'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.

His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on
vacation...

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band -he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with
descriptive words.

Big breasts: Burden or blessing?

Written by Ademola Olonilua 

Punch (Nigeria), Saturday Breeze

The Komolafes are blessed with a set of identical twin girls, Taiye and Kehinde. The girls are not only fair and tall, they are well endowed in the chest region.

But despite their striking resemblance, the twins are poles apart in terms of character and way of life. They perceive their bodies differently. While taiye, who is an extrovert, believes that her bust is an asset and never fails to flaunt it, her sister, Kehinde, is an introvert and thinks otherwise about her boobs.

Taiye, now a graduate and currently doing her youth service, told Saturday Breeze that they were not so noticed by men until they grew up to be mature girls in their neighbourhood. She said that the attention they got especially from boys after they passed puberty surprised and intrigued her.

"While growing up, we were never given much attention. We were just like regular girls in a crowd until we began to develop boobs after our secondary school. When we fully developed as big-breasted girls, we were first surprised by the attention we got especially from guys and I soon got used to it. Sometimes, I used it to my advantage. In the university, I had male friends who would help me with assignments just because they wanted to hang out with me," Taiye said.

Yours, mine and ours

Written by 'Nimi Akinkugbe

As two individuals merge all their worldly goods, there are many things to consider. After the excitement of the wedding ceremonies, it is time to face your financial future together. Have you effected your name change on your documents? Will you have joint or separate accounts? How will you manage your investments? Have you updated your insurance policies to reflect your new beneficiary?

Should you decide to adopt your spouse's name, take time to update your records; change your name on your drivers' licence to your share certificates, your Will and other legal documents. Notify your employer, creditors, insurance agents and bankers, who will need to see your certified marriage certificate as a legal proof of your new status before any changes can be effected.

If you and your spouse work and are covered by separate health plans through your jobs, compare the two plans as you may find that it might work out cheaper to have one family plan instead of two individual ones. This is a good time to discuss life insurance; when you are single and without dependants this will not be a priority, but in marriage, and certainly where one party is the primary breadwinner, a life insurance policy is appropriate as a sudden loss of income can be devastating to a young family.

Many people don't discover the extent of their spouse's financial obligations until they are married. Debt brought into marriage can be a major source of strife if not well handled. While you are not legally responsible for the credit-card debt or other loans opened in your spouse's name, it could affect your eligibility for joint loans such as a mortgage. Even if the debt may have been incurred before the marriage or afterwards, try to deal with the debt together and seek to bring it under control.

You may prefer to maintain a certain degree of independence by keeping separate accounts for personal spending. If your partner is a spendthrift or quite extravagant, while you are a saver or you just prefer to spend your money without your partner scrutinising the minutest detail, separate accounts may be more appropriate.

BOILED SEED NEVER SPROUTS

An ageing king woke up one day to the realization that should he drop dead, there would be no male in the royal family to take his place. 

He was the last male in the royal family in a culture where only a male could succeed to the throne - and he was ageing.

He decided that if he could not give birth to a male, he would adopt a son who then could take his place but he  insisted that such an adopted son must be extraordinary in every sense of the word.

So he launched a competition in his kingdom, open to all boys, no matter what their background. Ten boys made it to the very top. There was little to separate these boys in terms of intelligence and physical attributes and capabilities.

The king said to them, 'I have one last test and whoever comes top will become my adopted son and heir to my throne.' Then he said, 'This kingdom depends solely on agriculture. So the king must know how to cultivate plants. So here is a seed of corn for each of you.  'Take it home and plant and nurture it for three weeks. At the end of three weeks, we shall see who has done the best job of cultivating the seed.  That person will be my heir-apparent ' .

Nigerians in America: How (NOT) to raise our children

Written by Abiodun Ladepo

Ladepo, a resident of Los Angeles, California, USA.

Email: oluyole2@yahoo.com

It begins with the language spoken in the home. It is often the case that parents who share the same Nigerian language speak English to their children at home even when the children are just babies and toddlers. This is a waste of the child's wide repertoire for learning new things, including new languages. 

Various psychologists and socio-linguists opine that every child is imbued with an innate ability to acquire a language. What parents need to do is place that child in close proximity to the language and the child would pick it up effortlessly. Parents unwittingly underestimate the child's capacity to learn the parents' native language, internalise it as perfectly as the parents do and use it as appropriately as the parents do. By not speaking their native language to their children, parents deny their children the three theories of language acquisition: Imitation, reinforcement and active construction of grammar.

Also, by speaking our adulterated, impure American English to the children, parents unwittingly impede or, in fact, destroy the children's ability to learn American English in its purest form. Most of us who arrived in the US after 12 years of age or after puberty (according to socio-linguists) have forever lost the capacity to learn American English like a native speaker. We come from Nigeria with our breathy alphabets, twisted consonants, misplaced stresses, wrong diction, abbreviated vocabulary, and we unknowingly impose these habits on our children. Our imperfect American English is what we expose our children to, and through the three theories of language acquisition mentioned above, our children acquire our poor English. We do not recognise the fact just as our parents did not sit us down to teach us our native Nigerian languages, that our children would naturally and effortlessly learn from their friends at the nursery, higher schools and playgrounds.

It then goes on into subordinating or completely surrendering our entire mores to the American environment in which we live. Our children wake up and walk past us in the house without rendering the greeting of the day. Forget about girls kneeling down and boys prostrating. The children outright do not even utter the greeting of the day before asking us for whatever they want! A Nigerian man walked into his house with his friend in tow. He found his two teenage boys playing video games in the living room. Rather than greet their father and the guest, the children unplugged their video player and relocated into their room. When the father went to them and chastised them for not having the decency to greet his friend, the boys told him the guest was the father's, not theirs! They didn't think they had the obligation to greet their parents' friends. Some, in fact, call their parents' friends by their first names! Forget "Uncle" or "Auntie."

Mentor, don't bully your mentee

Written by Adeoye Oyewole - Nigeria

Every society has its own way of life that is peculiar and held as being precious, such that those values are transmitted from one generation to the other. These values determine the operating facility of the society that must be inculcated through the process of socialisation which continues throughout life.

The crucial challenge of transmission of values involves many aspects of our lives, such as the peer group, the school, the religious institutions, the mass media and, of course, the family, which remains the primary agent of socialization.

Eloquent research findings show the link between the level of educational and later, occupational, attainment of the child and the quality of socialisation emanating from the family as a strong predictor. In the same vein, women that develop mental illness following childbirth require urgent attention so that the attachment and bonding processes are not disrupted, since children in such circumstances develop profound cognitive and psychosocial deficits later in life. Parents are concerned about the socialisation processes in the school their children attend but do not bother about other agents or agency of socialisation that could impact their children negatively, possibly because they are apparently subtle, often culturally sanctioned and not immediately visible like the school but equally potent in their impact.

Socialisation is life-long and the potential for mismanagement is high, with profound mental health consequences. Mentorship is a personal developmental relationship in which the more experienced person helps to guide a less knowledgeable person. True mentoring is an ongoing relationship of learning, dialogue, and challenge. This practice has existed since ancient Greek and was the basis of American management innovation, which was very popular in the 1970s. The focus of any mentoring relationship is to develop the whole person through 'accompanying process' where the mentor takes an active part in the learning process side by side with the learner. The sowing process, which prepares the learner before he or she is ready to assimilate the lessons; the catalysing process when the mentor chooses to plunge the learner into change, provoking a different way of thinking or reordering of values; and the showing process where the mentor demonstrates what is being inculcated by his own behaviour; while harvesting, as the last process, involves creating awareness of what was learnt by experience.

One man's shit, another man's treasure

Written by by Jayne Augoye - Punch, Nigeria

Once denied and despised by society, sewage and waste water evacuators now live their lives to the fullest, Jayne Augoye writes

THIRTY-TWO years ago, when Gilbert Quansah had just ventured into sewage and waste waters disposal business, he was very shrewd in the way he managed information about the 'profession.' He was conscious of the fact that it was generally despised in the society, to the extent that the practitioners were popularly called 'agbepo' or shit bowl carrier.

One of the things he did was to keep the move secret from his family and in-laws in his home country, Ghana. It was when things began to look up for him and he had something to show for the dirt he carried that he showed his true colour at home.

He recalls, "I was too scared to tell my wife. Even when some members of my family discovered, they were mad at me. But when my wife came to join me in Nigeria and saw that I was living fine, she immediately embraced my job. Today, my in-laws are very proud of me."

He adds that in Ghana, the business is more lucrative because it is still considered to be a dirty one and that way, the operators charge more. But here in Nigeria, because there are more trucks and more operators, competition is stiffer.

Yet, Quansah says he rakes in more money than he ever dreamt of, evacuating human waste and sewage from toilets and septic tanks. So engrossed has he become in the job that he does not find it difficult to evacuate sewage with his bare hands.

Today, Quansah is fulfilled. He is the chairman, National Union of Sewage and Waste Waters Disposal Association, Ojota - New-Garage, Odo Iya Alaro discharging unit in Lagos. He is a proud owner of three sewage evacuation trucks in Nigeria and Ghana. He has also built a home in Ghana and in a Lagos surburb. In addition, all his children are graduates from Ghanaian universities.

The 63-year-old, who only recently acquired a tipper truck, confidently brought out his business card and gave to our correspondent during their first meeting, while leaning slightly on his Mitsubishi Montero Sport SUV.

Boldly inscribed on the rather colourful and well printed card is the inscription, 'Your Mess is our Job'.

His first truck

Quansah started out accompanying sewage trucks owned by a popular business merchant in Oshodi at the time. He gave the man's name simply as Dosummu.

He recalls his journey with a feeling of nostalgia, "After learning on the job for six months, I was able to buy my own truck for N900, 000 after winning N500,000 in the National Lottery in 1980. That was the same year I moved to Nigeria. I added the little savings I had made to the money."

Quansah says that because of his nationality, he was not allowed to drive the truck then. He would sit in the vehicle with the driver most of the time. As a 'first timer' in Lagos, he was afraid the driver could run away with the truck. Three decades after, the truck still stands and it is a constant reminder of how far he has come in the business. He attributes this to proper maintenance and love for a job that has accorded him the good things of life.

But Quansah's story is just one of out of many others told by hard working men who evacuate sewage from countless households and offices around the country. Although they have chosen to dabble into a business that many consider only fit for the never-do-well in the society, they continue to make cool cash.

How prepared are you for retirement?

Written by 'Nimi Akinkugbe 

Email: nakinkugbe@punchng.com

Have you been planning and saving for retirement over the years or have you failed to address this most important stage of your life and suddenly find that retirement is looming? Will your nest egg be able to provide the kind of lifestyle that you desire for the rest of your life? Here are some issues to consider in planning for retirement.

How do you plan to spend your retirement? Consider these scenarios: Several hours of golf may be one of your goals; or it could be world travel, spending more time with your children and grandchildren, or pottering around your garden. At last, you can take your passion or hobby to a new level. You might want to give back to your community through volunteering or philanthropy. Would you like to go back to school just to learn about a subject you've always been interested in, or to share the immense knowledge and experience that you have garnered over the years by teaching?

The possibilities are endless; ideally, this should be the time of your life where you are open to new and exciting opportunities that will keep you productive, mentally stimulated and fulfilled. For far too many people, however, an uncertain future clouds these rosy pictures and they may never become a reality without adequate preparation.

The earlier you begin to save and invest, the more time the power of compounding has to work and your money has to grow. Those who start saving for retirement in their 20s have a much better chance of building a significant nest egg. Saving even a small amount on a regular basis can add up to a tidy sum over a long period of time. The younger you are and the more you have saved, the less you will need to amass in future.

How much do you have to start saving now to generate the kind of income that you will need to afford the lifestyle you desire? It is increasingly rare for a pension to be able to cover all your retirement needs. Your retirement income is likely to come from your pension as well as other savings and investments. As life spans increase, it is not unusual to spend well over 20 years in retirement; so, you need to be sure that your financial resources can last as long as you do.

...the story of a young boy whose parents were murdered during 2002 riots in Kaduna.

YOU WILL SHED TEARS AFTER READING THIS STORY:
By : The Nigeria Voice

This is the story of a young boy whose parents were murdered during 2002 riots in Kaduna.

He was aged 11 yrs at the time this sad incident took place. His parents, Mr Austine and Mrs Josephine Moses, were missionaries until they met their untimely death, what a sad end. The boy left his house to play football but returned home to see that all his parents had laboured for had been razed down and he would never see his mother and father again.

Great sex exposed

By Funmi Akingbade - Nigeria

So, how's your sex life? This is a question that couples find difficult to give me satisfactory answers whenever they are in my office for counselling and consultation. Sometimes, the answers I get are life threatening, while sometimes they are pitiable. Well, today, let us talk about great sex.

For persons so consumed by thoughts of sex, many remain remarkably confused about what great sex is and how to have it. Many couples are shadowed by self-doubt, and clouded by myths and misperceptions. It's not just about our mindset. Couples can also work on their mechanics. Mentally and physically, we're hampered and hindered. Can't we all just have great sex? Of course, we can. But first we should decide what great sex is.

I want to encourage couples not to be confused or plagued by concerns over their sexual performance. They shouldn't get worried about the worthiness of their physique during lovemaking. Even when both of you did well, I mean your wife literarily melted at your touch, you also boomed like a horse rider, and both of you had a good climax and one of you still harbours suspicions, nursing the impression that you're not getting it as often as everyone else will make you believe, there is still something better.

Second, great sex is in the eye of the beholder. For some couples, it might be the ability to produce multiple orgasms in their partners. For others, it might mean being able to last for 20 minutes. Being a great lover means becoming a great lover to your spouse. See good sex from the eye of your spouse. Does he or she think heavenly about kissing? Then learn the act of good kissing and other orally administered forms of arousal (none of which should be underestimated).

Create Your Wealth Through Intuition

By Bayo Ogunmupe - Nigeria

+234 08034673443

MANY people will only privately admit their belief in psychic phenomena, also known as intuition, but few will publicly acknowledge it for fear of ridicule. Now is the time to take the New Age out of the closet and put its practical principles to work for you. The three obstacles to intuition are fear, habit and stress. No matter what we believe, the fear of appearing ridiculous persists. It is an irrational fear, but the only way to conquer it is to begin succeeding in our use of Extra Sensory Perception (ESP). Success never needs to apologize. Two, habit or tradition, the way things have always been done, are powerful inhibitors of intuition because innovation means breaking with tradition, as tradition is the enemy of progress.

Finally, stress may be an inescapable fact of life, which is why you should know when to be assertive and say no to other people. When faced by an important decision, you should meditate over it. In doing that, people seem to succeed without trying. Such are people for whom things just seem to click. They have all the luck, say their envious competitors.

And they are so lucky because the child within them is awake. The child attracts luck because it looks at the world with fresh eyes and invites a friendly response. What we call luck is a mysterious phenomenon, involving among other things an ability to perceive an opportunity the moment it arises. Such perceptions are given most often to those with open child like minds, unrutted by routine.

Dropped, Crumpled & Ground into the dirt...

Sent by Naomi Uche Ochia  - Nigeria

A well known speaker started off his seminar holding up a $100 note. In the room of 1000 he asked, "Who would like this $100 note?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $100 to one of you, but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the $100 note. He then asked, "Who still wants it...?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" & he dropped it on the ground & started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled & dirty. Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. 

"I Love You Darling"

"I Love You Darling"

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage.
They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes.
When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open.
He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard.
The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter.

I WISH YOU ENOUGH

Sent by Benjamin Kenechukwu, Mogor - Nigeria
With a positive attitude, great things can be done.
Recently I overheard a Father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport.
They had announced the departure.
Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the Father said, 'I love you, and I wish you enough.'
The daughter replied, 'Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed.
I wish you enough, too, Dad.'
They kissed and the daughter left.
The Father walked over to the window where I was seated.
Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry.

Back in those School days!

Sent by Joseph Katekpe - Sierra Leone

WHERE WERE YOU, WHEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS USED TO WRITE LETTERS WITH DICTIONARIES...  

If you never sent or received letters like these, you missed in action

CASSIC

Dear Sugar
Time and ability plus double capacity has forced my pen to dance automatically on this benedicted sheet of paper. Why this miraculous thing happened is because honey I love you spontaneously and as I stand horizontal to the wall and perpendicular to the ground I only think of you, since you are a fantastic and fabulous girl. Darling please Stop haranguing with the feelings in my heart because I love you more than a snake loves rat. To me each day starts by thinking of you and ends by dreaming of you. Each time I see you my metabolism suddenly stops and my peristalsis goes in reverse gear. My medular-oblangata also stops functioning.

Burnt Biscuit!

Sent by Hiyab Tsegay - Eritrea

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

The paradox of our time in history

A Message by George Carlin:

Sent by DIEN GODWIN - Nigeria

"Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate".  - Dien Godwin

George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

 

Making ends meet, Lagosians way.

By David Ibemere (Guardian)

Times are hard, no jobs, many complain, but some smart Lagosians are making a good living nonetheless 



"Survival of the fittest is the name of the game" - Lagos, Nigeria



WHEN others saw bean-cake-frying (akara) business as demeaning, Mrs. Rose Nnadozia, was only counting the possible number of people who would be passing the point she had chosen to erect her stand and how much she could sell.

With determination she started, preparing akara for her teeming customers who swarm around her to buy every morning and evening.

In a tiny makeshift kiosk she starts the day's job as early as 6.00 a.m., when she arrives at her popular shed in Orile.

She mixes and fries enough quantity before her patrons start lining up to be served. While a couple of them eat at the kiosks, a great number of them prefer to take the beak cake home.

According to her, she resigned as a receptionist in a private company in Ikeja in 2009 to start the job, which has now endeared her to her numerous customers.

"I started with the last salary I collected from my office. Initially, it was not easy since I was not yet known and could not make enough money to take care of my family. But I persisted because nobody forced me to do it. I started with only akara but when I later added 'dough nut,' fried yam and potato, I could not cope with the number of customers. My daughters were coming to help me before leaving for school in the morning," she said.

Mrs. Nnadozie observed that every business needs perseverance before it could succeed. "Had it been I relaxed when I started newly, I would not have been here today.

With this job, I have been able to train three of my children through university. Many people do not believe that it is only with this that I am able to achieve all those things," she said.

According to her, the only problem is the constant harassment from the miscreants popularly called area boys who come in different groups to collect money. She added that members of the Lagos State Task Force have demolished the place several times, forcing her to use a canopy now, saying: "I dismantle the kiosk each time I finish for the day."



'Gen set' repair, made popular by perenial power cuts

 Also, Dayo Ayoni, a 17-year-old school leaver, has become popular to many residents in Ajegunle, because of his mastery in repairs of generating set.

According to him, his parents are poor, instead of engaging in criminal activities, he decided to eke a living for himself by learning how to repair generating set.

"I have been repairing generating set for two years now. With the money I made, I was been able to support my parents in paying my school fees, and also buy textbooks. I am also saving for my university education."

"I don't have a shop, I only place a sign to show that I can repair generating set outside my house. I usually charge my customers N700 as my workmanship," he remarked



Commercial bus drivers and bus conductors, too....

 Also, Mrs. Yetunde Adelaja used to sell all varieties of fruits in Ladipo Market. She did not bother to erect a shed to protect her from the scorch of the sun. A table, stool and a raffia hat are the only property needed for her business. From morning till evening, if she is not peeling oranges, she is slicing pineapples or watermelon for her numerous patrons. Sometimes, when the fruits seem to be scarce, she adds roasted corn, yam. This is all she does for a living and she changes the fruits according to its season.


According to her, she has used it to train her daughter in the university and get a bungalow where they are living now.

A resident who wants to remain anonymous said: "All these menial jobs bring lot of money. People cannot do without them. Most of them have done that job to build houses.  Everything is perseverance. After all, there is no job that is easy."

Aminu Audu, is also one of those who smile to his bank daily because he serves his numerous patrons with bread and tea in a kiosk. He employs young boys who dash from one end of the kiosk to another to attend to the customers. His secret of success is prompt service. Despite what people say about his mean job, he is able to pay his boys "good" salary.   He is automatically an employer of labour as he pays them as at when due.

Also 18-year- old Lola Lawal is a proud of owner of a phone centre. She sells recharge cards and renders phone service.

According to her, she makes as much as N1,500 daily from her business from which she was able to pay for her examinations.

Ade Dosumu combs the city looking for where construction work is going on.

He offers himself to help with the construction and that is how he makes ends meet.

"The most favourable arrangement is when we are invited to serve the mason. Most often, we are paid N50 per block. Therefore, the pay is according to the number of blocks laid. A block is N200 and some bricklayers can lay more than 300 blocks before the day's work is over. So the least I make in a day is N2000 but I spend N300 on food daily since we have to eat very well because the work saps a lot of energy."



...not missing out the 'Okada Riders'(Motor-bike transport)

 A visit to the Agege Lairage and Abattoir also revealed different categories of labourers who have been able to eke a living from odd jobs in the vast complex.


"There are people among who collect bones and sell to bone-mills or other production outfits, which process them.

"What they get depends on their bargaining power and availability of buyers," one of the workers who spoke said.



He continued: "If you are serious and persistent, there is nothing to regret about it. Some people who work in corporate offices do not earn as much as we do. I do not think that at my level, I will want to work for any person again.

"Funny enough, when we meet a banker who earns N60,000 a month in a beer palour, because he is well dressed  and wears a tie, he buys us drinks, unaware   that I may be making as much,  if not  more  than he earns monthly."

He advised young graduates who roam the street looking for white collar jobs, to look around and harness whatever opportunities the huge population in Lagos offers and through which they can earn a decent living while waiting for their applications to be honoured.

The nature of God, ever seen...

Sent by Gabriel Dzisoo - Ghana

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair
cut and his beard trimmed. As  the barber began
to work, they began to have a good  conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects. 
When they eventually touched on the subject of God,
the  barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'   
'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 
'Well, you just have to go out in the street to
 realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? 
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine a loving God who would
allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer
left the  shop.    

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an  untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again
and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'   
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!' 
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no 
people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when  people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.    
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

The 45 lessons life taught me

Sent by Dative Mukashema - Rwanda

Written by a 90-year old

Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."