Country Wisdom

A traveling salesman is walking down a country road, and passes a farm. In the middle of the field he sees a farmer, standing under an apple tree. The farmer holds a pig in his arms. The salesman stops and watches as the farmer walks around the tree with the pig, and holds it up so that the pig can eat about four apples in this manner.

“Mr. Farmer,” yells the salesman, “wouldn’t it take a lot less time if you just put the pig on the ground, and let him eat the apples that have fallen of of the tree?”

The farmer pauses in his work, turns to the salesman and says, “Well, maybe, but really, what’s time to a pig?

Kenya School Project Flourishes with Community Support
http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=6217&e=y

Kenya Help nonprofit
http://kenya-help.org/

[creative commons photo of D'Arnaud's Barbet at Lake Baringo, Kenya by aftab on Flickr]

Simple

Unexpected

Concrete

Credible

Emotional

Story

When Limbo Ain't Vertical

I had the chance to talk with a King Lear character outside of Peet's Coffee in Los Altos the other day who ask me, "Do you know when limbo ain't vertical?" He motioned toward heaven and hell, then paused for my response. I was slow to respond and a broad smile grew on his face revealing five missing teeth, all in horizontal alignment, absense, limbo. Then he motioned across the street and into the Peet's shop, looking to me for acknowledgement and some type of reaction.

[creative commons photo from Max Sparber on Flickr]

First Pancakes

I really never throw out the first pancakes. Sometimes they're overcooked, sometimes undercooked, occasionally splotchy, and sometimes they are absolutely perfect. The producers of the wheat flour, eggs, and milk worked hard to get their best to me, so I think I owe it to them and to myself to not waste good food.

My little one reminds me everyday of how precious our first efforts at walking, talking, and writing are. It is a little more challenging to consider my first PowerPoint, first departmental budget, or first sales pitch to be special or meaningful to me or anyone else.

Do you throw out your first pancakes?

[creative commons photo from Solcita on Flickr]

Muda: waste that does not add value
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muda_(Japanese_term))

Mura: unevenness, inconsistency
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mura_(Japanese_term))

Muri: overburdened, unreasonableness or absurdity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muri_(Japanese_term))

Chop wood. Carry Water.

http://www.interluderetreat.com/meditate/chop.htm