IrishBeat.com

Congratulations to John H. of Ashburn VA for 7 years of Sobriety today, March 17, 2012 – St. Patricks Day. And to all of those who join him in his sober way of life. Many more to come!!

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.   Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents.  Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’

The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.

LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS……IT’S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN !

I came across an old Irish film the other day that I thought was fantastic. It’s the story of the Howth Tram that ran along the coast in Ireland. The film is called “Once Upon a Tram”. It was created in 1958 and has some wonderful scenes of Irish life at the time.

Here’s the link and a brief excerpt from the site. I hope you enjoy.
http://www.europafilmtreasures.eu/PY/261/see-the-film-once_upon_a_tram’

Directed by John Sarsfield and James Maguire between 1958 and 1959, Once Upon a Tram immortalizes one of the last runs of the Howth Tram that linked the villages of Howth and Sutton that lie along the County Dublin coast, 9 miles from the city centre. Families escaping the hustle and bustle of city life would head there for an afternoon at the seaside.
Life passes gently by from one tram stop to the next, in the midst of the Irish countryside glorified by the inimitable Kodachrome film. Some passengers get off, others climb on, for a round of golf before teatime.
Narrated with old-fashioned elegance by the smooth voice of renowned Irish actor Cyril Cusack, Once Upon a Tram is a nostalgic film that moves along like an old lady taking her time.