My wife and I recently went to a grocery store known for years as Stauffers of Kissel Hill which is a local, owner run, grocery store that has done well and now has several locations in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. Each store is much the same as the other and sells the exact same items in each store. My wife and I usually visit the same store every week, since the ride is through the countryside and parking is easy. One item that I enjoy that I make sure I pick up every time, no matter what location it maybe, is a free copy of "The Fishwrapper" which is a 16-page pamphlet that has a somewhat religious theme to it. The 8 1/2" by 11" pamphlet has a variety of stories that are fun and interesting to read as well as quite a few local advertisements. One recent story I enjoyed was titled "Living Life to the Fullest". I have passed it along to you today to see if you too might enjoy it. So......here goes:
A professor stood before his philosophy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up an empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He 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 cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, 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 -- God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions. Things that 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 really important to you. "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Honor God in all you do! Play a game with your children. Take your spouse out to dinner. There will always be time later to clean the house, fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a cup of coffee with a friend."
If you live in the Lancaster, PA area...the next time you pass one of the local Stauffers of Kissel Hill stores, stop and see if you don't enjoy shopping in the store and then on the way out, pick up your free copy of "The Fishwrapper." I'm sure you will enjoy both your shopping experience as well as your copy of "The Fishwrapper." It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - one final note from my latest Fishwrapper...Just a warning if you're buying a watch on Amazon. I learned the hard way that if it says you can swim with it on, this only applies if you can already swim without it! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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