help everyone in the long run.

Yes, there are scholarships for many, especially those who work hard, keep their grades high and are able to compete for the scholarships. Nevertheless, education today is extremely expensive and student debt continues to rise. We can reduce the rates of poverty among Latinos/Hispanos and begin to create wealth for our children and their children. Let’s reduce all those negative factors we read about: 1) dropout rates, poverty rates, home ownership rates and so on. Let’s seriously begin to consider creating a new tradition of helping our community’s youth improve their futures! Adelante, Padrinos/Madrinas for our Youth’s future! Adelante, Raza!

What say you?

Killing Fields within US

"The Killing Fields" seem to be within the borders of the United States. What is wrong with Americans? Eight killed in Ohio execution style, read yesterday's headlines! Toddlers shooting mothers who left hand guns in their purses in the back seats! Youth using guns to resolve disputes! To protect territory. Enough is enough folks, like it or not either gun control or a lot of education about guns! Something must be done!

How some Christians have threated others in USA

I do believe that Christian principles and teachings helped with the foundation of this nation. Afterall, those who first came did so because of religious persecution in their homelands. The founding fathers, in their infinite wisdom, chose not to set a national religion or language, after all, the search was still on for "a more perfect union." Somewhere along the road to the search for a "more perfect union" some religious denominations lost their way and persecuted some who didn't quite believe the same as they did. And so society, denounced the Catholics, Jews, Mormans, and others. Today, that search for a perfect union is still not achieved, as some Christians do not want Islam and others. In fact, look at our history of how we have treated others...blacks brought as slaves! Irish, Mexicans, Asians, treated worse than dogs. When will we learn?

We need to learn to balance our lives from nature.