Share Your World – September 11, 2017
I don’t know how come it’s almost the middle of September. This month started the day before yesterday. Summer went fast, but this is ridiculous. I am not ready for time to swing by at this supercharged pace. Slow down, world! Slow DOWN!
And now …
Would you want $200,000 right now or $250,000 in a year? It’s safe to assume all money is tax-free.
Now would be just fine, thank you. Who knows what will be a year from now?
Korea might bomb us. We might bomb them. The Chinese might bomb everybody. I might die or they might give the money to someone else. I’ll take it now, thank you. A new bathroom awaits!
There’s a story about this …
Once upon a time, there is a poor, old man living in a tiny settlement miles outside of Minsk. One day, the Czar and his minions ride into town. They are, of course, looking to see if anyone has money, because that’s what Czars did, back then. Unlike now, where our governments gets our money in other ways and don’t have to actually ride into town and confront living citizens.
The dog might talk!
The Czar spots the old man and demands he give him all his money. Every last kopek, and then some!
The old man says, “Your majesty, I have very little to give you, but of course as your subject, I will gladly give you everything. But consider this. I have a dog who I am teaching to talk. If you give me a year, the dog will earn me a fortune and I will give it all to you.”
The Czar looks at the dog, then looks at the old man. “I doubt it,” says the high and mighty Czar, “I don’t think that dog is ever going to talk, but I will give you a year. Then, I will be back demanding payment. If that dog doesn’t talk, I will slay you on the spot.”
The old man bows as the Czar and his cronies ride off.
“ARE YOU CRAZY?” screams the old guy’s wife. “That dog can’t talk! The Czar is going to come back and kill you!”
“Well,” says the man, “It’s a whole year away. In one year, the Czar might die. I might die. Or … the dog might talk.”
Is it more important to love or be loved?
Both, of course.
List things that represent abundance to you.
Enough money to live on and enough left over to cover emergencies.
And, finally, in answer to the unlisted question, I did NOT have a single inspiring moment this week. I’m not a very inspiring kind of gal. I’m pretty sure if I was inspired, I’d be writing about it — or shooting pictures of it!
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Categories: #Photography, Humor, Personal, story
MY MOTHER, THE PARTY PLANNER – BY ELLIN CURLEY 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
Here’s a thought for you… (inspired by your description of the kings of England):
War and the attempt at conquest is the essential ingredient that has led to our current golden age of technology, science and abundance of wealth. (Even if most of the latter is exclusively controlled by a small, and increasingly hidden, minority – the plutocrats).
love
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I know. That’s the thing about history. The good and the bad come from the same history. It’s what we do with it that counts.
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You probably did have an inspiring thought but it is percolating away at the back of your brain and will surge forth in good time.
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If I did, it was a very small thought. I haven’t had a big one in a while. I’m due for a good one soon 🙂
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Thanks Marilyn for lashing this week.
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You are most welcome 🙂
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I like that peasant’s approach – still it can be applied to the other issue as well – and then maybe all those countries will wise up and not bomb anyone. ( it’s not as if there won’t be any blow back)
Leslie
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One bomb will be the beginning of many more, I’m sure. It’s the heart of the problem. There’s no more “we’ll take on this country and that’s it” kind of war. One gets another started, which dominoes into others. Instant world war. But this time, no one gets out of it clean.
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There are so many better things to do in life. Think of all the young people who go off to war and come back thoroughly disillusioned and damaged.
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If the czar’s taking everyone’s money, then how would the peasant expect to make anything off his talking dog? I’ll bet the economy in the czardom is just brisk!
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I should have rephrased that as “How would the czar expect the peasant to make any money off his talking dog.” WP needs a feature that allows us dopes who click Post too fast to edit our own comments….
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The Czar didn’t care whether anyone else made any money. Czars, kings, emperors — whatever they called themselves — were broke. War and castles are expensive.
Kings of England scoured the countryside shaking down every peasant they could find, often leaving their less important “citizens” (questionable whether peasants were citizens in any sense we understand) with nothing. Nothing to eat and if they were lucky, they didn’t also burn the village to the ground and rape all the women.
These are the SAME PEOPLE who evolved into (are you ready? you sure?) the Lords and Ladies of the various realms. After becoming powerful which was done largely by killing and stealing from everyone less powerful, they married each other, thus keeping the money where it belonged. The last Czar was married to one of Victoria’s daughters. In fact, pretty much ALL the monarchs in WWI were closely related.
You became “the king” by protecting “weaker people” — see “Arthur.” You stayed that way be killing anyone who opposed your rule. Let’s hear it for the monarchy! And now, we’ve got one back on OUR throne. Didn’t we have a war to get rid of these assholes?
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I love that story. I’m gonna remember that one. 🙂
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It’s a classic. I often end stories by commenting “And maybe, the dog will talk.” Because we live in hope or we die and thus it has always been. I think the original of that story is embedded in Halachah, a huge set containing many volumes of Jewish legal thought. The also contain many stories told to emphasize points. Christ used stories to emphasize points too. It’s part of the Rabbinic tradition. I love these old stories.
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Or who knows, the country might have a revolution, and the czar and the family may be replaced by communists, everything is possible.
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I think that goes with “The Czar might die.” He died, but it didn’t matter. The Russians got another set of rulers every bit as bad. Maybe worse. Some countries just can’t seem to improve.
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I’ve heard the Czar-Dog story before.
I’d take the money right now.
Love should be a two way street. I think I live on it, finally.
Abundance. Ditto what Marilyn says. With a little pocket money.
Inspiration. I knew thee well.
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