A Man, his boy, and a Donkey (an Aesop tale)

Taken from the site http://www.pagebypagebooks.com

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?"

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yoursu and your hulking son?"

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.


"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:

"Please all, and you will please none."

Small and simple

I was pondering in my bed tonight and was overcome by the truthfullness of this scripture found in Alma, in which the prophet Alma records "...behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass;"

Thinking back about my life in general nothing exeptionally stupendus in a single event have moved me to where I am right now, which is a place of relitive peace and a sure hope for my future, but a culmination of very small and simple things all taken together.

For instance I have strugled with an obsession to video game playing as well as an addiction to pornography both of which are in a state of controled abstinance.

I believe that all of life can be like this as we follow and listen to our hearts, or conscience, or whatever you want to call that inner you that tells you what is right and wrong. One small correct choice after another, built upon each other over time, can move your life into a state of calm and control.

Do times of panic or stress disapear forever? no not all together. Hard times will probably still present themselves to you, but in taking the same, small simple steps of seeing a situation as it actually IS (IE no false forcasting or unrealistic worrying), and moving according to your own inner self's directions. In the end you come out on top once again. As you practice and overcome more and more, it becomes easier than the last 'time of hardship' till your life becomes one big habit of peace.

Be careful of your thoughts they may become your actions, Be careful of your actions they may become your habit, Be careful of your habits they may become your charactor. -unremembered at the moment, but once I re-find the quote I'll give credit where credit is due.

She didn't post it so I'll post mine

The Marriage Box


Most people get married believing a myth;
that marriage is a beautiful box
full of all the things
they have longed for;
companionship, romance, sexual fulfillment,
intimacy, friendship, laughter, financial security.


The truth is that marriage,
at the start, is an empty box.
You must put some things into it
before you can take anything out of it.

There is no love in marriage;
love is in people,
and people put it into their marriage.
There is no romance in marriage;
people have to put it into their relationship.

A couple must discern what things work
to improve their relationship and form
the habits of communicating,
giving, sacrificing, sharing, loving, touching,
serving and praising.

In other words,
keeping the box full.
If you take out more that you put in,
the box will be empty!

~author unknown~

Open

my jaw unhinges when it is open to an extreme measure. I went to a second Dr/Dentist and he was able to force/hold/manipilate the jaw to a position that was (more) correct (at least that what I believe he did) and he commented on how I probably should get help fast for the problem. I told him it has been 6+ years and I feel that the TMJ mis-alignment is what is causing my neck, shoulder, spine, and even hip pain. He agreed, but failed (as most Medical people do today) to commit to a sure yes/no that that was the cause.

However later that day my right shoulder muscle erupted in a new kind of pain (at least to this body/brain) and that (for me at least) confirmed the pain and tension in my TMJ joint IS causing the muscle sensitivity.

Problem now is choosing which Dr./Dentist to go to in order to have my situation addressed...

Just an update

.. The first picture is the left side of my jaw and second is right... you can see right back, left forward... update other then that...

So I've moved now back to Orem and Im' closer now to my University, UVU, and I'm going to get some help with my TMJ syndrome. Turns out that my Temporal Mandibil Joint becomes unhninged when my mouth is clenched or it is open all the way... my guess is it happenes when it my jaw is clenched as that is what I was doing as I feel asleep in the hospital 6 years ago when my hearing became completly ringing and gone without hearing aides. After that the tinitus (ringing in the ears) never stoped again. ... I remember in the hopital I was given some mouth wash, or something, that would open up my ears, I think, and the ringing would go away and I could hear... but not after the night I fell asleep with my mouth clenched... ... so here is hoping that TMJ treatment will FIX my TMJ problem and not only will the pain in my back and shoulders leaving, but perhaps my hearing will come back too... If that doesn't happen then I will continue to go forward and do the best I'm able.

See this talk or This talk