It seems to me that with each passing year people have less and less actual contact information memorized. This includes the information they would need in order to get in touch with their closest friends and families.
Between the conveniences provided using our cell phones and the internet, most people find little to no need for the memorization of any information except for maybe their own phone number and address, that is, if these two items are not already on their business cards or permanently affixed to the side of their vehicle.
This thought had crossed my mind in the past, but what really brought the point home was the fact that I wanted to send some of my friends a post card while I am still deployed. Unfortunately, I realized that an updated address book listing a physical address where my friends could recieve mail has fallen by the wayside. I'm fairly certain that this is true in most cases.
Either way, the technology we posess is a valuable tool, however, we must also think about "the other side of the coin," as one might say. What if you suddenly found that your area was facing a natural disaster, such as the one faced by the survivors of Hurricaine Katrina in the New Orleans, LA area back in August of 2005.
Of course, technology had not advanced as far as it has today at that point, but I wonder how many of those people, once they actually found a telephone that worked, actually had at least one current telephone number to a friend or relative memorized. How many do you have memorized today?
Please don't get panicked and go overboard, but maybe it is time to dust off your trusty little black book, or better yet, start to memorize a few telephone numbers. After all, you do not want to be the guy tying up the line using directory assistance when there at least a thousand scared and impatient people behind you, many of whom will have to do the same.
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
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Please
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Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
March 17, 2013 - Happy St. Patrick's Day
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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©David H. Troyer
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I always find it funny that St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually born in England. According to what I learned in history class, he was taken to Ireland, found his way back to England, and finally returned to Ireland as a missionary.
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©David H. Troyer
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So, when you are out celebrating, or just thinking about the day and wondering what it is all about, please take a minute and look up St. Patrick. Find out some of the stories associated with St. Patrick. I'm fairly certain that doing so will not only give you something fun to talk about with your friends while you are celebrating, but it will also improve your overall enjoyment of the holiday in the future as well.
If you have enjoyed reading this entry, please become a follower of this blog by using your Gmail account.
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
Please check out some of my other pages when you get a chance.
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer - Become a Fan!
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Friday, March 15, 2013
March 15, 2013 - The Ides of March
Today is the Ides of March (March 15th). The day in history in 44 B.C. when Julius Caesar was assassinated. To me, this story seems almost unbelievable, but according to historical accounts, it happened.
Although the means by which Julius Caesar was warned of this day were not the most conventional, perhaps he could have taken some measures for protection against something bad happening. Then again maybe he thought Brutus had his back.
I know that this blog entry is short, but if you have never read the story, you should check it out. It says a lot about Roman society at the time.
If you have enjoyed reading this entry, please become a follower of this blog by
using your Gmail account.
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
Please check out some of my other pages when you get a chance.
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer - Become a Fan!
www.twitter.com/davidhtroyer - Find out the latest news about my career
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
Please check out some of my other pages when you get a chance.
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer - Become a Fan!
www.twitter.com/davidhtroyer - Find out the latest news about my career
Thursday, March 14, 2013
March 14, 2013 - Random Acts of Kindness
Random acts of kindness are awesome!
I love it when someone does something nice for someone else, out of the blue, and has nothing to gain from it. Granted, you should do random acts of kindness for your friends and family, that helps your relationship to grow in a healthy manor and lets you know that you love them. You should also consider doing random acts of kindness for people who you have never met and may never see again.
An awesome example of this came up just last week (When I wrote this on December 19, 2012, that is) when I was chatting with one of my former students. She asked me if I though she should bake some brownies and bring them to the fire department across the street from her house, and expressed her doubts about doing so because of the fact that most modern-day Americans will not take food from people they don't know.
I told her that if she wants to do it that she should follow through, but that she should be prepared to eat a few brownies just to prove that there is nothing wrong with them.
Another random act of kindness is the sending of care packages. Thankfully, I have been on the receiving end lately, but when I leave here, I plan on being on the giving end as well. Fortunately, I will have a better idea of what deployed members of the military need when I get back. (Toiletry items, drink mixes, books, crossword puzzles, batteries - whatever kind you are allowed to send, DVDs/Cds, and anything which will provide lighthearted entertainment to name a few items).
I know that people give more during the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, etc.), but this is something that we should consider doing all year long. From November until mid January, we kept a candy box for everyone who worked in our area. Soldiers would bring extra candy and snacks which were sent to them and we would all share it. After January, we struggled to even have a box.
Keep in mind that it does not have to cost you anything to contribute a random act of kindness in order to help mitigate the effects felt by the sea of misery which so many people must swim through on a daily basis. You could trim the neighbor's hedges or mow their lawn, especially if they are elderly or not able to do so for some other reason. You could make it a point to hold the door open and warmly greet everyone you meet on any given day. You could even bring some cans of food you have just sitting on the shelf at home to the local homeless shelter.
If you have children, you could even get them involved by asking them to donate some of their gently used clothes or toys to a family in need or to any number of charitable organizations. Children are never too young to teach about random acts of kindness or charitable giving... and these lessons may even follow them throughout life.
There have been many times when I have seen a random act of kindness brighten up someone's day.
One final example is the day I deployed. When I was in the store at the airport, a lady bought a drink and a snack for the soldier in front of me, and myself. She did not know the two of us from any other soldier in the world, and she will probably never see us again, but still, she made it a point to tell us "Thank you for your service," both in word and in deed. We were both appreciative of her actions.
She did not know that I had skipped my lunch on that day or that I was rushed through the airport in order to get to our plane because someone had given our group the wrong time to arrive at the airport, or that I would be away from my family for the second Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day in a row, or that I would be missing Christmas, New Year, and our Anniversary as well. This kindhearted lady just laid down her hard earned money in a random act of kindness in tribute to every soldier, sailor, and marine who is fighting for her freedom.
It is the people like the lady at the airport, and my former student, who serve as examples to us all. The gladness which we can bring to another human being by contributing one simple act of kindness without the hope of something in return is simply amazing.
If you have enjoyed reading this entry, please become a follower of this blog by using your Gmail account.
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
Please check out some of my other pages when you get a chance.
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer - Become a Fan!
www.twitter.com/davidhtroyer - Find out the latest news about my career
I love it when someone does something nice for someone else, out of the blue, and has nothing to gain from it. Granted, you should do random acts of kindness for your friends and family, that helps your relationship to grow in a healthy manor and lets you know that you love them. You should also consider doing random acts of kindness for people who you have never met and may never see again.
An awesome example of this came up just last week (When I wrote this on December 19, 2012, that is) when I was chatting with one of my former students. She asked me if I though she should bake some brownies and bring them to the fire department across the street from her house, and expressed her doubts about doing so because of the fact that most modern-day Americans will not take food from people they don't know.
I told her that if she wants to do it that she should follow through, but that she should be prepared to eat a few brownies just to prove that there is nothing wrong with them.
Another random act of kindness is the sending of care packages. Thankfully, I have been on the receiving end lately, but when I leave here, I plan on being on the giving end as well. Fortunately, I will have a better idea of what deployed members of the military need when I get back. (Toiletry items, drink mixes, books, crossword puzzles, batteries - whatever kind you are allowed to send, DVDs/Cds, and anything which will provide lighthearted entertainment to name a few items).
I know that people give more during the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, etc.), but this is something that we should consider doing all year long. From November until mid January, we kept a candy box for everyone who worked in our area. Soldiers would bring extra candy and snacks which were sent to them and we would all share it. After January, we struggled to even have a box.
Keep in mind that it does not have to cost you anything to contribute a random act of kindness in order to help mitigate the effects felt by the sea of misery which so many people must swim through on a daily basis. You could trim the neighbor's hedges or mow their lawn, especially if they are elderly or not able to do so for some other reason. You could make it a point to hold the door open and warmly greet everyone you meet on any given day. You could even bring some cans of food you have just sitting on the shelf at home to the local homeless shelter.
If you have children, you could even get them involved by asking them to donate some of their gently used clothes or toys to a family in need or to any number of charitable organizations. Children are never too young to teach about random acts of kindness or charitable giving... and these lessons may even follow them throughout life.
There have been many times when I have seen a random act of kindness brighten up someone's day.
One final example is the day I deployed. When I was in the store at the airport, a lady bought a drink and a snack for the soldier in front of me, and myself. She did not know the two of us from any other soldier in the world, and she will probably never see us again, but still, she made it a point to tell us "Thank you for your service," both in word and in deed. We were both appreciative of her actions.
She did not know that I had skipped my lunch on that day or that I was rushed through the airport in order to get to our plane because someone had given our group the wrong time to arrive at the airport, or that I would be away from my family for the second Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day in a row, or that I would be missing Christmas, New Year, and our Anniversary as well. This kindhearted lady just laid down her hard earned money in a random act of kindness in tribute to every soldier, sailor, and marine who is fighting for her freedom.
It is the people like the lady at the airport, and my former student, who serve as examples to us all. The gladness which we can bring to another human being by contributing one simple act of kindness without the hope of something in return is simply amazing.
If you have enjoyed reading this entry, please become a follower of this blog by using your Gmail account.
David H. Troyer
www.davidhtroyer.com
www.amazon.com/author/davidhtroyer
Please check out some of my other pages when you get a chance.
www.facebook.com/davidhtroyer - Become a Fan!
www.twitter.com/davidhtroyer - Find out the latest news about my career
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