Wanted: A good springtime joke.

I am searching for a spring time joke to banish the winter blahs. I do not possess the wit required to make up, fabricate, adjust or remember jokes well enough to put humor into the springtime context. It takes me hours to write a simple letter, let alone come up with something to laugh at. I have to depend on those that jot down humorous stories about darn near everything. I met an old friend last Friday evening. We talked for a good half hour. Or rather, he talked for almost a half hour. I spent most of the time laughing. All I had to do was ask him how he was. He took it from there and joked about age, hair, wrinkles, forgetfulness, food, noises, other friends, the passing of time, driving, marriage, and clothes. Nothing was safe from his sense of humor. All I could do was listen. I couldn't think of anything funny to respond with. He even joked about that.

Over the weekend I went on my annual springtime search for pussy-willows. It was a huge success. Huge, fat, fluffy and proliforous pussy-willows. Probably doesn't mean much to a lot of people but to me it does. To me they represent the passage from one time of year to the next. The promise of what will come. Jokes have that same quality most of the time I think. So I ask you to send me a good springtime joke if you know one or can make one up. Just a couple of simple requirements. Clean enough so everyone can read them. Non- offensive in matters of a delicate nature. If you know a joke like that I'd love to hear it. I appreciate your help...........Joe

Hope springs eternal

Hope flows/springs eternal. I can't remember how old I was when I first heard that phrase. I do know I didn't understand the full meaning. As a kid what I hoped for was a pony, as a teenager it was a drivers license, as a new husband and father the ability to provide a home for my family, as a businessman keeping all my loyal employees working, as a man in a world of contradictions doing the right thing and as I age sometimes I hope for a day without pain. Hope covers a lot of territory doesn't it? Hope represents our dream of a better day no matter our personal opinion of what constitutes a better day. To keep hope alive sometimes we need the help of another. We want to be there when that happens. That's what these little comments about hope have been all about. As we wind it down and move on to other things I'd like to leave you with some ideas I read in Liguorian magazine.

"Lord, today, make my words strong when someone needs some strength, funny when someone needs a smile, careful when someone needs prudence, wise when someone needs wisdom, practical when someone needs to make a decision, and, Lord, help me to shut up and listen when someone needs someone to listen to them."

"May our presence always be a blessing when we walk into any room, even when we trip on the threshold as we make our grand entrance."

"May our sadness be overwhelmed by our gladness; and our gladness be so contagious that the mad and the sad become glad because they ran into us."

Thousands of people have viewed onto this blog about hope. We didn't reach a million but a million starts with 5000 first. We've done that. We can remember that when the days are dark. We can remember the hope that spread around the world because of us...................Joe

Hope four is more than a wish

Thank you! Because of your efforts this little project of spreading hope has stretched around the world.

Hope is essential to living out each day for millions of people. You have passed on the idea of hope far and wide. Did it change the world for the better? Perhaps. However, the main idea was to do what we could with what we have. Spreading hope doesn't have to be a monumental achievement. Little things are as important as the notable, huge, earth shaking events. It only takes one cell to begin life. It only takes one single thread of hope to change a life for the better. A smile, an encouraging word, a helping hand, an ear to listen, a hug, an unexpected letter or email at just the right time all can bring hope to someone that needs it. Over the past week those good things have been working their way around the Internet and the world. Thousands of people have passed on the principal of hope.

Is it ridiculous to think that this Lenten campaign of hope is all that important? No, I don't think so. I don't know about you but I can remember many times when I felt overwhelmed with a problem. It felt as though there was no where to turn, no way out of it. Alone and despondent. Then, from somewhere, out of the blue, without explanation, someone or something opened my eyes to the hope of the future, a way to overcome whatever it was that was consuming me, my energy, my heart, my life. I learned that with hope comes strength, wisdom, courage, attitude, change.

There is a saying, a prayer often used by groups and individuals that is an excellent description of hope in my opinion. It's called the serenity prayer. If you haven't read it lately you may wish to look it up. I think it goes like this: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Close enough. There is a whole lot of good going on in that prayer........I wish you a good day.........Joe

Sharing hope three/how

"Hi there! I was just happened to be passing by and couldn't help but notice, you don't have any hope! Here, I have some extra hope in my wallet and you are more than welcome to it. Have a nice day!"

Sharing hope isn't quite that easy is it? First of all, anyone that doesn't have any hope left probably isn't about to admit it. Secondly, how do we go about the business of sharing it when the person or persons we intend to share it with probably don't believe they need this ridiculous hope stuff anyway?

Sailors caught in a storm are often saved from disaster by the steady beam of a lighthouse. Lost travelers have found safety by following the stars or walking toward a tall landmark. Those lost in a desert at long last coming upon an oasis is a totally understandable depiction of hope. But in those cases the individuals concerned were well aware of what they needed. In many cases those most in need of true hope couldn't care less. If we shove it at them they will turn away. We'll be turned away like the rude, boisterous street corner preacher pushing a sign into out face reading, "The world ends tomorrow."

Hope is best shared by example. In my opinion we should be the beacon, the star, the landmark, the oasis. Not the street corner preacher. Thank you for all your help. I hope you have a wonderful day.........................Joe

Sharing hope Two

What does Hope mean to you?
A word often used to describe hope is, "Trust." That's pretty close to my intended meaning at this time. In the midst of life's turmoil it's important to have trust don't you think? For most of us it comes naturally, we were raised in an atmosphere of trust and learned from it. For those of us who lived in constant fear, trust made you vulnerable, trust was a weakness. There is an old phrase that goes something like: "It's your friends and family that can really hurt you because they are the ones you trust."

Hope in this case comes from a faith in that which is greater than us. Hope brings confidence. By overcoming our weakness and fear through hope we gain the strength to persist in something, "against all odds!" It is powerful indeed.

Hope!

If you possess hope, it needs little explanation. Kind of like being the only one having a flashlight in a darkened room full of people. Unlike a flashlight, you can share your hope. Not by force but by attraction. Now is as good a time as any to think about that and get about the business of sharing hope. Help me do that would you please? We don't want that light to go out..................Joe

Sharing hope

If you are a blogger or have an email list, a face book or twitter page, I'd certainly appreciate it of you would pass this site on to anyone you think might find it of interest. This is a sign of our shared heritage of hope. There are days when we could really use a sign of hope isn't there? All we have to do is open our eyes to it.




oooooooooooHooooooooo
oooooooooooHooooooooo
oooooooHHHHHHHooooo
oooooooooooHooooooooo
oooooooooooHooooooooo
oooooooooooHooooooooo
oooooooooooHooooooooo

Someone was willing to do anything to bring you hope.

This year my Lenten resolution is to spread the sign of hope as far and wide as possible. Good news for everyone. I can't do it without you. Thank you for your help. Wouldn't it be great if between us we brought hope to 1,000,000 hopeless people? But then again, why stop there?.......................Joe

Hispanic, Latino or just American

I read the daily newspaper. Actually it probably be said that I devour the news from it. I can read and think at my own pace without being dependant upon the personal bias of the reporter. TV, radio and the Internet round off my quest for knowledge concerning current events and opinions. Another entertaining part of the paper is the comic section. No matter the news of the day, I can always rely on finding some comic relief on that page. I don't know if that says something about my maturity but it really doesn't matter to me. I like it anyway. One of the strips is named "Baldo." Baldo is centered on an Hispanic/ Mexican decent teen age boy of that name, living in America with the rest of his family. He goes through all sorts of situations faced by young boys during the growing up, becoming a man process. Cars, girls, studies and choosing friends. I remember that stage well. Good for a lot of laughs on a dreary day most of the time. The writer also includes insight into the world of being of Mexican and Hispanic decent. Interesting and informative for me. We all have richness in our respective heritages I think. Some is presented in a light hearted way and some in a serious way. I learn from it, expanding my knowledge and lessening my ignorance in this country known as a melting pot. A double whammy. Today the strip brought me up short.

Baldo has a younger, pre-teen, genius type sister. Smart and witty with high aspirations of adult achievements. Constantly coming up with wisdom far beyond her age. Today she was concerned about what to call herself. It went something like: She was speaking with her dad and wondered if she should be called, Hispanic or Latino? Latino is actually Italian she said. And Hispanic refers to a lot of people that aren't Spanish. And then the writer had her say something that took me aback: "Or, should we just call ourselves, "Americans?" The comment sounded to me to be referred to as a last resort. Something to be called only when all other designations were exhausted. Is that why I call myself, "American?" Because there isn't any other special name good enough left to call myself? Has that what being an American has become, a last resort? Is being called an American the new racial slur or insult? I don't get it!

In any given conversation, I believe that if asked what nationality we are, if we are citizens of this country, it should be an honor to call ourselves American. I believe that if we enjoy the benefits of this great country we should be pleased to be able to say we are American first, not last.

So, if I had a daughter that asked what she should call herself I would answer: "American!" If asked about my heritage I'd be happy to share my Dutch, German and other ancestral stories. Those stories surround the reasons my ancestors came to the United States to build a new life, they were glad to come here and call themselves Americans.

So my opinion is this: Let's be proud of our heritage and readily share it with each other. However, lets join together as Americans and quit being so blasted divisive by calling ourselves by some special name first. I don't see the good in those special names. I think being able to call ourselves American is pretty special in itself. Even in the comic section.......................Joe