I'm glad you're in my dash

[Gizmo]

I picked this up off the Internet this morning. After reading Staz's message in the user survey, I thought I'd post it up.

I'M GLAD YOU ARE IN MY DASH---

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years. (1934-1998)

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars...the house...the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile..
Remembering that this special dash
May last only a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

[dod]

Nice Gizmo So what would you change?

[Gizmo]

You mean about who I have been, or who I am?

For the most part, I like who I am. There are some rough edges that need trimming, and I continue to work on them. But I think the core of who I am today is the way I want it (that is always subject to change, of course, depending on what life throws my way).

Life is a journey, yes? Ultimately, I believe the journey (and the paths we chose on that journey) is as important as the destination. I don't know about anyone else, but I tend to learn more from the bruises, bumps, and scrapes I pick up on the way than I do from the successes. It may be a fundamental part of the human condition that we can only truly learn through pain.

[SteveI]

uh-oh.
Gizmo, you are starting to sound like Dan.

[Daniel ~]

If you find a cure let me know!! ":O}

I still have a temper, one of the lest attractive traits going!

The odd things is that I don't REALLY lose it with people or animals...It's the perversity of inanimate objects that puts me out of sorts!

A dyslexic lives in a world where screws never tighten or loosen twice in the same direction. I can look at the end of a monitor pull 15 times before I see it's upside down.

In the last week I've had to get up and go look at my other boxes to figure out weather the " O" or the (-) is on or off on my power supply. I'll get back, look at the one I'm working with again...and have to go back again to check again! sometime a half dozen times.

My life's full of keys that turn the wrong way, Streets that use to be a block away and are now three blocks away and in a new direction from where they were yesterday!

I look the wrong way first when crossing the Street, it's almost gotten me killed more times than I can count!! I'll be half way across before looking for traffic in the lane I'm in. So I've quite driving altogether!! (you all owe me one for that!! ":O}

Objects betray me!! I really really have to concentrate on my attitude or I end up screaming and yelling at my computers.

I strive for an better temperament but don't seem to be able to get past this childishness.

[Áedán]

Gizmo's nowhere near to being like Dan. He can spell for a start.

[Áedán]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

I look the wrong way first when crossing the Street, it's almost gotten me killed more times than I can count!!

I have this problem. However, I suspect it's due to the fact that I spent time in countries where the traffic direction is opposing. Now I just look both ways to make sure I've got both directions covered.

[Daniel ~]

And my spelling hasn't improved one bit in the last few years in the forums, despite my efforts, words that are right just look wrong to me and visa versa. Thank you God for Spell checkers!

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Áedán

I have this problem. However, I suspect it's due to the fact that I spent time in countries where the traffic direction is opposing. Now I just look both ways to make sure I've got both directions covered.

I try to do that! But the thing is I always "THINK" I've got it right this time! I think physiologically I've spent most of my life in denial; I WANT to believe my perceptions are reliable, for most of my life the alternative was just to scary to face! LOL

Now at 56, I know I'm going to die, I mean aging brings that home in a way nothing else does, not to scares me anymore. Accept death and you grow brave. Dyslexia, a minor annoyance. At lest until I start to work on complex things like opening my front door! LOL

[danrok]

English isn't a pure language, it's a mish mash of various languages thanks to the Romans, Vikings, etc. Imagine if English did not exist and someone invented it - everyone would think that person to be insane!

[Daniel ~]

English could have done more to make my life easier! ":O}

[stigweed]

I think its generally understood that its the mixture in english that means that its got such a large word base and why its such an expressive language (though you wouldn't think that form the way most people use it).

As for losing tempers with inanimate objects, I'm a sucker. People are fallible, if the do something the p-sses me off then its cos they didnt mean to or are incompetent, but if an inanimate object does it you just KNOW its done it to spite you (especially computers) and needs a good kicking and swearing at as punishment.

My ex never understood that one, she wouldn't even grant it me as a release of anger having smacked my head on the door frame yet again (low ceiling was out to get me). The new missus hasn't seen me get angry with a machine yet.

Machine soak up frustration built up by people. Sometimes its best to be alone.

[Gizmo]

English, if I remember my etymology correctly, is actually a Germanic language in its roots. England, however, was conquered or invaded so many times in its history that the English language now barely exists in its 'original' form.

Then of course there is the American variant, which has no roots at all, because it borrows freely from whatever it needs.

[Daniel ~]

And we make up the rest as we go along!

It's the freedom to change it's usage that "Just blows me away" It's So "cool" To "Spin up" and "lay down the smack" when having to deal "with all that Jazz"

Staying "laid back" is a "breeze" when you can "torque" your meaning to "chill" "the peeps"
you "hang" with.":O}

[Kaitain]

Originally Posted by gizmo

English, if I remember my etymology correctly, is actually a Germanic language in its roots. England, however, was conquered or invaded so many times in its history that the English language now barely exists in its 'original' form.

Then of course there is the American variant, which has no roots at all, because it borrows freely from whatever it needs.

Hmm, my english history lesson followed a slightly different tack:

* Indo-european (x000bc)
* Celtic - modern variants are Gælic and Irish. Welsh is similar but is actually a reconstructed language having been wiped out once before. Cornish was the closest to Celtic, but died out last century.
* Latin/pre-italian - the former from religious and official prose, the latter from infantrymen stationed over here by the Romans
* Saxon - only in eastern counties, though since the first printed book was published in a former Saxon county, its effect is everlasting, while it might have vanished had a North-Western dialect prevailed. Saxon is one of two major root languages of German (the other being Teutonic), which is why there are huge similarities with English.
* Danish - in places. The Danes were less successful than their elder civilisation at leaving language traces behind
* French - an early variant thereof. L'Academie Français didn't exist, so we got the version most prevalent in Normandy, but only among the nobility, who were also imported. It is believed that the proletariat spoke dialect variants of Celtic and Saxon right up 'til Caxton built/bought his printing press and started spreading his (Middlesex) dialect about the country. Since then the base language has become mostly that of the Midd'x dialect. The untranslated Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are entirely in Middlesex English. Since then the language has evolved fairly naturally right up until the publication of the first dictionary.

All this is entirely from memory and unconfirmed. It could be total garbage - if anyone can actually be bothered to research this, I'd love to know their findings

[Gizmo]

(sigh) Should've known better than to argue english origin with an englishman present.

What I posted was from memory as well, and was little more than an odd tidbit that I had come across many many moons ago. Hmmm..........this might be interesting.

[Daniel ~]

My older sister bought me The Middlesex Canterbury Tales as joke when I was around 12. I was having so much trouble learning to read that I didn't realize it, it was all Greek to me!

The odd thing was that I could puzzle out a good deal of it's meaning. I think I kinda blew her away with my efforts, she didsn't confess to the joke for a decade! ":O}

It was my first brush with Classical lit.