Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Notes from a friend...
Remember:
"A good friend will come bail you out of jail....
But a true friend will be sitting next to you saying
WE screwed up, but we had fun!"
I've learned...that life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned...that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned...that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned..that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned...that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved. !
I've learned...that the Lord didn't do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?
I've learned...that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
"A good friend will come bail you out of jail....
But a true friend will be sitting next to you saying
WE screwed up, but we had fun!"
I've learned...that life is like a roll of toilet paper.
The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned...that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned...that money doesn't buy class.
I've learned..that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned...that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved. !
I've learned...that the Lord didn't do it all in one day.
What makes me think I can?
I've learned...that to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
Monday, April 07, 2008
More Chocolate?
Did I forget to tell you that the van broke down in Tulsa and while having it fixed, someone stole the merchandise trailer? Thought not. More chocolate anyone?
Thursday, April 03, 2008
March On.
Can you believe it? March has passed. It was a busy month for sure. Two trips to Tulsa; a recording session for 225 singers; an exhibit for 3 days on concrete floors; a visit to OK City to see my Son; a visit to my parents in Arkansas; a visit from my Mom as she rode back with me and stayed for 2 weeks; a trip to the doctors office to check out her chest pains, which he diagnosed as muscular, still not sure what that means; a visit from my son for Spring Break; a trip to the Atlanta airport during the tornado; two trips to the Birmingham airport; one mad dash at DFW airport; one cancelled flight out of Tulsa; five gate changes at DFW airport; one lost bag; one found bag; one delivered bag; dogwood trees blooming; pink, red and white azaleas blooming; five wheelbarrow loads of compost dug and spread; and time to dig and divide hostas. Oh yeah, the van broke down so JJ is still in Tulsa getting it fixed.
Yep, March has passed.
Yep, March has passed.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Few Cups of Coffee
A Few Cups of Coffee
copyright 2008 David Clark/Cochran, Ga.
For permission to reuse, please contact the author.
P.O. Box 148 - Cochran, GA 31014
dclark@outofthesky.com
My work as a "second" for my new client took me to an interesting
meeting. There were a dozen high-powered individuals there.
I was there only as an observer. My client asked me to go so I could
better act as a sounding board on the topic.
Supposedly everyone at the table knew why we were there. It was a
friendly meeting to discuss an agreement that had supposedly already
been reached.
Within three minutes, I knew the meeting was a bust. It took an hour
and twenty minutes for the meeting to break up, because everyone at
the table kept talking, and of course four different lawyers had to
weigh in several times to further complicate the discussion.
I kept wanting to raise my hand and say: "Didn't anyone talk to
anyone else before y'all came here?" I didn't do this, of course,
though it would have saved everyone a lot of time.
My client and I walked back to his office afterwards. My client said:
"Well, what did you think about that?"
I laughed. "Well, it was a great example of what happens when a bunch
of good men assume everyone already knows what everyone else thinks."
The next day I saw another one of the men from the meeting. He and I
shared similar roles in the meeting. Neither of us was the
decision-maker but we both worked for the man who was. He said:
"Well, that meeting didn't go so well, did it? What did you think
about it?"
I said: "Well, it seems like it would have gone a whole lot smoother
if two men had shared a cup of coffee and a little conversation
before they got there."
"What do you mean? I thought they were disagreeing about the terms of
the contract."
"The contract had nothing to do with it."
"How can you say that? That's what the lawyers kept talking about."
"Yes, that's true, but that's what lawyers talk about. The real
problem was a simple human mixup. The two parties came to the table
without knowing how each other felt. All they had to do was talk
things out a bit before they got there."
He laughed. "You know, I think you're right. Both men had definite
thoughts about why they were there, but neither man knew what the
other man's thoughts were."
I've thought alot about that meeting in the last few days. I wonder
how many times a minute that same thing happens in this old world --
where two people, two neighbors, a husband and wife, two towns, two
states, two countries, two groups of any kind -- manage to assume
they already know what the other side is thinking but never take the
time to sit down and talk about it.
I know this is oversimplifying many situations. But in the last week
I've been involved in helping last week's bad meeting approach
resolution. All it took was a few cups of coffee over good
conversation.
-*-
Email David Clark at, or write him at P.O.
Box 148, Cochran, Ga. 31014.
-*-
NEW BOOK RELEASE:
David Clark is releasing a new book called "Simply America." It is a
book of stories about our country, about freedom, about Veterans,
about people met on the road, all describing a thing very precious.
Also now available is "The Peanut Farmer Stories" and "Letters to
Cagney, Wisdom is a Deep Well." These old reader favorites have been
out of print for a couple of years now, but are back in stock.
Order these books by mail using the form below, or go to Clark's
website if you want to use Paypal or a credit card. The web catalog
address is;
http://www.outofthesky.com/basic/catalog.html
copyright 2008 David Clark/Cochran, Ga.
For permission to reuse, please contact the author.
P.O. Box 148 - Cochran, GA 31014
dclark@outofthesky.com
My work as a "second" for my new client took me to an interesting
meeting. There were a dozen high-powered individuals there.
I was there only as an observer. My client asked me to go so I could
better act as a sounding board on the topic.
Supposedly everyone at the table knew why we were there. It was a
friendly meeting to discuss an agreement that had supposedly already
been reached.
Within three minutes, I knew the meeting was a bust. It took an hour
and twenty minutes for the meeting to break up, because everyone at
the table kept talking, and of course four different lawyers had to
weigh in several times to further complicate the discussion.
I kept wanting to raise my hand and say: "Didn't anyone talk to
anyone else before y'all came here?" I didn't do this, of course,
though it would have saved everyone a lot of time.
My client and I walked back to his office afterwards. My client said:
"Well, what did you think about that?"
I laughed. "Well, it was a great example of what happens when a bunch
of good men assume everyone already knows what everyone else thinks."
The next day I saw another one of the men from the meeting. He and I
shared similar roles in the meeting. Neither of us was the
decision-maker but we both worked for the man who was. He said:
"Well, that meeting didn't go so well, did it? What did you think
about it?"
I said: "Well, it seems like it would have gone a whole lot smoother
if two men had shared a cup of coffee and a little conversation
before they got there."
"What do you mean? I thought they were disagreeing about the terms of
the contract."
"The contract had nothing to do with it."
"How can you say that? That's what the lawyers kept talking about."
"Yes, that's true, but that's what lawyers talk about. The real
problem was a simple human mixup. The two parties came to the table
without knowing how each other felt. All they had to do was talk
things out a bit before they got there."
He laughed. "You know, I think you're right. Both men had definite
thoughts about why they were there, but neither man knew what the
other man's thoughts were."
I've thought alot about that meeting in the last few days. I wonder
how many times a minute that same thing happens in this old world --
where two people, two neighbors, a husband and wife, two towns, two
states, two countries, two groups of any kind -- manage to assume
they already know what the other side is thinking but never take the
time to sit down and talk about it.
I know this is oversimplifying many situations. But in the last week
I've been involved in helping last week's bad meeting approach
resolution. All it took was a few cups of coffee over good
conversation.
-*-
Email David Clark at
Box 148, Cochran, Ga. 31014.
-*-
NEW BOOK RELEASE:
David Clark is releasing a new book called "Simply America." It is a
book of stories about our country, about freedom, about Veterans,
about people met on the road, all describing a thing very precious.
Also now available is "The Peanut Farmer Stories" and "Letters to
Cagney, Wisdom is a Deep Well." These old reader favorites have been
out of print for a couple of years now, but are back in stock.
Order these books by mail using the form below, or go to Clark's
website if you want to use Paypal or a credit card. The web catalog
address is;
http://www.outofthesky.com/basic/catalog.html
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Lightning Show
We had the most spectacular lightning show on Tuesday morning at 4 am. I have never seen anything like it. The whole house was lit up and there was no place to run from it, even though I was scurrying around trying to unplug every media, computer and appliance in the house, as power was coming and going and eventually went.
It was the sound of wind and hail though that sent us to the closet wondering if we would have a house standing when we came out. The weather radio indicated a cell located 6 miles north of the Talladega airport. Actually I don't know where the Talladega airport is but figure we must have been a few miles north of that and so we were spared the worst of the weather damage. The roof is still intact and the greenhouse weathered the storm well, all pieces still in place.
I scoured about the area to locate some dry ice since I had actually gone to the grocery store the night before and those of you who know me, know what that means, food in the frig. I ended up making a trip to Gadsden and did indeed buy dry ice. It was a real educational experience and kept our frig and freezer from thawing out during the 15 hour power free zone. It wasn't like I could do anything else and it turned into a nice dry, a burger at Sonic, and my first trip to drive into downtown Gadsden and see the main row there.
Lots to be thankful for. I only wished that I had pictures of that lightning storm. I really thought we might just explode on the spot but looks like we didn't, so just counting all those blessings. God is good!
It was the sound of wind and hail though that sent us to the closet wondering if we would have a house standing when we came out. The weather radio indicated a cell located 6 miles north of the Talladega airport. Actually I don't know where the Talladega airport is but figure we must have been a few miles north of that and so we were spared the worst of the weather damage. The roof is still intact and the greenhouse weathered the storm well, all pieces still in place.
I scoured about the area to locate some dry ice since I had actually gone to the grocery store the night before and those of you who know me, know what that means, food in the frig. I ended up making a trip to Gadsden and did indeed buy dry ice. It was a real educational experience and kept our frig and freezer from thawing out during the 15 hour power free zone. It wasn't like I could do anything else and it turned into a nice dry, a burger at Sonic, and my first trip to drive into downtown Gadsden and see the main row there.
Lots to be thankful for. I only wished that I had pictures of that lightning storm. I really thought we might just explode on the spot but looks like we didn't, so just counting all those blessings. God is good!
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