|
|
December 1999
Hello friends, fellow folkies, and website visitors,
The fact that this is the last Note of the year, decade, century, et cetera is no big deal. We get older second by second, not year by year. And yet, the big calendar change can be symbolic if you want it to be. That's probably why folks like to get a fresh start each year with New Year's Resolutions. I saw something in the paper the other day along these lines that I'll pass on. It was a list of 7 sacred virtues to strive for (instead of the 7 deadly sins to avoid). We're talking BIG resolutions, are you ready?
-
Humility to know we are not alone in this world.
-
Generosity to allow others to have what they deserve.
-
Restraint to control our most passionate impulses.
-
Kindness to tolerate the mistakes of our fellow humans.
-
Moderation to satisfy ourselves with the necessities.
-
Charity to help those who are unable to help themselves.
-
Diligence to make ourselves useful in the world.
I'll close with a public service announcement. This is the season when people give and receive gifts, and apparently, you have to be really careful these days with some of the products - even everyday things. Here are some actual warning labels or instructions on products that I've seen in the stores recently:
-
On a bottle of Nytol: WARNING - MAY CAUSE DROWSINESS.
-
On a frozen dinner: SERVING SUGGESTION - DEFROST.
-
On a string of Christmas light: FOR INDOOR OR OUTDOOR USE ONLY.
-
On a bar of Dial soap: DIRECTIONS - USE LIKE REGULAR SOAP.
-
On the BOX for a Rowenta steam iron: DO NOT IRON CLOTHES ON BODY.
-
And here's my favorite. Last year I had to seal my driveway, so I went to the hardware store and bought a 5 gallon bucket of blacktop sealer. I swear the label on the bucket read: DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY.
Either life is too dangerous, or everybody's afraid of a lawsuit. If you really want to make someone happy this holiday season, do something simple but make it yourself.
Until the year 2000,
Dan
|
