Thursday, March 27, 2008

DAY DREAMING



Day dreams are sometimes criticized as a useless waste of time. And if they are never acted on, I suppose they can be. But it would be a sad, dull life if we couldn't think about brighter, more positive things from time to time. And if it hadn't been for daydreams, we would most likely still be living without fire, and, instead of pecking away on a computer, I would be etching this message on a cave wall with a sharp piece of flint.
I once read of a fellow who was condemned to one of the worst of prisons. The conditions were so terrible that most of the prisoners just gave up and few lived out their sentences. The ones who eventually were released were white-haired, white-bearded old men who had aged far beyond their years. I can't remember the name of the hero of this story, but he was made of stout stuff. He decided that he would not allow the prison to break him. As much as possible, he kept his mind filled with happy, pleasant thoughts. At night, when he looked out through the prison window, he saw, "not bars, but stars." And when his sentence was finally finished, he walked out of the lockup under his own power. Thinner, I would imagine, but definitely not an aged and broken man.
We all have our troubles and problems, but to just concentrate on them gets us nowhere. Usually we can come up with some pleasant thoughts that make our day seem easier. This kind of thinking is much better for our health and well being than just concentrating on all of the negative, unpleasant conditions around us. A popular song tells us that lighting just one little candle is better than cursing the darkness. Oftentimes changing to cheerful, positive thoughts will give us the answers to our problems. Instead of complaining to ourselves about conditions and secretly blaming other people for our bad fortune, why not try to find some solutions to the problems of the day? At times, we may surprise ourselves with our ability to think and to come up with answers and new innovations, if we just keep our minds in the positive mode and give them free rein.

THE GOOD LIFE

I know some folks may think I'm dumb
Cause I march to a different drum
At times, I turn the real world
Off, and I just dream.

Then I help tame the old Wild West,
I've even climbed Mt. Everest,
While cultivating with a
One-row and a team.

In time and space, I make the rounds;
My world has no limits or bounds.
I'm living in the future,
The past and the now.

I've seen the French and Indian Wars,
Walked with the first man up on Mars,
While still at home, milking a
Big old Holstein cow.

If you don't like how your world seems,
Retreat into a world of dreams;
I will guarantee that it
Shall do you no harm.

I've driven Maserati cars,
At times hobnobbed with movie stars,
And, shucks, I've never ever
Even left the farm.

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