“The most desired gift of love is not diamonds, or roses, or chocolate. It’s focused attention.” - Anonymous

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

27 September

How to Handle a Woman: Another right way.

Your wife gets off the phone and tells you she just learned that her mother just dropped dead. Knowing that she’s an only child and all the funeral arrangements will be left to her, in the bad old days you probably would have come out with some hyper-active Fix-it gene abreaction like this: “let’s see; you’ve got to prioritize contacting the newspapers, the funeral home, the cemetery, the bank, the church, letting friends and family know.” Of course, none of that is necessary as she hangs up the phone. Besides, [hopefully] you’ve learned over the years that she’s got a more-than-healthy Fix-It gene of her own. What she needs right away is your two ears, not your big mouth. In short, you need to learn to listen. You can help her do all that prioritizing later.

“I'm an idealist without illusions.” - John F. Kennedy

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

September 27

“If all do not join now to save the good old ship of the Union this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another voyage.” - Abraham Lincoln

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

26 September

You'll know, infallibly, you're doing the thing right if you're having fun at it. Whatever "it" is.

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

September 26

In the 1860 Presidential election Lincoln won California and Oregon as well as every Northern free state except New Jersey. It was enough to give him a comfortable Electoral College majority. On the face of it, that sounds very impressive. But unfortunately, there were three other major candidates for President that year. And in the popular vote Lincoln only won 39% - that is the smallest plurality of any victorious presidential candidate in all of American presidential history, before or since. Or, to put the case a little differently, at a time when the 15^th President, James Buchanan, actually described himself as “the last President of the United States,” at a time when the nation was dissolving like snow in spring, the 16^th President received a vote of no-confidence from 61% of the 1860 electorate.

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”- Martin Luther King, Jr

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual” by Arnold Kunst

25 September

The Strong, Silent Type plays ok in the movies, maybe, but up close and personal The Terminator is a palpitating human relations disaster.

“Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.” - Mary Kay Ash

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

September 25

“Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know whereof they speak! There is no permanent class of hired laborers amongst us ... Free labor has the inspiration of hope; pure slavery has no hope.” - Abraham Lincoln

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." – Steve Jobs

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst

24 September

My time, and yours, is precious, as is to be expected of someone sent on a multifarious mission by God Himself. I am called to see Him in them; they are called to see Him in me; we are all alike called to see Him in one another, one another in Him. With a mission of such magnitude you and I can't fritter away this day with its distinct characteristics, its never-to-be-repeated opportunities. For day follows day, spinning out the realization of God’s very own elongated longing...