Erma Bombeck’s words on living well

I spotted this in the rest room of a domestic violence shelter for women and families during the 2011 end of year holidays. It struck me as so beautiful, and tonight I had a little time to find it on the web and post it. I hope you love it too. This is the wisdom shared by Erma Bombeck after she discovered that she was dangerously ill. Just a little heads up: some of these items are tear-jerkers . . .

  • If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.
  • I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
  • I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
  • I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
  • I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
  • I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
  • I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
  • I would have cried and laughed less while watching television – and more while watching life.
  • I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
  • I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
  • I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
  • Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
  • When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”
  • There would have been more “I love you’s”.. More “I’m sorrys” …
  • But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it … live it…and never give it back.
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    AAA Free Tipsy Tow Service NOT A Nationwide Program

    2014 Update for New Jersey drivers: Sober Sam is available but

    News about AAA offering free towing service nationwide to get inebriated drivers home safely on New Year’s Eve is circulating virally on Facebook but according to Snopes, less than a dozen states offer this program.

    When you see this posted on Facebook, tell people not to rely on the service. There’s only a limited chance it will be in effect where they live:

    No Excuses!!! Don’t drink and drive — and don’t ride with anybody who does. Tipsy Tow offered by AAA: You don’t have to be a AAA member, from 6pm-6am on New Year’s Eve/Day they will take your drunk self and your car home for FREE. Save this number … 1-800-222-4357. read more

    Free University Education Programs

    MITx: Online Teaching Model Beta Launching in 2012

    The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) takes its online teaching program to the next level with the new MITx initiative, which will be introduced this spring as a beta-testing model. Forbes magazine says, “MITx . . . will offer the online teaching of MIT courses free of charge to anyone in the world. The program will not allow students to earn an MIT degree. Instead, those who are able to exhibit a mastery of the subjects taught on the platform will receive an official certificate of completion.” read more

    Media Outlets Serving Up REAL, accurate News

    Telling the truth, Orwell
    Source: Twitter

    Here’s a running list of media and advocacy organizations that are courageously bringing you the hard-hitting truths you can’t see on TV and in most newspapers any more. It will receive additions – hopefully, many of them …

    Please also take a look at companion piece on which organizations are serving up bad news, and what it is about their news that makes it bad.

    Campaign for America’s Future

    The Campaign for America’s Future is the strategy center for the progressive movement. Our goal is to forge the enduring progressive majority needed to realize the America of shared prosperity and equal opportunity that our country was meant to be. read more

    Paulo Coelho. An accessible sage.

    My current hero is Paulo Coelho. If you want access to a positive and empowering perspective on life that can be easily adopted by anyone breathing, take a look at his website and learn more about what Paulo does and says. Paulo’s a Brazilian guy possessed of a mountain stream of beautiful wisdom and comments, for example

    The moment we set off in search of love, it sets off in search of us.

    You ask if love wins over anything. The answer is yes if you don’t try to possess the subject of your love. read more

    Free cellphones for low-income NY households

    TracFone Wireless launches SafeLink Wireless in New York, making cellphone use free to low-income families eligible for the Lifeline utilities program. Lifeline is a U.S. government supported program for income eligible families that ensures telephone service is available and affordable.

    The service will provide eligible households a free cell phone, mobile access to emergency services and free 68 minutes of air time, monthly for a one year term which the customer can apply to extend the following year. The free cell phone offers all of the convenient features customers want in a phone: voicemail, text, call waiting, international calling to over 60 destinations and caller ID. read more

    Fly-fishing for breast cancer survivors

    Casting for Recovery is physical therapy for women after breast removal surgery. Fly-fishing requires the same range of motions traditional therapy offers to strengthen and develop muscles in the upper arm and body. CFR operates in the United States, Great Britain and Canada.

    More info at Casting for Recovery.

    Which wolf will win?

    Which Wolf Will Win?

    A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them, “In every life there is a terrible fight – a fight between two wolves.

    “One wolf is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment, and deceit.

    “The other is good: joy, serenity, humility, confidence, generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion.”

    A child asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?”

    The elder looked him in the eye. “The one you feed.” read more

    Tallest man meets shortest? man

    Two Mongolian men meet and shake hands. Bao Xishun at 7 foot 9 inches and He Pingping, who stands tall at 2 foot 4 [73 centimeters]. Mr. Bao recently married a woman whose head reaches the height of his elbow; Mr. He’s father says his son was the size of a man’s palm at birth. The UK’s Daily Mail tells more.

    What gas costs today at service stations near you

    Now you can check the price of gas daily at over 90,000 service stations.

    . . . prices are provided by OPIS. OPIS is the only comprehensive source of U.S. wholesale and retail petroleum prices, tracking more than 90,000 daily retail gasoline prices, and 70,000 rack and spot prices for heating oil, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, LP-Gas, residual fuel, natural gas and ethanol. More than 100 billion gallons of fuel are purchased annually based on an OPIS Price Index.”

    Get free phone conferencing! Free, as in no money.

    Free phone conferencing is well, free. So obviously the telcos would like to take it away from you.

    The reason you are still paying huge sums of money for phone conferencing is because you didn’t know you could have this service for free. Go to freephoneconference.com, and you will be free phone conferencing in the few minutes it takes to set up your account.

    The free phone conferencing service is available any time you want. UNLESS, that is, you’re a customer of AT&T/Cingular, Sprint or Qwest. Why is that? read more