wise man ch 3

Wise man ch3

When Ken arrived at the office, Florence was already there working away like she was very experienced in preparing initial contracts and proposals for the clients to sign.

This was a consulting job, and Ken was glad for the help. Now he could spend a lot of time researching the clients operation and see ways to improve their sales department. You would think that a large company would know how to improve their own sales because they had more experience with their own product, but somehow they eventually always reached a deadlock, where their own staff could no longer provide growth.

Well, that’s where Ken could help. He would provide an outside perspective that would become obvious to him after a great amount of research, but the hard part is always implementing those programs with the clients own staff.

Then there was the job of convincing the client that the programs proposed would actually result in a benefit that was worth the costs involved. After his briefing on the project, he felt more confident that this could be accomplished.

Ken had a lot of papers to read, and he gave to Florence seven calls to make and set to work. He found himself fresh when 6’oclock came, and he bid Florence goodnight. He knew who he wanted to talk to, and Ken hoped that peculiar man was still at his office.

He dialed the number, and when the receiver picked up he heard, “Hello this is Paul.”

“Hi, this is Ken, I just wanted you to know that the advice you gave me was wonderful, and I want you to know that I appreciate your help. You were just what the Dr. ordered.

“Well, I’m glad that I could be of help, if there is anything else that you need, feel free to call me, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Yes there is something I still need to do, and I’d like to speak to you again if you are going to be at you office in half an hour, I can stop by. Would that be convenient? This won’t take long.”

“I will be here, so I’ll see you soon.”

When Ken arrived at the office he met Paul and said a nervous hello. He wasn’t sure how Paul would take this offer, and he might take it as prying, or condescending.

“Paul, I feel indebted to you and just wondered if you make a good living? You have made me understand how little I know about people and their motives, but we all have our own specialties, and mine is consulting and advertizing. I hope that you understand my motives, and that they are only spurred by good will for your help.”

“Well Ken, I somehow feel that I can trust you, and I’m sure that is one of your strengths. I don’t pay much attention to money and soliciting business. Usually people whom I have helped tell of me to a friend in similar need. I will be totally honest and say that my rent is usually late. I feel this must be a shock to you, but I am very interested in what you have to say, and what services you might provide.”

“I have already given it some thought, and I think some small improvements could make a great difference to your bottom line. I would like to look at your books and we can go from there. I can return them tomorrow and have a plan for you in a few days.

Ken left the office with a ledger and some notes. He was surprised and glad that Paul had trusted him with his personnel business. Most small businesses are very private about their operations, but he could guess that Paul wasn’t rolling in money by the small office, and the condition of the building that he operated out of.

When he got home he called Rita and asked if they could meet for lunch again. When she said yes, he thought to himself, life is getting better each day. When he had studied Paul books he went to bed and fell asleep easily. It had been a long day.

wise man ch 2

Wise man chapter 2^nd chapter

The first thing that Ken did was to call his former boss and ask if they could talk about getting a job back. His former employer said to come in at 4:00 pm.

When he got there the next afternoon, Ken met Sam with some trepidation. “I know that I left you in need, and on short notice, and I know that I would probably would have to take a lesser position, but I really liked working for you, and would like to accept any position you might offer.”

Sam responded,” let me show you something, as he led Ken to a corner office.” Sam continued,” I realize now that we were not paying you enough to take on such large projects. I also realize that you should have an assistant to handle the major part of the paperwork. I would like to give you a 10 percent raise and introduce you to your new executive assistant.”

“Florence, meet Ken who will be working with you on that large project we had put on hold.”

Ken said, “I don’t know what to say, except that I will do the best job I can, and that I don’t think you will be sorry, “Florence, I’m glad to meet you, and I’m sure we’ll enjoy working together.”

“Alright,” Sam said,” come in at nine, and we’ll see you at ten for the managers meeting.”

Ken was very surprised that his company bore no grudge against him, and that they would still trust him in such a position, not to mention the corner office and an assistant. The next thing to do would not be as easy. He needed to call his wife.

When he got home, he picked up the phone and set it back down a number of times, each time rehearsing what he would say. Finally, mustering all his courage, he called and waited for the familiar voice. “Hello, this is Ken,” He said.

“Hi daddy, do you want to talk to mommy?”

“Hi sweetheart, yes I would like to talk to your mother”

A reserved voice came over the receiver, “Ken is that you?”

“Yes Rita, I don’t know if you want to see me, but I would like to get together and talk.”

“Oh Ken, you made your feelings clear, what is there to talk about. I’m very busy being a single mother, and I don’t know what good there would be in talking.”

“I know that I’ve been a jerk, but I would be thankful if you would be willing to meet me at the little café around the corner.”

“All right Ken, we can meet a little after noon. The kids will be at school, and I can meet you then. After all, I do have to eat, and I have an hour off from work.”

When Ken arrived the next day after the weekly managers meeting, Rita was already there. She was wearing an outfit that was conservative looking, and yet very becoming. Ken knew that this would be a waste of time, but he sucked in a breath and said, “Hello Rita, you look very nice today”

“All right Ken, what do you want, I already gave you a break on child support, and what do you want now?”

“Let’s order something to eat first” Ken said, “its better not to think on an empty stomach.”

When they had finished their food, Ken began. “Rita, I’ve had a lot of time to think, and I realize that most of our problems were caused by my lack of confidence, both at work and in my new business. I was so miserable, and I don’t know what I was thinking. I got my old job back, with a raise, believe it or not, and now I want to see if there is any way that we could discuss getting back together again?”

Rita said, “Ken, what makes you think that I could ever trust you again? If you left me once, what would make me think that you wouldn’t leave me again? I thought you left me because you must have had a girlfriend. What about that? Oh Ken, how could I ever trust you again.”

“You have to believe me Rita, I didn’t leave you for someone else. I can’t say that I never went out with anyone, but there was no one like you.”

“Well Ken, this is too much to decide without a lot of thinking. We’ll meet soon and talk some more, but this will take a lot of convincing on your part.”

When they left the café Ken thought to himself that the meeting had gone as well as could be expected. After all, she hadn’t said no. And he felt a newfound confidence that everything would be okay.

wise man ch 1

The wise man

The wallet lay in the street, seemly oblivious to passersby. Ken leaned over and picked it up, not realizing it would change his life forever.

In it found no cash or credit cards, only a driver’s license and a business card. He put the card in his pocket and decided to call the number later.

He went about his tasks for the day and upon reaching his bus stop, realized that the address on the card was only down the block. Well, he would do a good deed for the day and deliver the wallet personally!

Arriving at the building he found the elevator and hoped it worked. It did, and scanning the card again, found the correct office. He knocked and a quiet man’s voice said “Come in.”

Ken entered the office and found that it was full of books, some on the shelf and others open on the desk, behind which sat a small balding man who looked up and greeted him, “Hello, I am Jones, Paul Jones.”

“Well, here’s your wallet,” Ken said, “I thought I would bring it to you personally.” as he set it on the desk.

“Thank you very much; I cancelled the credit cards, but a new license, that would have been an inconvenience. Now what can I do for you?”

“What do you mean, “What can I do for you”? “ I don’t even know what you do. Are you a professor, or a lawyer? You don’t know anything about me, my personal life, my work; anything.

“I am a man who has given himself to study. During that study I have come to understand people. See all these books; they are just pieces of a puzzle. Even if you put them all together they are just a collection of facts and knowledge. But I have found that with humility come wisdom; and an understanding of people. Yes, I can help you, just as I have helped many before you.

“Why did you leave your wife, I see he mark on your finger and the look in your eyes, though you try to hide it. You don’t have a regular job and you hate what you do, you did not even shave this morning. You have experienced a great decrease in income; your suit is very expensive but worn. You are a good man, you even brought a stranger his wallet,” as he chuckled quietly.

“Come back at ten in the morning and I will tell you what you must to do,” as the man leaned back and half closed his eyes.

He left the office confused.

His confusion had not left him when he arrived at his apartment.

He knew that the man had derived much about his circumstances. But what could he do, they would never rehire him again after quitting, though they must have had much confidence in him to give him those large projects, projects that he did not have the experience to handle.

And his wife: He was not sure he had done the right thing, and it was not good for the kids. But he was pretty sure she would never have him back.

When he arrive at Mr. Jones office the next morning, he said, “Okay, you are right, I need help and don’t know what to do.”

“You already know. I am only going to tell you to try. You have the answers. Now you have thought about the things that you regret, or did not have confidence in. You must have confidence in yourself, and many of the people who believe in you; there must be many. You can never quit trying, and always believe in yourself.

By: Welch Roberts

Asperger's

I have aspergers. No one understands me. I don’t understand them. Many have people have tried to understand me, but their explanations have fallen short. They thought they knew me, but I didn’t know myself.
I was oblivious to things that they thought I was rude about. I didn’t know that I had said the wrong thing. I didn’t know that I had done the wrong thing. I tried to imitate “normal people” with limited success.
I misjudged the people around me and could not understand why I didn’t fit in socially. I was shy, but talked too much. I was ostracized and didn’t care anymore. I needed human contact, but trained myself to accept isolation.
I was clumsy and wasn’t allowed to participate in sports. They gave me a camera and told me to take pictures. I substituted reading books to having friends.
At different times I pushed myself hard and was a service manager, a Sunday school teacher and an estimator/ purchaser. I threw up every morning from stress.
I found out about having aspergers two years ago. Then I found out that I am bipolar. So now I know I have four hard things to live with, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, aspergers, and bipolar disorder.
I will not give up. I know I have something to give this world and I am persuaded that I can still do it.

logical/emotional thinking

The uneducated opinion of an amateur

What is logic? What is logical thinking? Is it a way of living and thinking?
The way we view our world is seen through a filter, a filter that colors everything we hear, see, or in any way experience
What are emotions? What is emotional thinking? Is it a way of living and feeling?
In reality, most people have a blend of both logic and emotion. Too much of one or the other causes a person to be out of balance, dysfunctional, and ultimately unhappy.
How can a person find the right balance? If it was easy to find the answer for everyone, there would be no need for mental health care professionals.
Too much logic can suppress spontaneous emotions and the joy that we can, and should experience in our lives.
Too much emotion can yank us around like a rag doll, and jerking this way and that, depending on what circumstances happen to bring that day.
I don’t have all the answers. It's just as simple as that. I am very sorry if I have disappointed you; but progress can be made, though it may be painful to give up old ways of thinking.
For the logical thinker a key to use is socialization, however uncomfortable that may be, because there are many emotional people to be learned from. Do things that were not planned in advance and have fun if you can. Even if that is not very successfull, it will be good practice
For the emotional thinker it is difficult to let go of the role that chemical pathways in the brain have influenced our thinking. A key tool is to stop thinking altogether, and then starts fresh with only places and people to consider. A concerted effort to put yourself into other people’s position is helpful.
Some people have, unfortunately, found that they have defective thinking altogether. If you find that you have this problem, it can be recognized by the fact that you have no friends at all. You may think you have found a friend, then find that they were not a friend at all and disassociate from you altogether. This is the most difficult category to find that you are in.
You must trust your health care provider implicitly and ask; what are the problems I have in dealing with people and how can I change my thinking? Also; and this may be the most difficult, ask the people you have had acquaintance with, what is your judgment of me as a person? What things have made friendship for with me impossible?
You must take this input with humility, and realize that for them to be willing to do this, is the ultimate gift for your future success in normal relationships.





Logical thinkers

Logical thinkers have only a limited spectrum in which to view their world. Everything has to made sense or they are at a loss of how to understand others who are not of a similar persuasion.
The world is not a clearly defined place. To a logical person there must be cause and effect. Actions must be for a purpose, so when they find this lack of organization in the world, it is very uncomfortable to them.
They try to enforce their ideas on the rest of the world with little or no success. They may even find themselves ostracized from normal, well balanced thinkers who find friendship with these people as constrained and with no room for a spontaneous ways of expression. Existence for these people comes in one of three non exclusive forms.
1. Construct their own world with or without loyal subjects that must live within the “Rules”
2. Learn to accept with great discomfort an illogical society that they find baffling, but finally learn to accept as their only alternative
3. Find a specialized component of society within which their differences are accepted as strengths in an occupation where they can function independently but without much social discourse.

Emotion thinkers

Emotional thinkers find themselves in a state of constant turmoil. Things are constantly happening, the causes which are misjudged. They find motivation in others, where none exists. They find that they often have to resolve conflicts, real or imagined, with people who are at a loss to know what the real problem was.
They are always trying to make sure that everyone still likes them and that they have not offended someone, though they are often offended by others whom they have misjudged.
Stability for people who are emotional thinkers comes when:
1. They find a few friends who can put up with their idiosyncrasies
2. They are able to ignore and suppress their true feelings, because by expressing these emotions, have found only rejection.
3 They isolate themselves from most people, and as a consequence find solace in many kinds of activities and perhaps a comforting pet (or pets) which take the place of people, who they find highly confusing.
(Many well balanced people enjoy pets, though not as obsess- ably)


Defective thinkers

Defective thinkers, have defective thinking! That is a very simple statement. First a medical history must determine if traumatic events at some point in that person’s life have precipitated the unacceptable behavior. If that is the case, them this underlying problem must be addressed before much further progress can be made.
Also, a thorough medical history should indicate that no head trauma has occurred. A PET scan may also be in order if the behavior or motivation is bizarre.
If these tests are negative, or inconclusive, then cognitive therapy, or medication may be the only alternative. Without treating this global way in which the individual thinks, or conducts him (or her) self, programs to treat individual behaviors will be ineffective.
The number of books that have been written on this subject is innumerable.
There are so many mental health conditions that can beset a poor victim trapped in this world that no one can judge the true underlying character without “walking in his shoes for a mile.” Tough a true spiritual experience can often; controversial to most health care providers involved in abnormal physiology, provide much relief of symptoms, the cause of the problem must be addressed.
Is it bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, previous or current drug abuse, or just being mad at the whole world and every one in it!
It is not uncommon to a mental patient to spend years without a correct diagnosis, and many more years of intensive therapy to correct the dysfunctional thinking.
That fact is a great shame for our current system of mental health treatment. For an individual and his family to have to endure ten years of turmoil needlessly after help is obviously needed is a great drain on our collective society.

the frontiersmsn

The frontiersman very carefully loaded his rifle. The British soldiers were trying to conceal themselves in the mud, but to no avail.
The brown Betsey’s that the British carried were accurate out to only sixty yards, which compared unfavorably with the long rifle that the American Kentuckians carried, which could hit a man sized target out to three hundred yards.
The British were at a loss of what to do. They had amassed enough soldiers to win the battle, but the frontiersmen wouldn’t fight fair. The British were used to lining up against ranks of musket bearers and blasting away at each other until one or the other prevailed. The British almost always did. They would line up in ranks of three, one firing and two loading, then stepping up and firing for an average volley every ten seconds. The loading time for the smoothbore musket was twenty seconds whereas the Kentucky rifle took a full minute.
This was not much consolation to the British troops, who were not only out of range, but could hardly see the Kentuckians, who were hiding behind trees.
Hank, who had left his farm, only a month ago, was amazed at the British way of fighting. Hank, who could shoot the eye out of a squirrel at close to a hundred yards, almost felt compassion for the plight of these British soldiers who had come across the ocean, however unjust their cause. As the British blasted away at an unseen enemy, Hank calmly reloaded every minute or so and dropped another enemy soldier, who was trying to hide in the mud of the battlefield.
While the British tried to retreat, the Hank moved from tree to tree dropping them like flies. The battlefield was filled with the dead, the wounded, and the dying. Men were lying on the ground groaning and calling for water, but there was no respite, for this was a decisive battle that would set the course for the next phase of the war. No Quarter given, and none asked.
Little did Hank know that George Washington would from now on rely heavily on the fifteen hundred backwoodsmen with their long rifles, to scout and harass the enemy from this point on, in the War of Independence.
He looked forward to the time when this conflict would be over and he could go back to his cabin in the small settlement where his wife and children waited for his return.
After the battle and the prisoners had been rounded up and interned, Hank got his men together and they all celebrated their victory, one of the few against the British at this point in the war. Their good feelings were tempered by the losses that both sides had suffered. War means killing, which is never a pleasant sight. Men would lose arms and legs by crude amputation in these primitive conditions.
“Well Hank, what do we do now” his men asked him.”
“I guess that we should report the outcome and wait for orders from our commanding officer. I’d sure like to go home, but I have a feeling that we’ll be needed until these British are licked for good. Let’s gather our food and fill our water bottles in the meantime.”
But you know the rest of the story.

north seas

You couldn’t hear any one speak over the sound in the engine room located in the bowels of the ship. Enormous shafts connected to the propellers drove the ship through the water as men shoveled coal into huge furnaces that heated the boilers. Gages on main steam lines gave pressure readings, and oil ports were located at the bearing and all moving parts.
The temperature was never under a hundred degrees, so the men wore no shirts, yet dripped with sweat.
Above on the bridge the captain scanned the ice encrusted windows for any sign of German U-boats.
He gave the order for sailors to start chipping the ice from the super structure so she would not become top heavy. Gale force winds buffeted the men and they were constantly sprayed by freezing north Atlantic waters.
The captain knew that many ships had been attacked by subs, even in such weather. As if to confirm the captains concern, the starboard lookout yelled, “boat low in the water at 60 degrees; five hundred yards.” Bells rang out as the captain called for full power and turned the boat hard to port. Then the dreaded call came; torpedoes in the water.
On the U-boat the men endured even worse conditions. There was no enclosed bridge. The captain and two lookouts had seen the ship well before launching torpedoes. But they had to see what type ship lay ahead so they could set the torpedo depths to strike well below the water line, yet not miss below the hull.

The conditions were so bad that during one rouge wave all three men on the bridge were swept away. The relief watch had come up to find no one there.
The captain of the U-boat and all the sailors waited for the call from below; “Two torpedoes running sound and true.”
They waited with anticipation for the sound of an explosion signifying a hit. The first torpedo passed by the stern and porpoised out of the water, undoubtedly caused by heavy waves, but the second struck amide ship with a great explosion that threw men to the deck. The engine room began to flood almost faster that the men could scramble up the ladders.
Immediately the radio operator began to put out a distress signal, but could not find a ship closer than seventy five miles. He relayed the news to the bridge: the captain knew that in these heavy seas they would all be dead by the time the ship arrived, she was already going down by the bow and listing. A man could sometimes die in minutes in these frigid waters.
Then a strange thing happened, the U-boat approached and began to throw out lines to the ship. They were going to bring the men aboard! The captain said, “There is a God in Heaven.” All these young men would live to see their mothers, wives and children.
The submariners packed the sailors in every part of the ship. Luckily the boat was bound for home port, so there was some extra space where food was stored, and they had fired their last two torpedoes, so there was some room there. Even then it was packed tight as a sardine can.
Soon the rescue ship arrived and they made radio contact so the other captain knew what had transpired.
As the captain was the last man to depart, the two captains shook hands and the sunken ships captain said; may you find grace in the eyes of the God I believe in, and to whom I pray every day for safety in these troubled waters.

The humans

They were the people. They had come to be, by the Great Spirit who had made and brought them here to this place; to live in it, and to respect it, and all the things that were in it.
Life for them was not easy; but hard work and vigilance, always provided what was necessary for the tribe to live and prosper.
Since the introduction of the horse by Spanish, in the fifteen hundreds, the plains Indians had taken on new ways of hunting, and there was much more interaction between the tribes.
Though the many tribes spoke different dialects, there was one type of language that was spoken by all; Plains Indian Sign language.
At this moment the chiefs of the two tribes were gathered in the great tepee discussing items of great importance. War between the tribes was infrequent, though the stealing of horses was not. If the chiefs were not careful, impetuous young warriors would threaten the peace by crossing into other territory, and steal the horses of another tribe.
This meeting, however, did not involve horses. There were two who were soon to be bound in marriage, and there was much to discuss. The tribe would lose a warrior, and there was the matter of dowry to discuss. The young man had three horses and three fine buffalo robes. The bride’s father wanted four horses and a new fine bow with many arrows. The sacred piece pipe was passed among all the men, for this was in all their interest.
A compromise was finally made by the father, for four horses and one buffalo robe.
Now were plans for the dance to take place. Women began to prepare the choicest foods. A great fire was built as the men adorned themselves in their finest robes and painted their faces with meaningful signs for the occasion. The women also came out with beautiful dresses made from the softest of doe skins.
As the drum began to beat, they formed a great circle, moving in rhythm as they circled the fire. As the evening progressed, maidens would take the hand of young warriors they fancied.
Then with abruptness the drumbeats stopped; the great chief of the village wished to speak. “This is a great day for our two tribes. We are now bound by the joining of our people. Let none of us speak evil of them, and let us not treat them in a way that causes them to speak evil of us. We are one people now, let this not be easily forgotten.”
“Shawnoch (man who stands by a tree) is a fine warrior and much respected by all the elders. It is of some sorrow to have him leave us. (The groom always went to the brides’ village) We know that he will be a blessing to your village for he knows the way of the Great Spirit and follows his ways,” this all being interpret by the chiefs’ son.
Then the brides’ father stood and replied. “We know that they will bear us many fine sons, and we will treat them as gifts from the great spirit, to be cherished as long as the grass grows and the sun gives us light for our way. Your son will be respected by our elders, for we can see he is a great man in his ways and in his spirit.”
When they entered the special tepee of union, all knew that this would be a good thing for both villages.

thoughts when I was young

Once when I was young I went out into the pasture to water the cows. I was barefoot and my toes sunk into the soft mud. It was dark, but one cow heard the water and came to drink.
It took a long time to fill the old bathtub so I had some time to think. I could see the stars, and I wondered, how far can the human eye see? I can see millions of miles, I guess, or how could I actually see the stars.
I thought about God, and if there really was one. I had been taught that there was in Sunday school, but had no personal experience with him, if he existed. If he did exist, where was he?
Was he up behind those stars, and did he really create those stars? Could people actually know and feel God like they said in Sunday school?
I sure didn’t know the answers to those questions, and about then the tub was full and started running over, even though the cow was still drinking.
I figured that supper was about ready. I was really hungry, so I went back to the house for my favorite; beans, buttered cornbread, and hamburger with ketchup.

A true trail story

I loaded my truck with all my trail camping gear, sleeping bag, tent, lamp, sterno stove; you know, all the stuff you need when you plan to stay for days in the back country above Lone Pine CA.

The road to the trail head was winding and steep, and the truck labored to climb up the hills. I was much relieved when I reached the launching point of my solo expedition.

Getting ready to depart was not easy because there was limited space in my backpack. Finally I managed to get the necessary items in the pack, and strap on the tent and sleeping bag. It was with much expectation that I departed up the steep trail.

The country was densely wooded and I was invigorated by the freshness of the morning mountain air. Finally the woods opened up and I was struck by the serenity of the untouched trees and the pine needle covered ground.

With an altitude of over eleven thousand feet, I was soon sucking a lot of wind, and had to stop every hundred feet or so recover, which allowed me to look around and appreciate the beauty even more. These stops gave me time to snack on typical trail food; granola bars.

Gradually the trail began to descend and then wound around in steep switchbacks. I had to be very careful here because the trail here was very rocky and rough.
I was amazed when the woods opened into a beautiful pristine grassed valley, with a clear winding stream. The trail here was smooth and level and I reveled in the pleasure of the openness of this mountain valley, with fish in the stream and birds flying carefree where they would.

I reached the end of the main part of the valley, and realized that it was starting to be evening here in the mountains, and was getting slightly chilly. After setting up the tent, rolling out the sleeping bag, and setting up the sterno stove, I set about gathering wood for a fire to warm myself.

Sitting in the warm glow of the fire, I prepared a tasty meal of freeze-dried food, which can, by the way, taste this good only in the mountains after such a long hike, and sitting by a fire.

It was with much contentment that I snuggled up in the sleeping bag, and watched the last embers of the fire die away.

When morning came I was awakened by a loud noise, so I stuck my head out of the tent and saw hikers disembarking from an airplane. With amazement I realized that I had camped at the end of a runway, where everyone else would begin their climb.