Jim Davidson Column

No. 1030

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

BACK TO OUR ROOTS!

When it comes to our nation’s economy and our role in the world, there is a group of people who are vital to our success for a number of reasons. We call these people “farmers,” and they produce the foodstuffs we eat, and also provide jobs and a way of life for a good number of people.
Because of a number of factors, over the past few decades their numbers have dwindled. There was a day when more than 95 percent of all Americans lived on a farm. Today, because of mechanization and other factors, that number is less than 1 percent.
There is a funny story that has circulated about this over the years that perhaps you have heard. The story goes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Farm Bureau have a gentlemen’s agreement that there can be no more government agents than we have farmers. One day a U.S. Department of Agriculture agent was walking down the halls of Congress, and he was weeping uncontrollably. When someone asked him why he was crying, he said, “My farmer died.” To be sure, farmers are very important people and we should each pause from time to time to realize just what they do for the rest of us.
What brought these thoughts to mind was a copy of the Wynne Progress, a weekly newspaper that has now run my column for almost 20 years. Wynne is a farming community in East Arkansas, very progressive, with a lot of pride and community spirit. This paper is kind enough to send me a copy of the paper each week so I am able to keep up with what is taking place there. They started a Bookcase for Every Child project about four years ago and it continues to this day. I am very proud of them.
Each year they produce a special edition where they honor the county “Farm Family of the Year.” Each county winner then competes in the state competition to be named the “Arkansas Farm Family of the Year.” The paper includes a special section where local businesses take out large ads of congratulations, and there are stories and photos of the family members that gives a great overview of the farm operation, what they produce, and the background and history of their operation.
After reading some of the articles, I decided to do a little research about this important project and to make many of you more aware of why farmers are important to all of us. This program started here in Arkansas in 1947 with the following objectives: first, to recognize and encourage farm families who are doing an outstanding job in farming, homemaking, and community leadership; second, to highlight the importance of agriculture to the economy of the community and the state; and third, to disseminate information on improved farm practices and effective farm and home management. This is really “back to our roots.” After the county selection process is complete, a committee then selects district winners, leading up to the selection of the overall state winner.
It should be noted that this is not meant to be a competition but rather a recognition program. Quite naturally, in a project of such major importance, state officials get involved, including our governor. The announcement is usually made the first or second Friday in December, which is Arkansas Farm Family Day. Ross Mauney, former employee of Arkansas Power and Light (now Entergy), is given credit for starting the program. Also, one of the sponsors is the Arkansas Press Association, an organization of which I am proud to be a member.
This program is now being carried out in 10 other states, as we honor those who feed us. Why not say “thank you” to some farmers you know for doing a good job.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)

No. 1032

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SOME OF LIFE’S UNCLAIMED BLESSINGS!

When it comes to being blessed or having great blessings in our lives, there are a couple of verses in the Bible that pretty well say it all. Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
If you will take a few moments and reread these verses, I believe you will agree that they not only give solid counsel for living a better and happier life, but also some things we should avoid to keep from inflicting self-punishment on ourselves. It is an age-old story. Most problems we experience through our lifetime are brought about by the person who looks back at us from the mirror.
Now this question please: Who among us does not want to be blessed? According to the dictionary, the word “blessing” or “blessed” means, “That which makes happy or prosperous.” And it also means, “The bestowal of divine favor.” As a Christian, the latter definition is very special to me because it means that God is showering his blessings on the individual who seeks His favor and is grateful to have them.
Whether you agree or not, I am here to tell you that most of us miss far too many blessings because we fail to ask or, when we do ask, we ask with wrong motives. I am sure you have heard the saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Actually, these words are more than just a saying, they are the words of Jesus, as recorded in the book of Acts 20, verse 35, in the event you would like to look them up.
What motivated me to share these words with you is something I heard a while back. There is an older lady in our church who openly says, “I am an old maid.” When another lady friend heard this she responded, “She is not an old maid, she is just an unclaimed blessing.” This led me to realize there are countless unclaimed blessings around us every day, but in most cases, we fail to claim them.
I am going to share some of these with you that came as a result of doing some brainstorming. I hope you will do some thinking and come up with others. Why not share them with me? My address is Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.
Here are just a few unclaimed blessings: CHILDREN who spend all or most of their lives growing up in an orphanage. To be sure, some become our nation’s greatest success stories, for example the late Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s. While many overcome, it is still much better to grow up in a two-parent home where love, structure and security abound. To be sure, we need more people like this who will adopt them.
For many people, especially those who are single: PETS in animal shelters that are desperate to be adopted. I am sure you know what happens to many of them when no one is willing to adopt them. As they say, who is still going to be happy to see you after being locked in the trunk of your car for a while, your wife or your dog?
Another unclaimed blessing that many of us miss: SMILES that we do not share with others. I know this for sure, some of my greatest blessings, and new friendships, have come when I have just looked at people and gave them a happy and cheery smile. It has been said that a smile is the light in your window that tells others you are home.
And here is one of the best: UNSPOKEN DEEDS OF KINDNESS. When you take the time to go out of your way to do something nice for someone else, especially the undeserving, it just says you are a citizen of the world.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)

No. 1033

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EVIL!

Ever since time immemorial there has been a battle taking place in the world between the forces of good and evil. To be sure, evil gets the spotlight and the headlines from time to time, but the forces for good have overcome those of evil.
My purpose today in sharing some thoughts that I have titled, “There Will Always Be Evil,” is to give you hope in a day when it seems the world condition is on a constant spiral downward. You should be aware that what I am going to share in this column is based on “empirical” evidence, meaning “relying or based on observation and practical experience without reference to scientific principles.”
For me personally, after a heinous act of some deranged person who callously takes the lives of multiple innocent human beings, I just shake my head in amazement as to how one person could deliberately do something like that to his fellow humans. The best answer I have been able to come up with is that this person is just evil. But going a little deeper, the obvious question is, why? What made this person or persons commit this senseless act? While doing some research, I ran across an article that sheds a little light on this subject.
The word “evil” is manifested in the existence of a being called Satan or the Devil. According to Biblical scholars and theologians, Satan was created by God thousands of years ago as a perfect angel. Satan was called Lucifer and he lived in heaven. When Lucifer set out to prove that he was above Jesus, he became so proud that God banished him from Heaven. Over time one third of the angels in heaven chose to side with Lucifer and to worship him instead of Jesus, and they were also banished to earth. Today, Satan is truly alive and he and his angels are demons. For me, this helps me understand why some people are so evil and can commit such heinous acts.
Again, while doing research I found the names of some of these well-known people who Satan has used to do his work. Names like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who took the lives of 13 in Columbine, Colo.; Seung Hui Cho, who killed 32 at Virginia Tech University; James Holmes, who killed 12 at a theater in Aurora, Colo.; Jeffrey Dahmer, who raped, murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991; and Charles Manson, who is linked to 35 killings. Of course, if we had to put a face on “evil,” I would say it would be that of Adolph Hitler, who exterminated 5.5 million Jews, and killed millions more, during World War II.
For Christians, and all people really, the Apostle Peter has some sound words of advice in I Peter 5:8-9 -- “Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your brothers in the world.” When we think about what is happening in the world today regarding ISIS and other terrorist organizations, and how they are persecuting Christians across the world, we again see the truth of God’s word.
Sometime back I saw the evidence of God’s love in a way seldom seen in today’s times. A sick, evil man, a tool of Satan, attended a prayer meeting at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, S.C, took out a gun, and murdered nine of the members. In the aftermath, we did not see rioting, looting and burning of the town. Rather, we saw God’s children who prayed and forgave at a time when other cities were doing exactly the opposite.
The sad reality regarding evil in our country is that it is not going to change much until we experience a real spiritual revival. It is as simple as that.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)

No. 1035

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A “CAN-DO” ATTITUDE!

Have you ever asked yourself this question, “What can history teach us?” Well, the correct answer is that it can teach us a lot if we are careful to select our sources and the people to whom we choose to listen and read about.
From my perspective, I believe a worthy candidate to teach us something worthwhile is former President James A. Garfield, our 20th president who was elected in 1881 but served only 200 days before being assassinated. He has the distinction of being the only sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives to be elected president.
President Garfield came from very meager circumstances, and he once said, “Poverty is uncomfortable as I can testify; but nine times out of 10, the best thing that can happen to a young man is to be tossed overboard and compelled to sink or swim for himself.” To be sure, the American Free Enterprise system offers tremendous opportunity for the individual who is worth more than they are being paid.
During our visit today I want to talk with you about a “Can-Do” attitude. Back in President Garfield’s day, we did not have the massive amount of entitlement programs that we have today. In reality, our politicians have showered vast numbers of our citizens with all kinds of give-away programs in an attempt to get reelected. In these programs, it is almost impossible for any person to have to sink or swim for himself.
As a result of decades of taking care of people from the womb to the tomb, we have millions of people we call the “poor” who do not want to work. I talk with employers all the time who tell me they have to go through dozens and dozens of applications just to find one person who is even worth an interview. The good ones, after being on the job for a little while, leave because of a better offer by another company, which has also experienced the same dilemma.
Now, please do not misunderstand what I am saying. I am all for taking care of the truly needy, but not healthy people who simply do not want to work. Some may counter that there are few jobs to be had, but this is not true. Go to the “help wanted” section of any newspaper and you will find many, many jobs just waiting to be filled. It would be different if many people were compelled to sink or swim, as President Garfield was saying. Without the give-away programs, millions of our citizens would get serious about getting a good education or the training necessary to fill these jobs.
Who but God knows what the future holds? There may be a day coming when all of us, and also our nation, will need a “Can-Do” attitude. I am from the old school and, other than Social Security (which is really my own money), I have never taken a handout of any kind from the government. My attitude has always been, give me an opportunity and then get out of my way. To be sure, I realize because of health or other issues, many people have not enjoyed the blessings I have had, and I am truly grateful for those blessings.
When it comes to having a “Can-Do” attitude, I believe the late Paul Harvey hit the nail on the head when he said, “Get up when you fall down. We all fall down, but the biographies of those the world calls successful reveal that they get up when they fall down. Sometimes more than once when they fall down they have had to pick themselves up and dust themselves off and keep on keeping on.”
Those who share my convictions understand that there is a good feeling that comes when we know we are pulling our own weight. We must get back to the old standard of an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)

No. 1037

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WE ALL NEED “BALCONY” PEOPLE!

There is a famous poem that has these words, or at least this sentiment, “Give me the roses while I am living and the knocking when I am dead.” While roses can come in many different forms, shapes and sizes, apart from the rose bush, one of those forms is to pay someone an honest and sincere compliment. To be sure, it is impossible to pay someone a sincere compliment after they are dead and gone. The time for us to say good, often life-changing things, to or about another person is while they are still living.
It is in this spirit that I want to share some thoughts about a fantastic book I have just finished reading titled, “Balcony People” by Joyce Landorf Heatherley. This book is only about 70 pages, but it contains many thoughts and personal examples that can be life-changing. As I share these thoughts, that would be my sincere wish for you.
Before I pass along some of those life-changing benefits, allow me to share the simple concept on which the book is based. The word “balcony” means, “A projecting gallery in a theater or public building.” For example, when you sit in the balcony of a theater, you are sitting above all those on the lower or main floor. She uses the word balcony to describe people who have personal qualities and character that enable them to rise above the normal run-of-the-mill, often negative, people we encounter every day. These people are positive and make us feel special because of what they say and how they treat us. Contrast this with negative people who are often critical of us and make us feel as though we are worthless and unimportant. She calls these people, “basement people.” A personal question, please: As a general rule, do you have more “balcony people” or “basement people” in your life?
Regardless of your answer, I believe you will agree that we all need “balcony people” in our lives and around us each and every day. I just confess to you that I need them every day of my life. The author also uses a couple of other terms that may help us to see the personal qualities of some of the people in our lives and the long-term impact they have on us. Some people are “affirmers,” in that they affirm our value and worth with the kindness and respect they show us, not because we deserve it, but just because we are another human being. The other term is “evaluators.” These people, while often well-meaning, are constantly evaluating our performance and, in many ways, often compare us with their own standards.
From Joyce’s book, here are some qualities “balcony people” have: They love from the heart. Loving each other, affirming each other, and being “balcony people” means there is no room for critical and judgmental attitudes. It seems that few, too few, of us honor one another. We are too interested in our own welfare, our own successes, and our own achievements. She also says that “balcony people” listen from the heart and, instead of tearing down, they build up. “Balcony people” also care from the heart. They are fantastic in their ability to pick up the baton of “bearing one another’s burdens,” and to run with it.
The author tells about being at a dinner meeting one night where couples were in attendance. The husbands were asked to introduce their wives. She said it was a refreshing time to hear husbands say, “This is my wife, a wonderful, patient mother to our two sons and the absolute joy of my life.” Another said, “This is my wife, my lover and my business partner. She is the greatest salesman in the world and the smartest woman I know. I love and respect her with all I have.” Without a doubt, the “balcony people” concept has saved countless marriages.
The book “Balcony People” is a best seller and can be ordered from Amazon.com.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)

No. 1039

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE MARK OF A CHRISTIAN!

John Maisel, founder and Chairman Emeritus of East-West Ministries International, once said, “Most of us go through life as only two-thirds a person. We develop ourselves physically and mentally, but not spiritually.” It is along these lines that I would like to share some thoughts with you today, and my topic will be “The Mark of a Christian.”
Do you know for sure how to tell if a person is a Christian or not? Well, believe it or not there is a way, and before we come to the end of our visit, I will tell you what it is. If you don’t already know, I believe you will agree with me. The basis of my remarks will be my own personal journey of going from two-thirds of a person to being whole.
I grew up in a small town in Southeast Arkansas, born in 1938. While my parents loved me, worked hard to provide for me and my sister, and had high ethical and moral standards, they were not Christians. Over all the years I knew him, my father, who was a good man, was in a church one time to attend a funeral. To be sure, I was not reared in a Godly home, and looking back I paid a high price for it. My mother would have gone more if he had supported her, but I attended church a good part of the time, mainly because this is where the girls were.
Ever since those early days, church has always been important to me. Looking back I know now that I was not a Christian but rather I was a church member. Sadly, there are millions of people in our churches today who, like me, are members of a church but they are not Christians. They believe they are Christians but they are really not. They go to church on Sunday but do not live like Christians the rest of the week. This changed for me on Feb. 26, 1984, when I gave my life to Jesus, was baptized and began a new life. You see, being a Christian is all about change. Hear these words recorded in II Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he has become a new creature, old things have passed away and behold, new things have come.”
A part of that change that takes place in our heart is to be born again. In John 3:3, Jesus replies: “I assure that unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He elaborates more in verses 5 and 6: “Unless someone is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh and whatever is born of the spirit is spirit.” I mentioned earlier that my life changed when I gave my heart to Jesus as I began to read and study the Bible. I have now read it all the way through, once each year, for 25 straight years. What a blessing that has been as I see and understand things now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I could never have known any other way.
In those early years, and even more so today, I asked God to bless me and He is truly faithful to His word. Things are happening in my life today that I would never have dreamed possible. The thing that is truly exciting is that the more I trust Him, the more He blesses me. It was during my Bible study that I came to truly understand “The Mark of a Christian.” The answer is found in John 13:35: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples (followers) that you have love for one another.” My friend this is the mark of a Christian.
Here is how this simple concept can make a difference in the lives of millions of our citizens and the future of America as well. When our people have true love in our hearts, we won’t have the crime, riots, mass murders, cheating and corruption that we have today.
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(EDITOR’S NOTE: THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY – Begin your day on a positive note – 365 days for $12. This will benefit the Bookcase for Every Child project. Go to www.apositivemomentwithjim.com to subscribe.)

No. 8
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
WHO SHOULD READ THE BIBLE?

Prussian born Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), considered by many to be the foremost philosopher of the modern period, once said: "The Bible is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced." To have the Bible and yet not read it would be like going without food for several days, showing up at a banquet and saying, "I'm not hungry." For some, the discovery of the eternal truths contained in the Bible comes early in life, for others, it comes much later. Some people never make this discovery, and as a result they miss the benefits of knowing the God of the Bible in a personal way. As I look back over my own life, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't discover what was really in the Bible until a good portion of the race had already been run.
About fourteen years ago, after agreeing to teach a boy's Sunday school class, I made the decision to read the Bible through once each year and pleased to say, I'm fulfilling that commitment. Until I asked the Holy Spirit to guide and control my thinking and my life, I never dreamed the Bible was so rich and so exciting! Because I'm so excited about the Bible, I just wanted to share an article, titled, "Who Should Read The Bible" that might be of value to you.
"Who should read the Bible? The young: to learn how to live. The old: to know humility. The rich: for compassion. The poor: for comfort. The dreamer: for enchantment. The practical: for counsel. The weak: for strength. The strong: for direction. The haughty: for warning. The humble: for exaltation. The troubled: for peace. The weary: for rest. The sinner: for salvation. The doubting: for assurance. All Christians: for guidance."
When I read this the first time, I came to the conclusion that it pretty well covers the waterfront. It talked about the young, the old, the ignorant, the learned, the rich, the poor, the dreamer, the practical, the weak, the strong, the haughty, the humble, the troubled, the weary, the sinner and all Christians. Surely you can see yourself in there somewhere -- I can see me, several times. I'll confess that I've learned that I need the Bible and its wisdom and encouragement each day of my life. You know, for any of us to be saved, we must first admit we are lost. Whether you read the Bible or not, there is good reason why this book is the all time best seller. It contains truth, inspiration and guidance that can give our lives meaning, purpose and hope that no other source can give. I stand in awe of its power. Isn't it great to know that God loves us and we are very precious to Him? That's what it says in the Bible!
Now, I'm not naive and I realize that many people reading this column do not believe in God or the Bible and I respect every person's right to think and believe as they choose. In my own personal life however, as a Christian I am willing to take a stand for Jesus Christ and the Bible. I might add, this is consistent with our nation's heritage. One study found that of 15,000 writings by the Founding Fathers included in newspaper articles, pamphlets, books, monographs, and other documents, 94% of all quotes either directly or indirectly cited the Bible. Fifty two of the 55 framers of the Constitution were avowed Christians.
While Iãm certainly not a preacher, in these days when civility is taking a back seat, we must return to the Biblical standards of our forefathers. From their hearts flowed the documents and structures to form the foundations of this great nation. Over the coming years we can do this and every American will be richer for it. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 10

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

AND THEN SOME ....

In our modern day society, we hear a great deal these days about the "secrets of success." In reality there are really no secrets, as this is simply a marketing gimmick used to sell many of the success motivation programs that are around today. True success can be summed up by these words of former President Harry S. Truman: "I studied the lives of great men and famous women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand - with everything they had of energy, enthusiasm and hard work."

Some time ago I had a wonderful, unique experience that brought this truth home to me in a very special way. During a "How To Plan Your Life" seminar at one of the many high schools where I've been privileged to work, I met a young man by the name of Danny Sanders. Danny was a member of the senior class, and a few weeks after my seminar, to my surprise I received a three page hand written letter from him. Just the fact that a high school senior had taken the time to write was very gratifying, but he shared something in his letter that may be of value to you.

In his letter Danny told me about a young man who had become very successful at a young age. When someone asked him how he did it, he said, "And then some." When asked what he meant, he replied, "When I was in school and my teachers asked me to do something, I did it -- and then some. Later, when I got a job and my employer told me to

do something, I did it -- and then some. (You will notice we have gone from "asking" to "telling".) Finally, when I started a business of my own, I did what my customers expected -- and then some."

You see, this successful young man had been applying the universal natural law of cause and effect. This law, simply stated, means that for every cause there must be an effect, and for every effect there must be a cause. By rendering more service than was actually required, he was using this universal law to get more rewards in return.

When it comes to achieving success, one of the biggest mistakes many people make is wanting the rewards before they render the service. This could be compared to a man standing in front of a cold, wood burning stove and saying, "Give me some heat and then I will put in the wood."

A real understanding and application of this universal law which has been stated as "And then some", will give you everything on earth you desire. If you are having trouble making ends meet, or having trouble in school or on your job, pause here and ask yourself this question: "Am I doing everything that is expected of me with the right attitude -- and then some?" If you're not, then you are needlessly holding yourself back.

When you apply this principle to the success of a business, that little extra -- and then some -- is the profit, and without earning a profit, you won't be around very long. Until next time, here is something to think about that may be of great value to you. When a person concentrates all available energies on one specific task, the possibility of success is greatly increased. When time and talent are divided between several enterprises, chances of success are proportionally reduced. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 12

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

YOUR DECISIONS WILL AFFECT YOUR FAMILY

Since the beginning of recorded history, the family unit has always been one of the essential building blocks in the success of an empire or a nation. The late William Thayer expressed it this way: "If well ordered, they are the springs from which go forth the streams of national greatness and prosperity, of civil order and public happiness." As leaders in the homes of America, our decisions will often affect our family for years to come.

According to the Bible I've been reading for the past several years, not one of us is perfect. For example, in Romans 3:23 it says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", and I know this is true. While I'm not perfect and certainly not a preacher, it's my heart's desire to share something with you that will help you become a happier, richer and more successful person. To do this, sometimes all we need is to be reminded of those things most important to us.

Some time ago I heard a true story that I believe can have a tremendous bearing on the traditional family in the years to come. In the 17th century there were two families in America by the names of Edwards and Jukes. As the head of the Edwards family, Mr. Edwards was a Godly man and he did his best to provide spiritual leadership and also be a productive and law abiding member of society. Mr. Jukes, on the other hand, was more or less a common criminal, spending much of his time in jail, and was anything but a good example for others to follow.

Several years ago, someone did a study on the history of these two families, and here is what they found: the Edwards family produced the famous minister, Jonathan Edwards, who entered Yale University at the age of 13 and later became a great theologian, as well as an author of several books. Further research revealed the Edwards' family tree contained a long list of ministers, college presidents and other prominent members of society.

Research on the Jukes family revealed the virtues of the original Mr. Jukes were also passed on to his offspring. The Jukes' family consisted of many criminals and others of unsavory character. The point here should be clear: if you are the leader of your home, the kind of person you are and the decisions you make will affect your family. If you are living the kind of life, however, of which you are not proud and have personal vices and habits that would keep you from being a good role model, it doesn't necessarily mean that your children will turn out the same way. People with this kind of background have risen above their circumstances to become outstanding successes. In no way do I want you to take what I'm saying too personally, because we all have problems, burdens and challenges, but there is a principle we should all consider. "What's true in the root will be seen in the fruit." There is a lot of truth in the saying, "Like father, like son."

The one thing our children want from us more than anything else is our approval and they will often go to great lengths to get it. This is a free country where we have the opportunities to make our own choices and decisions that affect our lives. Keep in mind, however, your decisions will affect your family and they will often have consequences for many years to come. A good example is the two young men who killed 13 people at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. I'm sure if their parents had the chance they would like to do it all over again. This is something that will haunt them for the rest of their days. Hopefully we can all learn from this tragedy. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 14

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A FAIR WEATHER FRIEND

The late Dale Carnegie, founder of the internationally famous course on public speaking and human relations, once said, "You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."
It has often been said that we all need friends and I personally know this is true. While some people are loners and may not have any friends at all, to my way of thinking, they are missing one of the greatest blessings in life. We all need friends and perhaps even more importantly, friends need us.

Now here is an important question you may wish to consider. Do you have even one really true friend? That is, if you really and truly needed help, someone you can count on and someone you know for certain that would not let you down? I have several friends that I believe I can count on, however, until they are put to the test, I won't really know for sure, will I?
It has been my experience over the past several years that when I've been down and needed help, I've had a lot of people who I thought were my friends, desert me. On the other hand, I've had people who I didn't know were my friends, right there when I needed them most. Have you also found this to be true in your life?

A conversation I had some time back is what brought these thoughts to mind. One day while having lunch with my wife at the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, I met a lady by the name of Mildred Ward. Somehow we got to talking about friends and Mildred told me about a woman she knows who complained to her about not having any friends, and she went on to tell me why this was true.

One morning about two a.m., this woman's telephone rang and on the other end of the line was an elderly lady who had fallen in her home and couldn't get up. So, she called her friend (at least someone she thought was her friend), and asked her to come to her home and help her. Now, do you think she went? Well, the answer is 'no'. It was too far. At least that's what she told her.

When this woman complained to Mildred about not having any friends, Mildred said, "I told her to her face, the reason you don't have any friends is because you don't know how to be a friend. You are a 'fair weather' friend." When you stop and think about it, this is so true. Most of us can be a friend as long as the sun is shining and it doesn't cost us anything, but when friendship begins to cost us something, it has a way of setting the record straight. At this point the truth is revealed and we are either a true friend or a fair weather friend. With this thought in mind it might be well to share an old German Proverb that says, "There are three kinds of friends: those who love you, those who hate you and those who care nothing about you."

A few days ago I received a phone call from a lady who was not even a close friend, and she said, "Bill and I have had an accident, can you come get us?" She then told me where they were. Maybe I was motivated because I had just written this column, but at this point I didn't ask any questions, but said, "I will be there as quickly as I can get there."
The point I'm trying to make is simply this: if we want to have some true friends, we must be there when someone who calls us "friend" really and truly needs us. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 16
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ONE GOAL AT A TIME

As it relates to personal success, have you ever heard or read this statement before: "The person without a goal is like a ship without a rudder." If you will stop and think about this statement, I believe you will realize that it's true. More importantly, however, in terms how it may benefit you, if you are not already a person who sets goals this simple idea could make a real difference in your future.

To enable you to gain greater insights into what I'm saying, please consider this:
If we simply untie a ship, give it no crew, no compass or destination, but just let it drift, if it gets out of the harbor at all it will likely sink or wind up on some deserted beach. On the other hand, contrast this with a ship that has a crew, a compass and a definite port in mind. The odds are over ninety-nine percent that it will safely reach its destination. Another important consideration is that a ship can only reach one port at a time, which is really the essence of what I'm saying here.

But, to back up a moment and place things in perspective, the main reason we see so much confusion in people's lives is that they have not been taught how to set goals and as a result they have no real purpose or direction for their lives. Sure, a lot of people have dreams, hopes and wishes, but they don't have specific, written goals. As a result, they spend a lot of unproductive time going from one thing to another, being tossed "to and for" like that ship I mentioned earlier.

For a goal to be valid or worthy, it should be specific and not general; it should be realistic with a definite time limit; and, it should be written down on paper. While working with thousands of people over the past thirty years, I've found that fully ninety-five percent of all people do not have their goals written down on paper. There are many reasons why this is important, the first being that it's a commitment -- at least you have committed it to writing. This written form will allow you to review your goal often and with each repetition, drive it deeper and deeper into your subconscious mind. This is the reason, for the most part, that goal setters are positive people. You can't be a winner in athletics or in life without a goal.

If you are a beginner in the business of goal setting, I want to make a very important suggestion. Beginners should set only one major or large goal at a time. After the process becomes second nature and you have achieved enough success and the resources to diversify, more than one worthy goal is something many people can handle, but not in the very beginning. Most of the confusion in people's lives comes from trying to accomplish too many things at the same time.

After setting one worthy goal that is important to you, blaze it in your memory, burn it into your mind. When you first wake up, think of that one goal. When you sit down to rest for a few minutes, think about that one goal. As you think about it and visualize it, the goal will become crystallized and your focus, like a beautiful photograph, will be sharp and clear.
Since we become what we think about, soon you will reach that goal. At this point, set another goal and set out again. You will find this simple process of setting only one goal at a time will take most of the confusion out of your life and will bring order and self-discipline. As a result, your self-image and your attitude will definitely change for the better, and don't you agree, this is what success is all about. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 18
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DON'T PUT OTHERS DOWN

Several years ago, I had a neighbor who had a beautiful white dog that stayed in the house most of the time. Unfortunately, when the dog was let outside, he had a habit of visiting other neighbors' yards, bushes and flower beds, if you know what I mean.
One day another neighbor whose yard had been visited by this dog was irate and made a comment about the dog's owner. She said, "I think I will give her a piece of my mind." When the dog's owner heard about it, she responded, "If she gave it all, you still wouldn't have anything!"

While it's just human nature to respond to criticism in this manner, it's much harder to stop and consider whether or not the other person's criticism is justified. No one who lives in the city where houses are close together wants to have to watch where they step in their own yard, especially if they don't own a pet and the problem persists.
The problem here as it relates to good human relations is that it's much easier to put someone else down than it is to raise ourselves up. Unfortunately, because of the attitude of one neighbor and the resulting 'put down', both neighbors were losers and they missed the opportunity to be friends.

It's my belief that a lot of people today are being misled along these lines, and here's an example. Sometime ago I was in a very large city in another state and was listening to the radio. The program I was listening to featured a well known psychologist and she took phone calls from listeners who were having stress and emotional problems. After listening to a caller for a few minutes, she then gave advice on how to cope with his or her problems. As I continued to listen I'm convinced that most of her callers were satisfied with her answers, because it was obvious that she was well qualified and knew what she was talking about.

Because of my extensive interaction with people, I picked up several things in this psychologist's answers that told me where she was coming from. First, her tone of voice was harsh, not soft and gentle, and the feeling of love toward others did not come through. Next, she seemed to be elated when some of her callers (especially female callers), asserted they were going to do something for themselves for a change, because they had been involved in taking care of others too long.

Before you misconstrue what I'm saying, let me be quick to add; there is certainly nothing wrong with wanting to be our own person, to have self-respect, and a certain degree of independence, but there is a real danger in not knowing when or where to stop. In many cases, people like this become overly assertive and they go from driving a motorbike to a Sherman tank, and before long, they develop the attitude that they can "bulldoze" their way over everything and everyone who gets in their way. This type of person has little or no compassion for others.

Regardless of whether by conscious choice or just letting their selfish human nature take over, it's a shallow, short-sighted way to think and live. I believe the people who put stock in the kind of information this psychologist was putting out are being misled. Sooner or later, regardless of what we say or the lifestyle we choose, we all have to come face-to-face with our Maker. We would be much better off if we would strive to always lift people up. In most cases, we can say what needs to be said without putting other people down. -- (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 20

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE FALLACY OF LIBERAL THINKING

In the political arena of life, which is to say policies, issues and programs that affect every American citizen we often hear some politicians referred to as liberals. Have you ever stopped to think about what the word "liberal" really means when it's used in this context? Over the past 200 years of our nation's history, we have had a varied and rich history in relation to a good number of different political parties. Today the names have changed, but we still have several different political parties around but the two major parties that more or less control our nations policies are the Democratic and Republican parties.

In theory at least, each party represents a different political philosophy about how the government should go about serving its citizens. Within this context, we have given labels to people such as conservative, liberal and moderate. Each of these labels represents an attitude or philosophy a particular person holds in terms of how much government should do for its people.

In the larger scheme of things, from a philosophical viewpoint we identify liberals as people who want to do more and give more to the people they serve. Contrast this with the attitude of those identified as moderate or conservative who say our government has gone far beyond what it should be doing and it should conserve or cut back on the services it is now providing. Which view would you take -- liberal or conservative? Do you think our government should do more for its citizens or less? You might say more, which would certainly place you with the majority.

Without prejudging, let's look further for a moment. Today in the United States Congress there are a number of so called liberals who say we should not balance our nation's budget on the backs of the poor and we should not cut programs or services for the needy. On the surface, that's a pretty good argument and it's true, if you don't take this line of thinking any further. What the poor unfortunately do not know or understand is that they are exchanging their pride, self-respect and financial security when they vote for a liberal congressman or congresswoman who can vote for his own pay raise or tax exemption. When you increase taxes to pay for more services, it's not a good deal, except maybe for the additional revenue that enables our congressmen and women to give themselves a pay raise!

Personally, I resent the extravagance in lifestyle and travel that has become a regular regimen for many officials who are feeding at the public trough. You see, a liberal is someone who is loose and free with money he or she did not earn and this has led to excessive taxes, which kills the incentive for hard working and honest people. To say it very simply, it's easy to be liberal with someone else's money and this includes "corporate welfare" which is, in reality, the 'good ol' boy' system at the highest levels of our nation's government.

As citizens, taxpayers and voters we just need to understand where public money is coming from and to hold our public officials accountable for how they are spending it. If you will think back a few years I believe you will agree that we had our finest hour when most people understood the principle of "an honest day's work for an honest day's pay." When we look to the government to provide for our individual needs we are losing the very foundation that gave us our collective freedoms. I hope the next time you vote you will consider what I've said: a liberal is a public official who wants to be loose and free with money he or she did not earn. That is the fallacy of liberalism. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 22
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HOW TO ACHIEVE FINANCIAL SECURITY

Former President James A. Garfield once said: "Poverty is uncomfortable, as I can testify; but nine times out of ten, the best thing that can happen to a young man is to be tossed overboard and compelled to sink or swim for himself." The American free enterprise system offers tremendous opportunity for the individual who is always worth more than he or she is being paid. If you don't already know this, you will soon discover that it's the easiest and best way to have real financial security.

Several years ago, before moving here to Conway, my wife and I built a beautiful home and we installed a wood burning Franklin stove. Back then, the term "energy crisis" had become a reality in American society and it caused many of us to change our habits. While I've used the example of a wood burning stove before, I'd like to broaden it considerably and share something here that will definately help you in the area of your personal finances.

Have you ever heard of someone going up to a cold wood burning stove and saying, "give me some heat and then I'll put in the wood?" Well just for the fun of it, one day I tried it and I can tell you truthfully, it doesn't work! That stove just sat there and didn't do a thing! Finally, I gave up and put in some wood, stuffed some newspapers under the wood and lit the paper with a match. It wasn't long before it got so hot I had to move my chair back.

My point is simple. I could have sat or stood there and shivered for days and that stove would never have put out any heat. That is, not until I finally put in some wood and started it burning. Now, believe it or not, I have just described a principle that is holding many people back on their jobs and keeping them from earning the amount of money they need and would like to have. While it's a little more complicated than this, it stems from the attitude many people hold that they would like to have the benefits before they produce or prove themselves worthy of the salary they started with in the beginning. In other words, they're saying, "let me start out with a high salary, then I'll prove I'm worth that salary."
Unless you are self-employed, too young or retired, please consider this: when a person is looking for a job and someone agrees to hire them, regardless of the starting salary, the employer is taking a chance the person is going to be worth at least what he is paid. If the employer is in the private sector where a profit must be earned to stay in business, this means just breaking even. On the other hand, if the employee is worth more than he is paid, the difference is profit, and this is where future raises and fringe benefits come from.

If you are being paid eight dollars per hour, your value to your employer should be worth at least ten dollars per hour, because that's the only way you can have a financial future with the company. Take my word for it, if your employer is not earning a profit, there is no way he can pay you more money. Now he may pay you for a while, based on the value of other employees who are worth more, but it cannot and will not continue for long.

The next time you want to see this principle clearly, visualize that cold Franklin stove sitting there and me begging it for heat. If you really want to move up in your company and earn a lot more money in the process, the surest and most dependable way to do it is to always be worth more than you are paid. To hold this attitude, and then follow through with effective and effecient work, is the best financial security on earth. -- (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 24
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

I LOVED YOU ENOUGH

While enthusiasm is the most contagious, love is the strongest of all human emotions and it was placed in each of us by a loving God as a way to express our appreciation and commitment to those people and things that mean the most to us.

When we truly love someone it is only natural to have that person's best interests at heart. There is no greater love in all the world than the love parents have for their children. This is a God-like instinct that is not only present in humans, it is also present in the animal kingdom. We see examples of this on every hand, and one that comes to mind is the very vivid picture I remember of a mother hen being burned to death in a fire and when she was removed, her baby chicks were still alive under her lifeless body. Now, as the song goes, "If that isn't love, I don't know what is."

If you are a parent, grandparent, guardian, or someone else responsible for rearing a child, have you ever heard these words from your child: "You don't love me!" Now, I'm sure in some cases the words, "You don't love me" are actually true. There are some people who never feel love and because of this, it's impossible for them to give love. However, in most cases the child who says, "You don't love me" is actually using these words as a tool to get what he or she wants.

In recent years, discipline has become a major problem in our nation's schools and also in millions of homes across America. If we are to reverse this trend, it is important for us to understand the difference between "true" love and doing what is best for our children, as opposed to letting them use our emotions to do things that may not be in their best interests. Here I'd like to offer some positive suggestions and guidelines to help us deal with this problem. In administering discipline and punishment to children, here are nine principles that should be observed:

1. Do not discipline in anger.

2. Do not let discipline in retaliation.

3. Do it in such a way as to not embarrass and humiliate the child.

4. Let the discipline be reasonable and let discipline be an expression of love.

5. Above all, ask God to give you divine wisdom in raising that child.

6. Keep your cool. Children need the confidence that only a steady hand and a settled soul can offer.

7. Show your child that you are wise enough and strong enough to be the boss.
8. Be honest with your children. Tell them the truth.

9. Be generous with praise and when it comes time to criticize, your child will believe you and respect your judgment.

Raising children in today's times is not easy. There are so many pressures and problems in existence today that were not around fifty years ago. But children are a blessing and they are a gift from God. If we do a good job of raising them, when they are old enough to understand, we can say "Do you remember when you used to tell me. 'You don't love me.' " Well, the truth is, I loved you enough to ask you to clean your room, to not make excuses for your lack of respect and bad manners. I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and fail, so that you could learn to stand alone. But most of all, I loved you enough to say "no", when you hated me for it. This, my child, was the hardest part of all." -- (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next password is blake

NO. 26
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SORRY I HAVEN'T WRITTEN

On a day by day basis, how we view our circumstances life is often a matter of perspective and this is especially true when it comes to raising children. Here is an example of what I mean: One time a woman said to a friend, "Our marriage would have broken up years ago if it hadn't been for the children. We can't get a divorce, because he won't take them and neither will I."

Children are a precious gift from God, but they don't always perform or act in a manner we would like for them to. As parents, we want the best for our children and in most cases have high expectations of them. A good case in point is the story about a college girl who wrote her mother the following letter:

Dear Mother,
I'm sorry I haven't written these last four months. The reason I haven't is because of a brain operation I had, which was the result of a concussion I received when I jumped from the fourth story of the dormitory when it caught fire. Fortunately, a young service station attendant across the street saw the fire, called the fire department and the ambulance and got me to the hospital in time.

While I was in the hospital, the young man visited me regularly. When I was released, I had no place to go. He invited me to share his apartment. It wasn't really an apartment, it was just a basement room. It was kind of cute. Yes, Mother, I am in love. I'm pregnant and we do plan to get married. The reason we haven't already gotten married is because of some silly disease he had and he failed the blood test.

Sincerely,
Your Loving Daughter

P.S. Now, Mother, this is just to let you know: I did not have the brain operation. There was no concussion. I did not jump from the dormitory. It did not catch on fire. I am not in love. I'm sure not going to get married! I did make a "D" in English and an "F" in history. I thought you ought to see these two things in their proper perspective.

Now, I believe you'll agree, after the first part of the daughter's letter, the long-suffering mother was happy about a "D" in English and an "F" in history. After reading this story, I began to reflect on it and a couple of observations came to mind. Everything is relative, and only when we have the common sense to place things in perspective are we able to properly deal with them. When you think about that daughter away at college -- in all likelihood at her parents' expense -- I'm sure her mother expected her to do better than a "D" in English and an "F" in history. The daughter knew her mother's expectations. Why else would she have gone to such great lengths to compose her masterpiece?

As individuals, if we are to profit from this story, we should consider the underlying fact that sooner or later we will be held accountable for our actions. If we short change ourselves in taking full advantage of life's opportunities, we are the ones who ultimately suffer the consequences. The message here is simple. Let's make sure we do our best to take advantage of our opportunities when we have the chance. In many cases, real opportunity only knocks once. To make sure our ship comes in, we must first make sure we have sent one out. A good education is vital in today's technological age. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, Arkansas 72034.)

The next column password is: Blake

No. 2

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DISCOURAGEMENT: ONE OF OUR GREATEST ENEMIES

It's just common sense to realize that we cannot do our best when we are deeply discouraged. Each of us should spend some time and learn what causes discouragement and what steps we can take to avoid or overcome it -- that is, if we want to achieve outstanding success. To achieve anything really worthwhile in life, there comes a time we refer to as "the moment of truth." In any undertaking, when we begin to struggle and maybe even have serious doubts, the moment of truth is that critical time when we either give up or keep going. If you will examine this statement, I believe you will conclude the reason many people give up far short of achieving success is because they become discouraged. On the other hand, those who keep going are those who find a source of inner strength which enables them to defeat or overcome discouragement.

It's natural and even necessary to give up on some things, especially if our priorities are wrong or the odds are too great. To be sure, I've given up many times, but the key to success in most anything is to know when to give up and when to keep going. More often than not, however, the reason most people are not successful is that they give up too quickly. There is a vast difference in giving up on reaching a specific goal and in giving up on life, in general. There is usually no real tragedy when we give up on a specific goal, but there is a real tragedy when we give up on life.

If you are a person who has a tendency to become deeply discouraged, I want to remind you of the source of discouragement, by sharing a story I heard some time ago: "Once upon a time, Satan, growing old and weary, decided it was time for him to retire from active work. He offered all of his devilish inventory of tools for sale to the highest bidders. At the time of the auction, the tools were all neatly arranged: envy, malice, enmity, sensuality, deceit and all of the other devices of evil. Each was plainly marked, and the price was surprisingly low, except for the ungainly piece of much used steel marked, "discouragement." It was marked ten times more than any of the other tools.

"Why, Mr. Satan", asked a prospective buyer, "do you ask so much for this tool?" "Well", replied the old tempter, "this tool has always been my most useful one. You can see that it has more wear than any of the others. I can use it as a wedge to get into a person's mind and defeat him, when all other means fail."

If this story has any truth in it, and I for one believe that it does, we can plainly see that Satan is the source of discouragement. He wants us to give up, sit down and wallow around in self-pity. If we allow this to happen, we certainly won't accomplish anything worthwhile for God, our fellow man, or anyone else, including ourselves. The only way to overcome discouragement is by intelligent action. Once you decide to do something worthwhile and get started, you'll soon find discouragement will leave you.

The exact opposite of discouragement is courage and this is simply the quality of mind that meets danger or opposition with firmness. Isolated performances of great deeds do not make individuals heroes or cowards, they simply reveal character to the eyes of others. Every successful life needs challenges, hurdles to overcome, and problems to solve in order to bring the power of courage into play. God has given us a will and in America we have the freedom and the opportunity to make choices. In every important decision in life, God votes for us, Satan votes against us, and it's left up to us to break the tie! (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 4

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED WITH DRUGS,

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOUR "FRIENDS" ARE

The late Thomas Hughes, English author and reformer, once said, "Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one's self, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another." This is certainly a true statement and one that those of us who cherish our friends can really appreciate.

However, there is a moral and social crisis in the world today which can make it difficult to know who our true friends really are. I'm referring to the terrible scourge of illegal drugs. For those who choose to get involved, the idea or thought of true friendship can quite often be a rude and painful awakening. There are millions of tragic stories that will bear this out and I have one of those stories to share with you. This true story involves a young person who got involved with drugs and it took place only a few miles from where I live, so it really hit close to home.

A young man in his twenties was a college student, and like so many others, he fell into bad company and before long he was using drugs on a regular basis. During this time he met another young man and they became friends. He had been left an old house in a will, and he was fixing it up to live in and his friend even spent several days helping him get it ready.

A few miles from the college town where these young men were both living, they had started a marijuana field to grow plants, harvest them and sell the drugs to other students and anyone else who came along. One afternoon, just a short time ago, they both left school early to go to the marijuana field to harvest some plants. It had become their custom for one of them to carry a gun, since they had become wary of the local authorities. As they made their way through a thicket of small pine trees, the young man who owned the house, was a few feet in front of his friend, and he heard the hammer of the gun click. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground dazed, because his friend had shot him and presumed him to be dead.

As he continued to lay there, he heard the bite of a shovel as it tore hunks out of the pine floor. His friend was digging his grave. Realizing his only chance to survive was a knife he carried in his pocket, he slowly pulled it out and opened the blade. His real problem however, was that the blast of the gun had left him blinded. When his so-called "friend", who had now become his assailant, finished digging and came over to put him in the grave, as he heard footsteps close by, the young man lunged at him with the open knife blade and ripped into the calf of his assailant's leg. He expected to be finished off, but his assailant left without doing him further harm. Later it was revealed he had left to get medical attention.

For the next two days and nights, in a mosquito and snake infested forest, the young man wandered totally blind until he finally staggered upon a farm house where he was able to find help. Today he is living with his parents in a nearby town and he will be blind for the rest of his life.

While the subject of drugs and the havoc they wreak in people's lives in endless, I believe this true story will shed light on the problem from a little different angle. It's true, when you get involved with drugs, you never know who your friends are. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 6

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE SILENT PATIENTS SPEAK

Have you ever thought about the thousands of people in this country who spend countless hours confined to a bed in a hospital or a nursing home, who for one reason or another cannot speak for themselves or make their wishes known? If I had family or loved ones in this condition, I would want to know they were receiving the best possible medical care, but I would also want to know that the people who were taking care of them were thoughtful, tenderhearted and kind, especially in light of a touching article I read a

while back.

This article is titled The Silent Patients Speak, and it was written by Anita Wildhaver, a registered nurse. If you have never had a reason to contemplate the plight of people in this condition, I believe the message this article contains will speak to your heart.

"Though we can't speak, see, or move of our own will, we are living beings. We are your stroke patients, the brain damaged, and all your other patients who by illness or in-jury are locked inside the dark, silent shells of our bodies. We can't cry out in pain or discomfort, regardless of how severe they are. We can't express anger, despair, disgust, nor even happiness. But hear us, you walking, talking, feeling, doing beings. Some of us are aware. We hear, think and know. We are not living vegetables, nor do we think we would be 'better off dead'. We still have enough self-respect to be embarrassed at hearing your conversation about your personal problems and your sex lives."

"We are frightened by your conversations that relate the latest gossip about the questionable ability of the doctor who is responsible for our care, for his knowledge must be used to save us, if we are to ever recover. We feel shame at having our bodies exposed for any and all to see. It does matter to us that we lie in feces or urine for hours, and our muscles ache with pain from the strain of remaining in one position without being moved. We can feel our mouths filled with mucus, drying and caking to form ulcerated areas. We can feel the stomach cramps from ice cold tube feedings with all the speed and lack of concern of pouring water down the drain."

"We can feel the pain of our skin breaking down from poor and careless nursing care. We can also feel joy -- the joy derived from the firm, gentle touch of a person giving us good nursing care. We can rest more carefully when we are bathed, when our mouths and lips are cleansed, when our bodies are correctly positioned, when good skin care is given, when our beds ar made neat and straight. We can appreciate being told when procedures are about to be done, before they are begun."

Thanks, Anita, your words have so much meaning and hopefully, my sharing this will help some of these dear people receive better care. The vast majority of people in the nursing profession are kind, thoughtful and considerate, and highly qualified from

a medical standpoint. Unfortunately a small percentage are not. Then, too, because of human nature, we all have bad days from time-to-time, and get up on the wrong side of the bed. Still other people have so many personal problems and are so wrapped up in themselves that they just don't think at all.

Sometimes all it takes to make tremendous changes for the better is a simple reminder of things we know but have forgotten. As Will Rogers once said, "it's just as important to be reminded as it is to be educated." If you know someone, either a nurse or a patient who might benefit from this article, why not take a moment and share it? It could result in some of the greatest blessings you have ever received. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 758

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE DOWNSIDE OF THE LOTTERY

In some circles, what I am going to say in this column will be about as popular and well received as a skunk at a family reunion. I want to say a few words about the downside of the lottery. This is something you don’t hear much about by the promoters, the media, state government officials and others who profit from it.
We now have 44 states in our nation that have a lottery in one form or another. My own state of Arkansas was the most recent to get on board, as the 2008 election indicated that a majority of our citizens were for it. Our voters had turned it down on at least two previous occasions, but this time they tied the fortunes of the lottery to a couple of very special words – education and kids.
Who could be against education and who could be against kids, especially when it comes to kids getting a free college education because of proceeds from the lottery? Here, let me be very clear. I am one of the 37 percent of Arkansans who voted against the lottery, have never played it and don’t ever plan to. There are two very definite reasons why this is true for me, and I will share them with you at the end of this column. A few weeks ago we had a speaker from the state lottery commission speak to our local Lions Club. One of the first things she said, even though she works for the lottery, is that she voted against it, too.
She then went on to build a pretty solid case for the lottery and why it is good for our state. If you live outside the state of Arkansas, the odds are pretty good that you also have a state lottery and, therefore, have more experience to base your feelings on. In other words, if you could do it all over again, would you vote yes or no to have it? Our speaker made it very clear that the lottery was to be viewed purely as entertainment. They also have a pretty good deal in relation to bad debts, as they only take cash (no checks or credit cards).
The lottery would not be a bad deal if we lived in a perfect world where all educated people and those who played it would buy only one or two lottery tickets each week, and that would be the extent of it. However, we know this is not the case. This is the reason we have Gamblers Anonymous -- to help those who become addicted to gambling and cannot help themselves. We have another issue where many people who play the lottery spend money they would otherwise spend on groceries, merchandise and other items where they pay sales taxes. It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul, but the lottery money is earmarked for scholarships and the shortfall must be made up in some way, which usually means raising taxes.
While colleges and universities across the nation will continue to raise tuition -- that is the nature of progress -- the presence of scholarship lottery money makes the prospects a lot more inviting. The lottery has been proven to be the most regressive tax of all, where low-income and uneducated people bear the greatest burden of supporting it. One of the slogans the lottery people use here is “All you need is a dollar and a dream.” Really! By their own numbers, the odds of hitting the big jackpot are 174 million to one. The odds are better that a person will be struck by lightning than to be a large (millions of dollars) jackpot winner.
This is a personal choice, but here is the main reason for my opposition to the lottery. It creates a false hope for good people who could succeed at most anything, including financially, if they worked hard and used their own ingenuity and creativity.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 760

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ARE YOU WASTING YOUR LIFE?

The other day a lady who reads my column said something that really has me thinking. She said, “Your columns are too deep for me.” You could have knocked me over with a feather. I have never seen my writing as being too deep for anyone, but perhaps there are some readers who, from time to time, miss the point of what I am trying to get across.
Of course you know the three rules of communication are: be clear, be clear and be clear. There are some of my columns that require a good deal of research and contain facts and statistics that may be foreign to the thinking of some people, because we all have our own frame of reference. Anyway, if I have ever left you in the dark, it’s my fault; please accept my apologies.
There is another aspect of writing columns that enters the picture from time to time. Many subjects of a serious and far-reaching nature must be documented and have evidence that confirms what the writer is saying is true, at least reported and backed up by some reliable person, group or organization. Then there are other subjects that are more subjective and contain the writer’s own views and attitudes. It’s hard to argue with someone who says, “This happened to me.” What I want to present for your thinking today is of the latter nature.
I would like to begin with this simple question. Are you wasting your life? This question really strikes at the very heart of who we are as a person. It’s not for me or anyone else to say if you are wasting your life, but what is important is if you are happy with it. The other day a friend sent me a quotation that really hits the nail on the head. This quotation, by James Van Praagh goes, “We have all been placed on this earth to discover our own path, and we will never be happy if we live someone else’s idea of life.”
This quote was followed by a Question of the Week: If you could trade places with one person for a week, who would it be? Now, you think about that. Does anyone come to mind? Is there some person who is living such a rewarding, fulfilling and happy life -- maybe with a lot of money, or talent, or a lofty position in society -- who you would like to trade places with for just one week. Anyone come to mind? For me personally, I can honestly say that there is no person on earth that I would like to trade places with for any length of time.
The reason I would not want to trade places with anyone else is because I think I am the most blessed person on earth. I cannot say that this has always been the case. Over the past several years the life I have built has been the result of hard work, having a wonderful wife, a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and a number of meaningful causes that provides all the satisfaction that any person could ever hope for. For the past several years, our bookcase project (and I have had tremendous help) has been so rewarding just knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of many, many precious children.
When it comes to whether or not we are wasting our lives, I ran across a quotation by William James, the father of modern psychology, which has tremendous merit, “The great use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.”
You may disagree to my way of thinking, a person is wasting their life if all they are doing is taking care of their own needs, to eat, drink and be merry. The most rewarding things we can do are what we do for others, what we leave behind when we are dead and gone. We only have one chance, so let’s do it right the first time.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 762

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ARE YOU OVER THE HILL?

The other day I heard a somewhat humorous story. This elderly man woke up one morning and thought he was dead. He did not hurt anywhere. One of the definite signs of getting older is that you discover you have muscles and joints that you never knew you had. Any kind of work or strenuous exercise, out of your regular daily routine, produces a soreness and discomfort that stays around until you find some kind of relief, or enough time passes for you to recover. I have always been an active person, participating in sports, gardening and just doing things around the house that keeps my body healthy.
However, things changed for me about a year ago, when I had a second triple bypass surgery and was soon placed on an exercise program, first at the hospital cardiac therapy unit and then the local fitness center. Blue Cross has a program called Silver Sneakers, and they will pay your fitness center dues if you have a Blue Cross policy. They found out that it’s a lot cheaper to pay fitness center dues than hospital and doctors bills. I try to go at least three times a week to walk on the treadmill, use several exercise machines and then some weightlifting for muscle tone.
I have said all that to say this: as we get older it’s important to keep our bodies healthy and physically fit if we want to stay around for a long time. Recently, I received a book by Dr. Don McGrath titled, “50 Athletes Over 50” that is jam-packed with useful information that will inspire any person, regardless of age, to maintain a great physical body. Dr. McGrath, who lives with his wife, Sylvia, in Fort Collins, Colo., is a leading advocate for those who want to be fit and healthy later in life through exercise and sports.
We are each different, but one thing I have noticed is that older people, from 65 to 100, maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise of some sort. Most people who have participated in athletics of some sort earlier in life continue with the same sport or adapt to another sport, but they stay active. A lot of time and effort went into Don’s book and he actually made the contacts and interviewed 50 older athletes to learn what motivated them and how their experience could benefit others.
There is a wide range of sports or activities involved that are different from your typical sports jock. Here is a partial list: distance runner, surfer, outrigger canoeist, bodybuilder, martial artist, triathlete, mountain unicyclist, dancer, rock climber, Nordic skier, weight lifter, race walker, handball player, power lifter, snowshoe racer and many more. Then there’s “Banana” George Blair, who is still water skiing barefoot at the age of 94. George has set several records, including being the oldest person to ever barefoot water ski and also the first to ever water ski barefoot on all seven continents.
This is a great book for anyone who would like to see the countless possibilities of either continuing a sport, either in competition or just to maintain fitness, and what it can do for you personally. The advice is simple. Consult your doctor, and if you want to lead a long and healthy life, get involved and stay involved in some type of regular exercise program. This book will show you and teach you why this is important. A lot of people think they are too old to start and that they are over the hill. The truth is, we can’t be over the hill until we first make it to the top.
Again, the book is “50 Athletes Over 50” by Dr. Don McGrath. Google it.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 764

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

GOING THROUGH LIFE – “JUST IN CASE!”

Have you ever thought about the fact that many of the choices and decisions we make in life are made with a contingency? When it comes time to choose, whether consciously or unconsciously, we often say, “just in case" -- this is really just another way of saying that we should always be prepared.
Here are a few examples to illustrate what I am saying. When we leave home, if the skies are overcast and threatening, we take an umbrella “just in case” it rains. For me, a personal example is back when we had a well before we got city water, Viola would always keep several bottles of water in the utility room “just in case” the electricity went off.
There are thousands of “just in case” examples, but my favorite was back when we were growing up. When leaving home in the car, mother always said, “Be sure you have on clean underwear, just in case you have a wreck.”
There is no limit to the examples I could use here, but the best one I have ever heard is about a little blacksmith who lived in a small town. He was an excellent blacksmith, made good money, but he was only a little over 5 feet tall and he was secretly in love with a girl who was at least a foot taller than he was.
Every so often this girl would walk by his shop and look in while he was working, but he would just duck his head and he never let his feelings be known. Then one day, she brought a little dog chain in for him to weld back together, after it had been broken. He jumped at the chance and made that chain look like a log chain. She said, “What do I owe you?” He said, “Little lady you don’t owe me a thing. I was glad to do it.” She then said, “Surely, there must be something I can do for you.”
Well, here it was, the girl of his dreams asking if she could do something for him. He just blurted it out. He said, “I am wondering if I might come calling on you.” She said, “You certainly may. You could come by my house tonight.” With this encouragement, he jumped up on an old anvil sitting on the floor of his shop and planted a kiss on her. She didn’t resist and this encouraged him still further, so he said, “Don’t make me wait till tonight. Let’s take a little stroll in the meadow back behind the shop and let me just pour out my heart to you.” She said, “Well, I guess I will.” So they started down the path of this beautiful little meadow. It was a beautiful time of the year. The wild flowers were blooming and the birds were singing.
After they strolled along for several hundred yards, chatting away, they paused in this little secluded spot and this little blacksmith looked up at this girl of his dreams and said, “How about another kiss?” She said, “No, I don’t think so. Not on our first date.” With this, the little blacksmith heaved a sigh of relief. He said, “Well, if there is not going to be any more kissing, I am going to sit this anvil down.” Now, here was a man who went prepared and he understood the concept of “just in case.”
What I have just shared with you is another one of those Bob Murphy stories that I love so much. There will never be another Bob Murphy, who told down-to-earth stories, clean as a hounds tooth, kept you in stitches, while learning some of life’s valuable lessons at the same time.
You know, our nation is going through some tough times right now, millions of people out of work, and the national debt has reached epidemic proportions. Freedom is not, and has never been, free. We must all be ready, “Just in Case.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 766

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE MEANING OF LAUS DEO!

The people who know me best -- family, friends, people I attend church with, members of my civic club, those involved with our bookcase project and hopefully, thousands of those who read this column -- will tell you that I am a pretty simple and down-to-earth guy. I do my best to be honest, to tell the truth, treat others with dignity and respect and I have a deep love for God and my country. Given these things, I am also grateful for the privilege of living in the greatest nation in the history of the world. Our forefathers and those in the military, past and present, have paid the price for me to be free and have opportunities unlike three-fourths of the rest of the people in the world.
Without a doubt, we have a spiritual heritage and a reverence for God, and His blessings, unlike any other nation on earth. A firm reliance upon God is where we derive our power. God has truly blessed our nation, and it baffles me to no end why we have people in America who are also blessed who want to remove God from every aspect of public life, to our ruin. This is not to say that we don’t have differences in forms of worship, because we do, but going all the way back to the very beginning of our nation we made sure that God was Sovereign and that we honored and reverenced Him in the very fabric of our national character.
In the event you do not believe this, allow me to share something a thoughtful reader sent me the other day. It has to do with the Washington Monument and the simple words, “Laus Deo.” Many people may not know that, by law, no building can ever be built in our nation’s capital that is higher than the Washington Monument that stands at 555 feet. Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was president of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took 25 years to finally cap the memorial, and on one side of the cap was a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo, a Latin phrase meaning, “Praise Be to God”
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there, and for that matter, probably couldn’t care less. But once you know the history, you may want to share them with everyone you know. Laus Deo --two seemingly insignificant words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningful placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world. Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise Be to God! When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4, 1848, deposited within it were many items, including the Holy Bible presented by the American Bible Society.
Please send this to every child you know: to every sister, brother, father, mother or friend. They will not find offense, because you have given them a lesson in history that they probably never learned in school. In today’s times it is fitting to end with these words from Psalm 127: 1 “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 768

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS A STANLEY RUSS

Do you know someone in your community, retired or semi-retired, who has impeccable character and integrity, is a good communicator, can chair a meeting, emcee a banquet, and do radio, television and newspaper interviews? The person I have just described, man or woman, can be the leader of a “Bookcase for Every Child” project in your community.
Before I move on, let me be quick to say that every community of any size has a number of people who can do this. To restate the obvious, I am talking about leadership.
Here in Conway, Arkansas, we are blessed to have a retired state senator by the name of Stanley Russ, who surpasses my earlier description with flying colors. He has been involved not only in our bookcase project but with every other organization you can name. He was elected to the Arkansas Senate in 1975 and served 26 years, and served as President Pro Tem of the Senate from 1995-1997. He was named one of the “Ten Outstanding State Legislators in the United States” in 1981. He is a past president of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Faulkner County, Kiwanis Club and Central Arkansas Life Underwriters.
Stanley is past state president of Future Farmers of America; past chairman of the Foothills District of Boy Scouts of America; board member of Faulkner County and State 4-H Foundation; member of Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association and the class of 2000 of the Arkansas Agri Hall of Fame; was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow of Conway Rotary Club, and a charter recipient of the Faulkner County Leadership Award by the Faulkner County Leadership Institute in 1997. He also received the University of Central Arkansas Department of Family and Consumer Sciences Distinguished Service Award in 1998.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Arkansas and an associate’s degree in agriculture from Arkansas Tech University. He served during the Korean War, stateside, Army Artillery Division. He is a member of the Second Baptist Church and former deacon and was married to the former Nina Benton for 50-plus years. He is the father of Debbie Merritt and Stan Russ and grandfather of five. There is much more, but you can understand why he was chosen the person with the most influence in Faulkner County when our local daily newspaper, the Log Cabin Democrat, conducted a reader’s poll several years ago.
When we began the Conway Bookcase Project back in 2005, Stanley’s late wife Nina was a charter member of our committee. When she passed away a few years ago, we asked Stanley to take her place and continue the work she had begun. We are blessed to have him and he has made a real contribution, especially as emcee for our Bookcase Literacy Banquet and during the annual Awards Ceremony, when we present the bookcases and a starter set of books to the children and their parents.
Now, here is my real reason for sharing this with you. As I said earlier, every community, of any size, probably has several people like Stanley Russ who can be the leader for a bookcase project in your community.
It’s not a difficult job at all for the right person. We just do what we do best. Other committee members can handle most of the details, but a good leader is really the image of the project that is projected in your community, and in the minds of your people. These children being reared in low-income or disadvantaged homes deserve our best. Together, we are making a difference. Please help us find the right person in your community.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 770

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SENIOR CITIZENS SHOULD BE IN PRISON

The famous American Humorist Mark Twain once said, “It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress.” However, very few members of Congress ever wind up in prison, because their fellow members, who are also long-time friends, are on the jury.
The other day I got a very thought-provoking article from a friend over in West Virginia. It advanced the theory that we should put seniors in jail and criminals in a nursing home. The article begins, “This way seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks, they’d receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheelchairs, etc., and they would also receive money instead of paying it out.
“They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell or needed assistance. Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them. A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cells. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose. They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counseling, pool and education. Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, pajamas and legal aid would be free, on request.
“Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise yard, with gardens. Each senior could have a P.C. a TV, radio, and daily phone calls. There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.
Now switch gears here because the ‘criminals,’ also known as patients, would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised, lights off at 8 p.m., and showers once a week. They would live in a tiny room and pay $5,000 per month and have no hope of ever getting out. It may be a hard life, but at least it would be justice for all.”
As I read this, several thoughts came to mind that I would like to pass along to you, with the hopes that a lot of people’s lives, especially seniors, could be made better. While I may be naïve, it is hard for me to believe the last part -- about the “criminals” getting cold food, left all alone and unsupervised, lights off at 8 p.m. and showers once a week -- is true. While this may be true in a few isolated cases, most nursing homes that I know anything about do a pretty good job. I can buy that part about living in a tiny room, paying $5,000 a month and no hope of ever getting out. To be sure, there are multiple cases of injustice in both of these institutions -- prisons and nursing homes. In fact, many books have been written about each one.
When you contrast the benefits and the hardships of each one, there is one simple element that makes all the difference. It’s a little simple word called freedom. The people in nursing homes all across America, and granted there are some limitations, do have freedoms that inmates in our nation’s prisons do not have. I don’t know anyone in a nursing home, in their right mind, who would trade places with any inmate in any prison for any length of time.
Regardless of how you slice it, freedom is one of the most precious gifts we have. Our freedom was won at a terribly high price. Just visit a veterans’ cemetery and you will have a better understanding of what I am saying. Many young people in our country do not really understand the cost of freedom, because they were not around when it was won and preserved. Personally, I believe there is a great threat to our freedom in America today. We must all be vigilante.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 772

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE RENEWAL RANCH

There is a faith-based ministry starting here in our community that will have a lasting impact on countless lives for decades, even centuries, to come. It’s called The Renewal Ranch, and the basic mission is to restore and renew broken lives that have been all but destroyed by chemical addiction.
When you look around, there are few families in our nation who have not been impacted to one degree or another by addiction to drugs and alcohol. You know them and I know them and, to be sure, they all need help to escape the vicious cycle they have fallen into, often without hope. Now, thanks to many people in our community who care, many of them will have hope, not only for now but also for eternity.
One thing I have noted from the people involved who give their money and time is that they have a compelling reason to make a difference, because their lives or the lives of immediate family members have been impacted in a negative way. While I have extended family members who have been addicted, I am thankful that none of my immediate family has had to wrestle with the demons that completely take over the lives of millions of people in our nation. One thing I have observed is that most of the secular treatment programs do not work for a number of reasons.
First, the cost is beyond most addicted people’s ability to pay and also the fact they can’t stay in these programs long enough to not only break the cycle of addiction, but also to get a job and re-enter society.
Several years ago a lady came to me and asked if I would drive her husband to a state alcohol treatment program south of Little Rock. She needed help, so I did my best to help her. Her husband stayed for several weeks and then came back home. Sadly, in a few short weeks he was right back where he was before he entered the program. The thing that will set The Renewal Ranch program apart from these type programs is that they are faith based, and those who are accepted can stay long enough, with God’s help, to win the battle.
They will also get a job and have a gainful means of employment to provide for their needs. However, the thing that really sets this program apart is that it is based on change that comes into an addicted person’s life, when they come to know and serve the Lord. In II Corinthians 5:17 it says, “If any man be in Christ, he has become a new creature, behold all things have become new and old things have passed away.” You may doubt the validity of what I am saying, but I have seen it many times with my own eyes. You may rest assured that family members are glad to have addicted fathers, husbands and sons, back renewed and restored.
Thus, The Renewal Ranch, which is located on 94 acres of land in Perry County, just a few miles west of Conway. The plan is to have these men, six to begin with, be active in the community by providing community service, growing much of their own food and spending some of each day having devotional time and Bible study. This program, which has worked in other communities, is receiving tremendous help and support for local churches. It should be noted that Home Depot Foundation gave The Renewal Ranch a $20,000 gift to help with the building of the first bunkhouse.
James Loy, who is the director along with his wife Laura, is a former cocaine addict. He found help in a similar program and has a deep desire to give back. For more information, or to contribute to The Renewal Ranch, visit their web site at www.therenewalranch.org.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 774

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING!

Several years ago I had a friend by the name of George Fisher, who was the political cartoonist for our statewide newspaper. While George is no longer with us, most of the time we did not agree politically, but he was a fine man and tremendously talented. He had married a woman from over in the country of England and he always placed her name “Snooky” somewhere in his cartoons. Most everyone who saw his cartoons spent at least some time trying to find her name. This has just been an aside, but it’s amazing how the mind works when you begin to use it. I was thinking about my topic today and something George said to me years ago popped into my mind, “It’s not the gale, but the set of the sail, that determines the way I shall go.”
I have since learned that this was a quote by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, but it really personifies the mission I have had for the past decade to improve literacy in our nation. As time has passed it is tremendously humbling to see what God is doing to use our “Bookcase for Every Child” project more and more to bring literacy to the front burner. Every once in a while, something comes along to reinforce the mission we have been on. Sometime back I spoke to the Stuttgart (Arkansas) Lions Club. and Bill Schrum, a reporter, for the Stuttgart Daily Leader, wrote an article about my talk. He gave some statistics that I had never seen before, quoting the Right to Read Foundation and the National Institute for Literacy.
Here are some statistics that should cause you to get on the band wagon if you are not already there. First, from the Right to Read Foundation: Forty-two million American adults can’t read at all. Fifty million American adults are unable to read at a higher level than is expected of a fourth or fifth grader. The number of adults who are functionally illiterate increases by 2.25 million each year. Twenty percent of high school seniors can be classified as functionally illiterate at the time they graduate.
Now, from the National Institute for Literacy (this will help you see what it is costing each of us): Seventy percent of prisoners in state and federal systems can be classified as illiterate. Eighty-five percent of all juvenile offenders rate as functionally or marginally illiterate. Forty-three percent of those whose literacy skills are the lowest live in poverty.
My theme from the very beginning has been “Everyone Can Do Something.” Just by getting everyone who reads this column involved will go a long way. While I have no way of knowing who is reading my column each week, the feedback I receive here in my own community tells me there are thousands of people who are faithful readers. Back before the down turn in our economy, and a lot more papers were carrying it, we did a little survey and found the readership may be close to a million readers each week. If you read my column, here is what I would like to ask you to do … do something to help improve literacy rates in America.
First, get involved with your own children and grandchildren. Let them see you reading and have books available in your home. Go to your local schools and read to children. Give books as birthday and Christmas gifts. Support your local library and go there often. Help start a “Bookcase for Every Child” project in your community. We are all volunteers and use no tax money or grants of any kind, which is really a novel idea in today’s economy. Everything you would need is on our Web site: www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. Thanks for reading.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 776

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

MOMMY, PLEASE READ TO ME!

“Mommy, please read to me,” is a plea that has been spoken by millions of children over the years. Blessed indeed is the child who has a reading mother, father, grandparent, sibling or others who will take time to read to them, especially before they are 3 years of age.
While this is not something that is discussed at most dinner tables, the simple act of reading to a very young child will determine to a large degree, what the child becomes later in life. As you may know, we have a bookcase project here in our community to help children in low-income families learn to read and to encourage lifelong reading habits. Many of the children we are helping are African-American children, and we have a passion to help them, especially in light of a very tragic report on NBC News.
Only 47 percent of African-American males graduate from high school. No need to discuss what this means to the individual who drops out of school, and to all the rest of us in society. In a recent article in The New York Times, the question was asked, “Why do low-income/minority kids do so poorly in school?” Only time will tell if we are able to do anything about this problem, but fortunately the answer is known.
In 1985, Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, child psychologists at the University of Kansas, published the results of an intensive research project on language acquisition. They recruited 42 families with newborn children in Kansas City, and for the following three years they visited each family once a month, recording absolutely everything that occurred between the child and the parent or parents.
The researchers then transcribed each encounter and analyzed each child’s language development and each parent’s communication style. Here is where it gets interesting: Hart and Risley found that vocabulary growth differed sharply by class, and the gap between the classes opened early. By age 3, children whose parents were professionals had vocabularies of about 1,100 words, and children whose parents where on Welfare had vocabularies of about 525 words. The children’s I.Q.s correlated closely with their vocabularies. The average I.Q. among the professional children was 117, and the Welfare children had an average I.Q. of 79.
To understand this data, here is a point that must be noted. The size of each child’s vocabulary correlated most closely to one simple factor: the number of words the parent spoke to the child. This is why reading to very small children can make all the difference in the world. Also, the kinds of words and statements that children heard were characterized by class. The most basic difference was the number of “Discouragements” (prohibitions and words of disapproval) a child heard compared to the number of “Encouragements” or words of praise and approval. By age 3, the average child of a professional heard about 500,000 encouragements and 80,000 discouragements. For the Welfare children, the situation was reversed: they heard on average about 75,000 encouragements and 200,000 discouragements.
In the final analysis, the researchers concluded that while wealth does matter, child-rearing style matters more.
Dr. Greg Murry, superintendent of the Conway School District, shared this important information: Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year. It’s true: Those who love to read most often succeed in life.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 778

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A SHELTERING ROCK IN THE STORM!

There are some parts of our country, especially out in the West, where sand and dust storms often occur. While I have never experienced this personally, I have seen these storms on television many times. If there is one thing people caught in these fierce storms often look for, it’s a sheltering rock. In many cases, a large rock can mean the difference between life and death.
The same thing is true for many of America’s youth who are caught in a storm of a different kind. In many of our larger cities, and increasingly in our medium size and even smaller communities, kids are killing each other, being robbed, constantly being exposed to drugs and gangs. To put it mildly, it’s just not safe.
We have one organization in our nation that is making a tremendous difference for millions of these kids, and that’s the Boys and Girls Club. These clubs (originally the Boys Club which became the Boys and Girls Club in 1990) are also a sheltering rock in the storm. Hope you have one in your community and, if not, something similar.
We have a great Boys and Girls Club here in our community, and recently the director, Robert Wright, came to speak to our local Lions Club. We are proud of the fact that the Lions Clubs International Foundation donated $50,000 to help start the club here in our community. Robert told us a lot of things about the work of the Boys & Girls Clubs, and he really opened our eyes with many of the statistics he gave us. It costs a child, or his or her parents, $25 a week to have a safe environment with meaningful programs, and no child is turned away, even if they cannot afford the small costs.
Why a Boys and Girls Club? His answer really got my attention. In America, every 10 seconds a high school student drops out. Every 25 seconds a child is arrested. Every 40 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected. Every minute a baby is born to a teen mother. Every five minutes a child is arrested for a drug offense. Every nine minutes a child is arrested for a violent crime. Every five hours a child or teen commits suicide. Every six hours a child is killed by abuse or neglect, and every day 2,467 high school students drop out. This is not a column about literacy, but it should help you see why our “Bookcase for Every Child” project is so important, as we strive to get 4-year-olds hooked on reading by giving them books and their very own personalized bookcase.
For children who are fortunate enough to be enrolled in an after-school program of the Boys and Girls Club, here is proof positive that the program works. Crime and Substance Abuse: 67 percent of club alumni attribute their ability to avoid difficulty with the law to the influence of Club staff. Another 67 percent say the Club is where they learned to “say no” to drugs and alcohol. Dropout Rates: 28 percent report they would have dropped out of high school if not for the club, and 51 percent achieved a higher level of education than they thought possible because of attending the club.
Childhood Obesity: 80 percent of alumni said the Club had a positive impact on their attitude toward fitness and health; 74 percent of Club alumni report participating in organized sports. African-American Males: 73 percent of African-American male alumni said the “Club saved my life,” and 34 percent of African-American male alumni earned a four-year college degree, compared to the national rate of 16 percent.
I believe you will agree: Boys and Girls Clubs deserve our support.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

The next password is corn

No. 780
The next password is bean

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

CHARACTER AND ADVERSITY ARE SOUL MATES!

For 25 years, from 1972 until 1997, there was a man down in Baton Rouge, La., at the helm of the Louisiana State University basketball program by the name of Dale Brown. During this time, Dale Brown distinguished himself as few other coaches in the history of college basketball. In one stretch from 1984 until 1993, he took his teams to nine consecutive NCAA tournaments. Rather, I should say, while coaches are important, his teams took him, because the players are the ones who actually win the games. Here I am reminded of something the late Paul Eells, famous television sportscaster, used to say, “Poor coaching kept me from being an All American.”
Coach Brown’s record at LSU was 448 wins to only 301 losses. Only the legendary Adolph Rupp of Kentucky won more games in SEC history than LSU’s Brown. Brown and Rupp are the only coaches that had 17 non-losing seasons and Brown is the only coach to have increased his number of victories six years in a row. His most famous player was Shaquille O’Neal, two-time All American, who in 1991 was given the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men’s basketball player of the year. Today, Dale Brown is a highly sought after motivational speaker and is often called “The Master Motivator.” For more information, on his speaking and his books, go to his Web site: www.coachdalebrown.com
While many people in America, especially sports fans, know the record and accomplishments of Coach Dale Brown, I dare to say that most people do not know his personal story and what motivated him to achieve outstanding success. While painful at the time, it’s a legacy that any of us would be blessed to have.
In Dale’s own words, he talks about the early influence his mother had on his life. He says, “I guess you could say that my story of faith started two days before I was born. Two days before I was born, my so-called father left my mother, two young sisters, 11 and 12 years of age, and me, and he never returned. His departure left my mother in a difficult position.
“She had an eighth-grade education, came off the farm in North Dakota, and couldn’t get a job during the Great Depression in 1935. In the cold prairies of North Dakota, she had to do two things that were very unpleasant for her: she became a baby sitter to earn money, and she had to put our family on welfare. We lived in a one-room apartment above a bar and hardware store, and I remember my mother getting $42.50 in Ward County welfare each month. She sat down and meticulously decided what breads and canned goods we could buy for the coming week. Several times during these difficult times, my mother taught me a lesson that has stayed with me during my entire life.
“Two times I saw my mother get on her winter coat, walk down a flight of stairs, and take back to the Red Owl and the Piggly Wiggly grocery stores 25 cents and 40 cents, because the clerks had given her too much change for the groceries she had brought home. Seeing her dress in the middle of winter, I said, ‘Mama, where are you going?’ She said, ‘Oh, I’m taking this money back to the store. They gave me too much change’.”
Dale continued by saying that his mother followed the advice of St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century when he said, “Preach the gospel every day, and if necessary use words.” What I saw here was “Character and Adversity are Soul Mates,” and I bet you did, too. His basketball skills were a gift from God.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

The next column password is: Bean

No. 756

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A GOOD DOSE OF REALITY

Every once in a while we all need a good dose of reality. This is necessary to keep our feet solidly on the ground and not get caught up in a steady stream of politics that goes on around us for much of the time. The other day, a friend sent me something that might serve a useful purpose, as it presented a clear case of a good dose of reality.
It seems this middle age man and his wife had a young college-grad granddaughter they loved deeply, and had been there to help financially over some rough spots in her life. This granddaughter, whose name is Ashley, drives a flashy hybrid car, wears all the latest fashions, and loves to go out to nightclubs and restaurants. She also campaigned hard for our nation’s newly elected president. After the election she made sure her grandfather, who did not vote for President Obama, received a big “I told-you-so” earful, on how the world is going to be a much better place now that her party is taking over.
That was then. This is now. Ashley lost both of her roommates and ran short of cash and cannot pay the rent (again) on her three-bedroom townhouse. Like she had done many times in the past, she e-mailed her grandfather asking for some financial help. His response is the dose of reality that I mentioned earlier. In part, here is what he said, “Ashley, you know that I love you dearly and I’m sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold economic plan of our own… ‘The Ashley Economic Empowerment Plan’.
“Let me explain. Your grandmother and I are lifelong, wage-earning taxpayers. We have lived a comfortable life, as you know, but have never had the fancier things like European vacations, luxury cars, etc. We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But the plan has changed. Your president is raising our personal and business taxes significantly. He says it is so he can give our hard-earned money to other people. Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less for us, and we must cut back on our personal expenses.”
The grandfather goes on to tell her about having to let his wonderful receptionist of 22 years go, and that her grandmother will now have to work four days a week to answer the phone. He also reports that her cousin Frank will no longer be working summers in the warehouse. When he called Frank to tell him, he was upset because he will have to give up skydiving and his yearly trip to Greenland to survey the polar bears.
When I read this, I realized that it was highly partisan and, for the most part, I try to stay away from partisan politics. What tilted my decision in favor of sharing it was the dose of reality aspect that so many people need to hear, regardless of which party is in power and how our nation’s financial fortunes play out.
There is an old saying that goes, “The one who pays the fiddler calls the tune.” There is one thing that our government can do that we, as individuals, can’t do, and that’s print money. When we run out of money we are just out and it’s then that we have to figure out how we are going to get more to pay our bills and live the kind of life we wish to live. Older people who have worked hard and saved money know how they got it. If we choose to give it away that’s benevolence. If someone takes it, that’s robbery. For Ashley, it was a good dose of reality.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 792

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS HAVE A SOLUTION

On the surface, it may appear that what I have to share with you today will not have any personal benefits for you. However, if you will think about the principle it involves, I believe you will agree that it does. The principle can be stated like this: The vast majority of the problems we face in life do have a solution, often a creative solution, if we will only do a little research and spend some quality time thinking about them.
Such was the case for businessman-developer, Tom Hastings, who lives in Hingham, Mass. Tom had just built a 45-unit condominium in his community and had donated $3 million in the form of state-of-the-art baseball and football fields with lighting, irrigation and scoreboard. He also gave $150,000 toward a new clubhouse and saved the town $1 million by remediating the construction site and cleaning up parts of the 500-acre Bare Cove Park that nearly encircled the development.
Tom Hastings appears to be a great citizen, but soon after he finished the project and the grass was planted on the ball fields, along came a large flock of Canada Geese. They took a real liking to his grass and also left behind pounds of droppings each day. At this point he vowed not to allow the geese to destroy his vision. However, he admitted that “Grass growth was hindered by the one-two punch of drought and geese.” After some research, he found a novel, safe, humane and effective way to get rid of the goose problem. His solution came in the form of large, two-dimensional, portable plastic coyote decoys. Coyotes are predators of Canada Geese, and placing decoys around the ball fields solved the problem. Hastings says, “Geese aren’t dumb. We have to move the replica coyotes regularly, so the birds don’t catch on.”
Experts say that geese problems can quickly get out of control. Adult geese weigh up to 14 pounds and each female can lay four to eight eggs per season. Droppings can be a source of disease. Geese are migratory birds and have become the most common waterfowl species in North America. When they find an area, close to water, where there are easy pickings, they just stay and don’t move on. Most of this information came from an article written by Stan Hurwitz and, after reading it, I went to the Internet and found that anyone can purchase these life-like “photo-realistic silhouettes” for about $30 each.
At this point I would like to add my own comments to supplement Stan’s article, as I had some first-hand experience with this problem a few years ago when I played in a golf tournament on a course a few miles south of where I live. This course was only a few miles from the Arkansas River and wild Canada Geese had literally taken over the course. On almost every hole when you hit a ball onto the green, you would find geese there or that they had been there, as evidenced by droppings all over the green. I just had a humorous thought. If someone would invent a golf ball that could navigate around goose droppings they could make a fortune. You do have to have a clear path to the hole to have any chance of making the putt.
But on a more serious note, at the time I thought about these coyote decoys as a deterrent but never took the time to contact the course owners. In the future, when you see a wild goose problem on a ball field or golf course, you might try or recommend some coyote decoys. As I said in the beginning, most every problem does have a solution.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 795

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE CONCEPT OF CASH-CONTROLLED SPENDING!

A few weeks ago I discovered, quite by chance, a dirty little secret about saving money. The secret is simply this (you will have to decide if you think it’s dirty or not): You don’t have to account for every penny but you do have to save. If you do this and do it well, you will have all the money you will ever need. If you don’t, you risk living hand-to-mouth for the rest of your days.
These words are found on the back cover of a fantastic little book titled, “Don’t Make a Budget.” The author of this book is Ken Robinson, a financial planner who lives in Cleveland, Ohio. After I finished reading his book, I dropped Ken an e-mail and he responded that he was pleased that I wanted to share some of his ideas with you.
Statistics tell us that most marriages fail because of money problems. And no wonder: the average person in our nation has over $15,000 in credit card debt. Being broke and never having any money creates a strain on even the best marriages. This affects most single people as well. Of course the only way to overcome this malady is to be able to save money, which is obviously something that many people are not able to do. To curb spending, many people make a budget to account for where all their money is going, and they honestly try to save money. More often than not, their money never consistently makes its way into a savings account.
Once we understand what we really should do to save money, we will realize that budgeting gets the process exactly backward. Most people have been taught to create a list of expenses and then decide where to cut back. Then we total up these cutbacks and decide how much we can save. But the key to saving is not to figure out where we can cut back but rather to make a decision about how much we are going to save. The decision about where to cut back will take care of itself. In his book, Ken talks about the concept of cash-controlled spending, which is something I have been doing for years without ever thinking about. Here is the simple concept that I have used, and if you need it, will work for you as well.
I have only one credit card that is used to validate business expenses for tax purposes, and do my best to maintain a zero balance each month. When I receive monthly income from our business and my Social Security check, I pay our bills, including regular savings, and then deposit a small amount in a personal checking account. When this deposit is made, I keep between $75 and $100 for my wallet to have for incidental spending. I try to make this small amount of cash go as far as it will. You know what happens when you break a $20 bill don’t you? It’s gone before you know it. With me, it’s almost a game to be able to go for two, three or four days without breaking a $20 bill. When it comes to buying lunch for others or situations where I need to step up to the plate, I am not cheap, as I always do my part and then some.
And here is why this cash-controlled spending concept works. When we sign a check or use plastic, we don’t actually think about the fact that it’s money we are spending. We do when it’s cash. Why do you think casinos use poker chips and not real cash money when it comes to rolling the dice? It’s a lot easier to bet $10,000 in poker chips than to bet $10,000 in hard cash that you can see and touch. When we become conscious of what we are really spending, we will do a better job of spending it. Ken’s web site is: www.FinancialSelfConfidence.com.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 797

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

GOLF AT YOUR OWN RISK!

First, allow me to set the stage. On Sunday, Sept. 3, 1939, at 11 o’clock in the morning, Great Britain declared war on Germany to enter World War II. France also declared war later that same day. This is the backdrop for a most interesting article a reader sent me titled “Richmond Golf Club – Temporary Rules – 1940.”
Most avid golfers know that Scotland is the birthplace of golf, and the Old Course at St. Andrews has more history than any other golf course in the world. Now, I am not sure where the Richmond Golf Club was or is located, probably in England, but the reason for the Temporary Rules was most interesting in view of the fact they were issued during a time of war. Even if you don’t play golf, this article will show you just how die-hard some golfers are.
Here are the rules: “1. Players are asked to collect bomb and shrapnel splinters to save these from causing damage to the mowing machines. 2. In competitions, during gunfire or while bombs are falling, players may take cover without penalty for ceasing play. 3. The positions of known delayed action bombs are marked by red flags at a reasonably, but not guaranteed, safe distance there from. 4. Shrapnel and/or bomb splinters on the fairways or in bunkers within a club’s length of a ball may be moved without penalty, and no penalty shall be incurred if a ball is thereby caused to move accidentally. 5. A ball moved by enemy action may be replaced or, if lost or destroyed, a ball may be dropped not nearer the hole without penalty. 6. A ball lying in a crater may be lifted and dropped but not nearer the hole, preserving the line to the hole, without penalty. 7. A player whose stroke is affected by the simultaneous explosion of a bomb may play another ball from the same place. Penalty is one stroke.”
After reading this list of rules, I would say this is definitely a case of where you would have to golf at your own risk. As I write these words, our local Lions Club members are making plans to host the 13th annual Jamie Bray Memorial Golf Classic. It has been my privilege for the past several years to be responsible for securing the hole sponsors and the players for our tournament. This is our club’s major fundraiser to help the blind and visually impaired. While I am not very good, I love to play golf because it’s a great fellowship game and a way to be outside and enjoy the beautiful world that God has created for us. The guys I play with are always involved in a lot of good-natured kidding. We all moan when one makes a poor shot, and cheer when one of us makes a good one.
This past week I learned something exciting from our tournament chairman, Marty Faggetti. He and seven of his fellow golfers are going to Scotland this summer and will play the Old Course at St. Andrews and several others. They will have a wonderful time, and it will be the trip of a lifetime for each of them.
Now, there is another aspect of what I have been sharing, other than golfing. This is the fact that there are thousands of golf tournaments held all over the nation each year, with the proceeds going to help some worthy cause. There is really no reason why we should not have fun and help others at the same time. Personally, I feel good about the fact that my time, efforts and resources are going to help the blind and the less fortunate. Hope you share that same spirit. We are indeed our brother’s keeper.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 799

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

LIVING IN A DARK WORLD!

If you have ever been in a completely dark room, where you could not see your hand in front of your face, then you will understand and appreciate what I want to share with you in this column.
While writing this column, over the past 15-plus years, I have mentioned several times that I am a member of the Conway Noon Lions Club. The mission of our club, plus more than 44,000 other clubs around the world, is to help the blind and visually impaired. Our club has some great meetings, some great speakers and a several fund-raising events each year to raise the money to support a number of sight-related projects. All of our members understand our mission and what we are doing to help the blind. However, unless we have the opportunity to actually “see” and experience the life that blind people live, day after day, there is no way for even our best and most faithful members to be emotionally involved. I might add that this is the deepest motivation of all -- to put ourselves in someone else’s skin or shoes.
This fact was really brought home to me several months ago when a number of our Lions visited the Lions World Services for the Blind in Little Rock. This is a world-class facility dedicated to training the blind and visually impaired to be able to function independently and to live full productive lives with dignity and self-respect. Since it was founded in 1939, LWSB has become the largest and most comprehensive rehabilitation center in the world, serving more than 9,500 people from 50 states and 58 other countries. I might add that the vast majority of people in our state, and even in central Arkansas, do not know we have this facility right here at home.
The day we were there, Dan Noble, public relations director at LWSB, gave us a tour of the campus, which included visiting a number of training stations where a sighted instructor was teaching various skills to totally blind and partially blind students. The center provides counseling services, personal adjustment training, pre-vocational training, and vocational training in 13 career areas ranging from computer programming to small engine repair. Trainees are given guidance through the often traumatic, emotional adjustment to blindness and taught techniques for daily living, communications and mobility so they can care for themselves and travel independently. The trainees are also given the opportunity to learn valuable job skills so they can function efficiently and competitively in the work place.
In looking back on our trip to LWSB, I think the thing that impacted me the most was when we had lunch in their cafeteria. As I was sitting there eating at one of the long tables with a number of my fellow Lions, all whom had their sight, the trainees began to come in for lunch. They were all totally blind, or had greatly impaired vision, and I saw more blind people at one time than I had ever seen in my life. You could easily spot those who had only been there a short period of time. They came down the line, guided by their white cane, and when they came to the wall where they had to make a right turn, you could tell it was awkward for them.
It was at this point I realized what it must be like to live in a totally dark world. I was grateful that I was blessed with my sight and it had a very emotional impact on me. Should you want to learn more about this world-class facility, visit their web site: www.lwsb.org.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 801

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW!

One of the things I never want to take for granted is that I have some great people who read my column. Many of you have sent me various articles, stories and quotes that I have used in various ways, to share with others that serves to make us all better people.
While my mind often feeds me some unique thoughts and ways to express an idea, I have never claimed to be original. As it says in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is nothing new under the sun.” One of my readers, and also a friend, is a wonderful gentleman by the name of Joe Lehmann. He has sent me countless e-mails over the years. With me, recently, he hit the nail on the head when he sent me a story about a sparrow at a Starbucks in New York City. While this is not exactly the Bible belt, the message in following story Joe sent me is unmistakable.
This particular Starbucks is located at 51st Street and Broadway in Manhattan, and for musicians who play there it is known as the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world. For those who can play the right tunes, the tips are substantial. One day this old musician was playing songs from the 40s to the 90s. During an emotional rendition of the classic, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” he noticed a lady sitting in a lounge chair a short distance away. She was swaying to the beat and singing along. After the number was over, she approached him and said, “I apologize for singing along on the song. Did it bother you?” she asked. “No, he replied. “We love it when the audience sings along. Would you like to sing the next selection?”
To his delight, she accepted the invitation. “You choose the song,” he said. “What are you in the mood to sing?” “Well, do you know any hymns?” He said, “I cut my teeth on hymns. Name one.” “Oh, so many good ones, how about ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’”?
He began to play and she began to sing. “Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?” The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion. “I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”
When the last note was sung, the applause had reached a crescendo that became a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. The old musician embraced his new friend. “You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful,” he said. “Why did you pick that particular song?” She hesitated, “That was my daughter’s favorite song. She was 16 and died of a brain tumor last week.” In spite of her grief, she still managed to bless others through that wonderful song.
The next time you feel like God can’t use you, just remember. Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Rahab was a prostitute, David had an affair and was a murderer, Jonah ran from God, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate bugs, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, the Samaritan woman was divorced more than once, Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer and Lazarus was dead. What a blessing. Wish I could have been there that day.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 803

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

JUST CONSIDER THE SOURCE

One time I remember hearing the late Earl Nightingale say, “We live in America where a person has the right to be just as wrong as he wants to be.” This thought came to mind when I began to think about what I wanted to share with you in this column.
In our Sunday school class we have been studying a book by Dr. David Jeremiah titled “Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World.” In one of the chapters, he talks about Bill Maher, who is best known for two nighttime television talk shows. His second show -- Politically Incorrect -- pretty well sums up Maher’s tone, personality and subject matter. As a stand-up comedian, he is known for his acid-tongued commentaries on everything traditional – especially faith. In 2008, he added to his comedic resume by writing and starring in a documentary film called “Religulous” that opened in theaters in October of that year.
His goal was to attack organized religion, especially Christianity and its belief in the Bible. In an interview on the CBS Early Show with host Harry Smith, Maher said, “My motivation (with ‘Religulous’) is to make people laugh. I mean, religion, to me, is a giant elephant in the room of comic gold because, you know, we’re talking about a garden with a talking snake. If you can’t find humor there – people are just used to these stories. That’s why they don’t laugh at them.”
Really! Of course, Maher is not the only one who pokes fun at Christianity. Members of the mainstream media and press do it all the time. In our local newspaper we have a columnist by the name of John Brummett, who never misses an opportunity to put people down if they take a stand for Christian beliefs and values, especially Jesus.
I will confess that I used to get pretty upset when I would read or hear someone else attacking my faith, and I suspect this is true for most other Christians as well. As Christians we have been used as a punching bag for too long. However, I finally came to realize the truth of what Earl Nightingale was saying, “We have the right to be just as wrong as we want to be.”
Here is the good news for me and perhaps you, as well. All we have to do is consider the source and we will not get upset the next time someone attacks our faith. Now, I don’t say that to be flippant or condescending, but from a literal point of view. Those who attack our Christian beliefs have gained their wisdom in less than a century, and the Bible has been around for thousands of years. When I place things in the proper context, I no longer get upset.
I might add, the Bible will still be around when the Bill Mahers and John Brummetts of this world are long gone. In Matthew 24: 35, Jesus says, “Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will abide forever.” Again, so there will be no misunderstanding, this is what I meant when I said, “Just consider the source.”
It has never been my attitude, my spirit or my desire to attack someone else for his or her beliefs. I have a deep and abiding faith in humanity, and, while I may not agree, to respect the rights of every person to think and believe as they choose. However, I will not sit idly by and listen to someone else attack my faith without uttering a word in defense. The Bible says to “Be ready always to give an account of the reason of hope that is within you with meekness and fear.” Love is really the answer, and when we have love, we are truly blessed.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 805

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN ….

Over the years it has been my privilege to travel a great deal and make speeches to groups in a good number of communities, in various parts of the country. I have always enjoyed these trips, and especially meeting new people. I have found that people are basically the same regardless of where my travels have taken me, but there is a definite difference in the prosperity and optimism from one community to the next. Much of this can be attributed to location and natural resources, but leadership plays a definite role as well.
Something else I have noticed, which is certainly not a scientific approach, is that some communities are fairing better than others due to the level and quality of educational opportunities in the community. This is borne out by the fact that “college” towns usually do much better than the others.
What I am going to say next may appear to be boasting, but it is certainly not meant that way. The community of Conway, Arkansas, where I live is known as the “City of Colleges,” as we have three colleges here -- the University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College and Central Baptist College. Our population is approaching 60,000 people, but these colleges were here long before our population exploded. In fact, some people would like to hang out a “No Vacancy” sign. When we moved to the area back in the early 1980s, the population was somewhere around 20,000, give or take a few thousand. One of the reasons for our success, in addition to the education factor, is that our economy is so diversified. Our unemployment rate is well below the national average.
In addition to economic opportunities there is something that is often called “quality of life” factors. These are the various factors that make living, working and prospering enjoyable. We have real quality of life here, and most of our citizens are grateful for it. Another factor, and this is really the purpose of this column, is what our leaders have done to plan for the future. We have all heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Here is a question that you may want to think about, “Does your community have a long range plan?”
The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce facilitated a strategic planning process, to be in place by 2011, called Conway2025. The first step was public input through a short survey to identify our local priorities. More than 1,400 Conway area residents participated in the survey. This almost tripled the goal of having 500 people participate.
The survey asked residents to prioritize 43 possible focus areas. The Conway2025 steering committee identified 12 areas that stood out among the survey responses. These were Education, Transportation, Public Safety, Job Creation, Minority Affairs, Public Transportation, Arts and Culture, Drainage, Land Use and Planning, Parks and Recreation, Downtown and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. During the survey process, respondents were asked if they were willing to help write the plan. More than 300 volunteered.
The goal was to establish 12 focus areas which include: Keep Conway Moving, Keep Conway Active, Keep Conway Building, Keep Conway Working, Keep Conway Safe, Keep Conway Creative, and Keep Conway Learning.
There is much more that space does not allow me to tell you, but if you are interested visit: www.conway2025.com. As I said earlier, it’s all about leadership.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 781

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Sometime back a very thoughtful reader sent me a fantastic article titled, “The New High School Principal.” Since no author was given, I am not sure if this is a fictitious or a real person, but it is certainly worthy to be passed along to you, as education is the very foundation of our society.
The article begins: “To the students and faculty of our high school: I am your new principal, and honored to be so. There is no greater calling than to teach young people. I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school.
“I am making these changes because I am convinced that most of the ideas that have dominated public education in America have worked against you, against your teachers and against our country. This high school will no longer honor race or ethnicity. I could not care less if your racial makeup is black, brown, red, yellow or white. I could not care less if your origins are African, Latin or European, or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships. The only identity I care about, the only one this school will recognize, is your individual identity -- your character, your scholarship, your humanity. And the only national identity this school will care about is American.
“This is an American public school and American public schools were created to make better Americans. If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through school you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity, race and non-American nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America, one of its three central values — E Pluribus Unum, ‘from many, one.’ And this school will be guided by America’s values. This includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness.
“Your clubs will be based on interests and passions, not blood, ethnic, racial or other physically defined ties. Those clubs just cultivate narcissism – an unhealthy preoccupation with the self – while the purpose of education is to get you to think beyond yourself. So we will have clubs that transport you to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, carpentry and more. If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interesting in are those based on ethnic, racial or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself really interests you.
“I am uninterested in whether English is your native language. My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing English as fluently as possible. The English language has united America’s citizens for 200 years, and it will unite us at this school. It is one of the indispensable reasons this country of immigrants has always come to be one country. And if you leave this school without excellent English skills, I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully compete in the American job market. We will learn other languages here – it is deplorable that most Americans only speak English -- but if you want classes taught in your native language, this is not your school.”
There is much, much more that really hits the nail on the head, and if you would like to have the complete article, send me a self-addressed envelope and I will be happy to send it to you.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 793

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

OUR NATON’S THIRD PRESIDENT

The Spanish essayist and poet George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.”
When we think about where we are as a nation today and how our present financial crisis is impacting our lives, it might be well to look back at our history and examine the views and policies that made us the most prosperous and most powerful nation on earth in less than 200 years. Personally, in view of what I have just shared, I believe a good life to study, with this in mind, is none other than our third president, Thomas Jefferson. He was brilliant and made some of the greatest contributions in the history of our country.
You may be familiar with the famous quote by former President John F. Kennedy, spoken during a dinner at the White House, when he had a group of the brightest minds in the nation assembled there. He said, “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
Please allow me to remind you of some things about this remarkable man, who started learning at an early age and never stopped.
At 5, he began studying under his cousin as a tutor; at 9 he studied Latin, Greek and French; at 14, he studied classical literature and additional languages; at 16, he entered the College of William and Mary; at 23, he started his own law practice; at 25, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses; at 32, he was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress; at 33, he wrote the Declaration of Independence; at 36, he was elected the second governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry; at 40, he served in Congress for two years; at 57, he was elected the third president of the United States; at 60, he obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation’s size; at 61, he was elected to a second term as President; at 65, he retired to Monticello.
As history will bear out, there is little question that Thomas Jefferson was one of the most brilliant and capable men to ever serve in our nation’s highest office. With that in mind, to me it just makes sense that what he had to say, and the philosophy from which he governed, would serve us well in today’s times. We can learn from history and try to avoid some of the mistakes in the future that led us to the point we find ourselves today, with high unemployment and a massive national debt. Here are some quotes and thoughts attributed to Thomas Jefferson that will give us some insights for helping our leaders to right the ship of state.
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.” “The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” “It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.” “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
A final question: Can we learn anything from men like Thomas Jefferson?
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 784

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HOW MUCH IS A TRILLION?

Back in the days when there were still a few statesmen in Congress, we had a senator from the great state of Illinois by the name of Everett McKinley Dirksen (Jan. 4, 1896, to Sept.7, 1969). He served in the House from 1933 to 1949 and in the Senate from 1951 to 1969. There is a famous quote attributed to him, that apparently he never made, that goes, “A billion here and a billion there, and first thing you know you are talking about some real money.” Regardless of whether he ever said that or not, it has stuck with him all these years and it certainly should give us pause, for his use of the word billion.
Personally, I wish he was still around to hear the word “trillion” banded about almost like the term “billion” was in his day. I am so old that I can remember back in the days when a man in our town was reported to be a millionaire, and I was impressed. Today we have almost dropped that word from our vocabulary.
Now, back to the word “trillion.” Have you ever thought about, in terms of money, how much a trillion dollars really is? I have a good example that will give all of us some perspective that I will share before I reach the end of this column, but I have another example that will make you dizzy, if you watch it or dwell on it too long.
If you have not already seen it, there is a web site on the Internet: www.usdebtclock.org that will be an eye-opening experience. I must warn you, if you are afraid of heights and have a tendency to have dizzy spells, don’t stay too long. The numbers are going by so fast that it impossible to give any definite figures, because by the time of this writing and the time it actually runs in the paper, the figures will be off by a country mile.
There are a number of different categories but here are a few to give you an idea of what I am saying. To begin, the U.S. National Debt is more than $13 trillion and counting. Debt per citizen – more than $44,000 and counting. Debt per taxpayer – more than $125,000 and counting. U.S. Federal Spending – more than $3 trillion and counting. U.S. Federal Budget Deficit – more than $1.5 trillion and counting. And here is one that is probably the most asinine of all: Interest in the National Debt – more than $3 trillion dollars per year. That is money we give to someone else without getting anything in return.
Back to my earlier question: how much is a trillion? Well, it’s the number 1 followed by 12 zeroes. It’s written like this: 1,000,000,000,000, and our government has spent over 13 of those more than it’s taken in from all sources.
Since we are talking about some real money here, let me share something that was handed out at a meeting I attended the other day that really got me to thinking. Hopefully, it will cause you to think about it as well. As a nation, our elected officials must get this under control because our economic future truly hangs in the balance. The brief article I received had this heading: What’s the difference between a million, a billion and a trillion? Well, a million seconds is 12 days. A billion seconds is 31 years. A trillion seconds is 31,688 years.
Here I feel it necessary to give a brief disclaimer. I did not check these figures. My calculator does not go that high anyway. I just have to trust they are accurate. I do believe, however, the U.S. Debt Clock is right. Granted I am old fashioned, but when you have dug a hole for yourself, it’s time to stop digging.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 786

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

AN EAR-SPLITTING SUCKING SOUND!

If you have been hearing an ear-splitting sucking sound over the past few years, it could well be the federal government siphoning off the wealth of private citizens and businesses to support a vast and growing leisure class of federal employees whose only concern, it seems, is to further augment their perks and privileges at taxpayer expense.
USA Today reports that “At a time when worker’s pay and benefits have stagnated, federal employee’s average compensation has grown to double what private sector workers earn.” While many of our citizens would lay this problem at the feet of the current administration, this problem did not start here.
According to the government’s own figures, as published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, federal employees now average $123,049 in pay and benefits, private-sector employees make $61,998. That’s a pay gap of $61,415 since the year 2000.
What we have here is a classic case of too many people riding in the wagon and too few pulling it. We have all heard this before, but this is truly a case of “Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.” It is my privilege to explain why this is happening and the best course of future action. As someone famous has said, “Let me be clear” -- I do not fault federal employees for this sad state of affairs.
When any person is working and doing what they think is a good job, they don’t turn down raises and perks. That is just human nature. As human beings, we are constituted in a way that makes us rationalize and justify where we are. “Hey, I am working hard, I deserve it and I have earned it,” is the attitude of most working people. The real villains here are members of Congress and the President who set policy and make the rules.
In principle, it works the same way in the private sector. Who determines who is going to give you a raise? In most cases it’s the consumer or the one buying products and services that make raises possible, and ultimately they must come from profits. Again, because of human nature, it would be nice if we could just give ourselves a raise any time we wanted one. In a very real sense, this is what our politicians have been doing for a long time.
But back to the issue at hand, why federal employees are making off like bandits with too much taxpayer money. Of course, the bottom line is “greed,” and Congress and the President (whoever may be in office) are taking advantage of their position as caretakers of the public treasury. To have a healthy economy where raises are possible for all working people, it is necessary to have balance between the private and public sectors. Private sector jobs are those that provide a useful product or service and continue year after year, so long as they remain competitive and stay in business. Here is the real issue that is important to understand. These jobs are not funded by taxpayers and are the back bone of the American free enterprise system.
Millions of American jobs have gone overseas because of government policy and regulations, and this results in high unemployment. Those jobs are in the private sector, because federal government jobs are doing quite well, thank you, especially in our nation’s capital.
What is the answer? Well, a good place to start would be for our president to fire all those Czars and at least half of his cabinet members, and replace them with people with business experience who have actually met a payroll.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 788

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HAVE YOU HEARD OF FLOCABULARY?

We have a routine here at our home each week that has gone on, week after week, for the past several years. This routine is set in motion when Viola says, “It’s blue barrel day” or “It’s green barrel day.” This tells me that it’s time for me to roll one of our two trash barrel containers out to the curb for a sanitation department truck to pick up and haul to the city landfill.
We have a great recycling program here in our community, and the blue barrel is used to place those items like cardboard, paper, plastic, newsprint and other items that can be recycled, and this also prolongs the life of our landfill for several years. The green barrel gets all the other household trash. It is hard to believe how much trash you can accumulate in just one week.
I have used this example to tell you about another kind of trash that may make its way to your public schools, if more of us don’t speak out or speak up. When I say public schools that means tax dollars are being spent and this means me, and I am sure you, too. The trash I am talking about is called “Flocabulary” and apparently is being used by many school districts around the country. Thanks to a thoughtful reader, the school district that has been using it that I heard about is in Oklahoma City, Okla. However, someone has pushed the “pause” button and I am not sure where it is at the time of this writing.
The program known as Flocabulary is a music-based educational tool that uses raps, rhythms and rhymes to help students learn and memorize everything from vocabulary and English to math and social studies. Sounds innocent enough, right? Let’s take a little closer look. One of the rap songs – “Old Dead White Men” chronicles the shortcomings of the early leaders of the United States. As a patriotic, taxpaying American, what if someone flung the following lyrics on you, “White men getting richer than Enron. They stepping on Indians, women and blacks. Era of Good Feeling doesn’t come with the facts.” Now that little ditty supposedly described the presidential term of James Monroe.
Here is another one that beats up on the term of President Andrew Jackson. “Andrew Jackson thinks he’s a tough guy. Killing more Indians than there are stars in the sky. Evil wars of Florida killing the Seminoles. Saying hello, putting Creek in the hell holes. Like Adolph Hitler he had the final solution. ‘No Indians, I don’t want you to live here anymore’.” Now, I don’t know about you, but when I think about our nation’s forefathers and especially the 55 signers of the Declaration of Independence who pledged “their fortunes, their lives and their sacred honor” for the cause of freedom, I am a little bit perturbed.
Flocabulary CEO and co-founder Alex Rappaport said the lyrics are made intentionally provocative and sometimes humorous to create student engagement among some of the toughest-to-reach students in the nation. My question is simply this: What do these students have when you reach them with trash like this?
Up to this point the Oklahoma City School District has spent about $10,000 on materials and the school board has authorized up to $97,000 in federal funds on the program. I have a good suggestion. They should dock the pay, each week for the next several years, of the Federal Coordinator who recommended this program until she pays it all back.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 790

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A LIFE OF SELF-ASSURED HUMILITY!

It has been said that a human being can be Eminent without being Competent. A good case in point would be the man or woman who earns a doctorate in nuclear physics and then takes a job as a day laborer or a waitress. Not to say there is anything wrong with being a day laborer or a waitress, but it does not require all that education to qualify for these jobs and to become a good and valued employee.
But there is more to this story. A human being can also be Competent without being Effective, which should be the goal of every person. If you would like to be more Effective, I have a suggestion for you: buy a copy of Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and read it and then read it again.
This father of nine has a Harvard MBA and a doctorate from Brigham Young University where he is an adjunct professor at the Marriott School of Management. He is sought after internationally as a speaker and author on leadership, personal effectiveness and change, family, and interpersonal relationships. Dr. Covey is married to Sandra and they live in Provo, Utah. His book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” has been a No. 1 National Bestseller, and for good reason. It is a great book and Dr. Covey has the ability to take complicated topics and concepts and make them very simple. He uses all manner of personal experiences, statistics, charts, graphs and true life stories to make the book come alive for any serious student who wants to better himself by becoming more effective.
The 7 Habits are: 1. Be Proactive. 2. Begin with the End in Mind. 3. Put First Things First. 4. Think Win/Win. 5. Seek First to Understand …Then to Be Understood. 6. Synergize. 7. Sharpen the Saw.
From the beginning, he embarks on a course to explain in great detail how each of these habits impacts our lives and how making them a part of our subconscious thinking can literally change the paradigms that govern the activity that fills our days. I loved them all, but the habit that impacted me most was No. 2, Begin With the End in Mind. In this chapter he talks about where our personal self-worth and value comes from, and the various areas or centers of our lives that we “hang our hat on” for emotional support and well being.
If you have never thought about it, ask yourself if your self-worth and value is tied to one or more of the following centers: spouse centeredness, family centeredness, money centeredness, work centeredness, possession centeredness, pleasure centeredness, friend/enemy centeredness, and church centeredness. He explains the emotional danger of linking our own self-worth and value as a person to any of these areas. We are emotional beings and our opinion of ourselves tends to rise or fall with each problem or challenge that comes along. In other words, when they fall apart, we do, too.
Dr. Covey says the best way to live is as a principle-centered person. When we base our lives and our value and self-worth on principles, not emotion, we are free to rationally make the appropriate decisions at the right time for the benefit of all. After reading his book, I have concluded that I would like to live a life of self-assumed humility. This is to say that I know who I am, what I believe, where I am going and to always be humble, because I know that countless others have helped me along the way, and I am very grateful.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 41
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
AMAZING COINCIDENCES

Sometime back, a lady in another state called me on the telephone regarding something about President Abraham Lincoln and in the course of our conversation she asked this question: "Have you ever heard of the amazing coincidences between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy?" When I confessed that I had not, she offered to send it to me by mail. When it arrived a few days later and I read it, I was literally amazed, which I'm sure is the reason it's called "The Amazing Coincidences." I was most impressed with this article and since it was not copyrighted, I decided to include it in my book, You Can Be The Best, which is a collection of the best stories and ideas I've run across in the past 25 years. Sometime back I even thought about sharing this with you in this column, but had decided that most people had already seen it and had pretty well written it off. However, Mr. Herman Brown, editor of the Okmulgee Daily Times in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, has changed my mind. He said, "I know most people have not seen this article and I'm sure they would like to." Well, Herman, for what it's worth, here are the "Amazing Coincidences" between former presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
Lincoln was elected in 1860, Kennedy was elected in 1960, exactly one hundred years apart. There are seven letters in each name. Both presidents were slain on Friday; both men were slain in the presence of their wives. Both presidents wives lost children through death while in the White House. Both were directly concerned with civil rights. Both presidents had legality of elections contested. Kennedy's secretary's name was Lincoln, who warned him not to go to Dallas; Lincoln's secretary's name was Kennedy, who warned him not to go to the theater. Both of their successor's names were Johnson: Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson. Each name contains thirteen letters; both men served in the U.S. Senate; both were southern democrats. Andrew Johnson was born in 1808, Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908. Booth and Oswald were both Southerners favoring unpopular ideas. Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and hid in a theater; Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and hid in a warehouse. Both presidents were shot from behind and in the head. Booth and Oswald were both assassinated before going on trial. They were both born 100 years apart and each name, Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth, has 15 letters.
Well, that's the end of it, but even more importantly, what do you think about it? I'll confess that I don't know what to make of it. For me, it's highly unusual and even a little spooky. Here, I'm reminded of the words of Satchel Paige, who pitched baseball in the major leagues until he was over 50 years of age. He said, "Don't look back, something may be gaining on you." Personally, I'm grateful that we live in a world of order and the odds or chances that something like this would ever occur again have to be very remote.
As I bring my thoughts to a close in this column, I would like to say that I hope you are enjoying the various topics, ideas and concepts that I've been sharing with you. While today's column has been the exception, as a general rule, I try to be conscious of what I'm saying and present my ideas from a positive point of view. This is not to say that I'm not aware of the serious problems we have in our nation today.
In fact, the first five stories on our local television newscast the other evening had to do with murder. While tragic as this is, we can thank God for the fact that murder is still news. If it ever becomes so commonplace that it is not reported, we as a nation, will be worse off than we are. What we should never forget is that there are still millions of good people and that we have tremendous opportunities in this country. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 43
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
A CONSTANT BATTLE

It is often said that an honest confession is good for the soul. I certainly hope this is true, because here at the beginning of my column today, I want to confess that I have a battle going on inside of me. The battle I'm referring to is the battle between my two natures. On the one hand, I have a "Divine" nature that tells me I should always seek to do good and seek after righteousness, and on the other hand I have a "sinful" nature that tells me it's okay to be involved in various activities that are evil or bad. In view of the crime problems we have in America, the tragic shootings in our nation’s schools, the alcohol and substance abuse, gambling addiction and the apparent lack of love and compassion that many people have for others, this may be something worth thinking about.
Before I continue, it might be helpful to define or discuss the terms "Divine" and "sinful" nature to make sure we are speaking the same language. The word "Divine" means supremely good, as in Godly, and the word "sinful" means to commit a sinful act or to do wrong. In other words, when someone commits a "sin" they have a broken relationship with God.
At one time or another, you have probably heard this expression: "It was almost 'second nature' for some person to do this or that." The reason this statement is true is because this person has performed the action so long and so often they no longer have to consciously stop and think about it. In other words, the action has become a habit and is an ingrained part of their nature.
If you have ever wondered why the habitual way of thinking for one person has developed a 'second nature' of doing what is right, while anther has developed a 'second nature' of doing what is wrong, I believe this illustration will shed some light on this process. The constant battle that is going on inside of every person could be compared to two dogs fighting. For the sake of example, let's say one dog represents good and the other dog represents evil. If you would like to know which dog is winning, it's the dog we feed the most. You'll never see a dog win a fight (except in self-defense), that has its ribs sticking out and is "poor" as a rail, because it hasn't had anything to eat in a long, long time.
As human beings, we need to understand that in the battle of our two natures, we are the ones doing the feeding. Just as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, we will have a "Divine" nature or a "sinful" nature depending on the kind of food that we permit to enter our minds and hearts. Regardless of what some people would have us believe, it does make a difference in what kind of television programs we watch, the movies we see and the books and other literature we read. In simple layman's terms, when we permit filthy, crude and evil thoughts to enter our mind on a regular basis, we are feeding the wrong dog.
Again, whether we realize it or not, our nature has a tremendous impact on our daily lives. As the English philosopher John Stuart Mill once said, “Our nature is the sum of all phenomena, together with the causes which produce them: including not only all that happens, but all that is capable of happening.” Just as another human being, if you have never thought about this, I want to encourage you to be very selective in which dog you are feeding. In terms of our society and our culture, we need to get back to respect for others and honesty and decency in everything we do. We will all feel better about ourselves. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 45
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
TWO KINDS OF KNOWLEDGE

From the earliest writings of man on cave walls (which came to be known as hieroglyphics), and in the past 6,000 years of recorded history, mankind has had a thirst for knowledge. This insatiable thirst for knowledge has been responsible for most of the technological advancements and other achievements that has moved our civilization forward to present time. It is not my intent today to delve into the past so much, but rather to share some practical thoughts and ideas that may be of value to you. The Bible says in Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." As a Christian and one who has a deep love for God, I certainly believe this and try to keep this perspective in everything I do.
As we function day-by-day in our own personal lives, there's another consideration of knowledge that should be brought to our conscious mind from time-to-time. Namely, there are two kinds of knowledge: one kind we call "intellectual" knowledge that comes as a result of our intellect and we acquire this knowledge through study and observation. The other kind of knowledge is "experiential" or knowledge that comes from our experience. Obviously to be successful in today's times we need both kinds of knowledge, but there is a stereotype in our society that may be keeping some people from becoming as successful as they could be.
In recent years, our society has almost come to deify the attainment of a college degree, and in many cases has looked upon the person who doesn't have one as being somewhat inferior. From my experience, I can tell you that a college degree does open many doors and it's a step in the right direction, but it does not guarantee success. There have been hundreds of times when I have been a paid featured or keynote speaker and I was the only one there who didn't have a college degree. They were paying me for my experience and for my proficiency in developing a skill. What I'm saying is this: don't ever suffer from low self-esteem just because you may not have a college degree. It's great if you can get it and I certainly recommend that, but if you don't, you can bridge the gap by your experience.
However, we should never be like the fella who didn't have 20 year's experience; he had one year's experience repeated 20 times. He never went on vacation because he was afraid he wouldn’t be missed. Another example is when I was in high school and our class went on a field trip to The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. One of the speakers told about a company that had a large generator that stopped working, and as a result the whole operation was shut down. Well, everyone in the company tried to get it started again, but with no success. Finally, they called in an "expert" and when he arrived and surveyed the problem, he took a little ballpeen hammer and went to a certain spot and tapped on it three times. It started immediately and the company was back in business.
In a few days, this "expert" sent the company a bill for $5,000. Since it only took about 10 minutes of his time, the company felt this was a little high, so they asked him to itemize his bill. The expert's new invoice contained these words: "Pecking on generator $10.00. Knowing where to peck, $4990.00." Granted, this expert probably had a college degree, but his experience was also very important. We are never bored when we are learning something useful and worthwhile. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 47
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
ARE YOU PLAYING TO WIN?

As the famous golfer, Lee Trevino, a poor Mexican who became a rich Spaniard, has said, "There is one thing that never gets old and that's winning!" I'm sure you know that it's just human nature to want to win, but unfortunately in the larger game of life there are millions of people who aren't playing to win. These people are playing not to loose, and there is a big difference. To illustrate the concept of playing not to loose, please allow me to use an athletic example. If you are like I am, you spend at least some of your time watching sporting events in person or on television. While watching countless basketball games, I've seen one team play hard for about three-fourths of the game and get ahead by a considerable margin. Then for some reason their strategy changed and instead of playing to win, they started playing not to loose. In short, they started playing the clock instead of the other team. In some cases this strategy worked out, but more often than not, the team that was behind kept playing to win -- and they did.
Now I'd like to go back to what I was saying earlier about the millions of people who are playing not to loose in the only game that really counts: the game of life. Instead of developing a long range plan and setting some clearly defined goals that would enable them to take charge of their lives, they're simply marking time and hoping that nothing bad will happen to them. Each day these people live in fear that they will not loose their jobs, get sick or have an accident, that one or more of their kids will not get in trouble and they also fear that they won't be able to pay enough on their credit card balances to be able to keep them.
While I have no way of knowing about you or your circumstances, if you happen to be one of these people or know someone who is, I have some good news to share with you. We can lose more athletic contests than we win, but still be a real winner in the game of life. If I recall, when I was playing high school football, we only won about three games out of twenty in the two years I was on the team. What we need to keep in mind is that we all have our "ups" and "downs", our good days and bad days, our victories and our defeats, because that's what life is all about. The most important thing here is our attitude, our desire and our will to win.
The legendary Green Bay Packer football coach, Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning is not the main thing, it's the only thing!" Obviously his team didn't win every game, but when they went on the field, he had every one of his players mentally prepared to win. It should also be noted here that a true winner always plays by the rules. As this applies to you and me, we can't get ahead financially or any other way if we cheat or give less than our best at whatever we are doing. We see people who try this all the time and they may get away with it for a while, but sooner or later the scales will balance.
You know, the human mind is a wonderful tool and it will take us anywhere we want to go, but the key to our success is how we use it. Here's something I ran across by an unknown author that will bring this thought into clear focus: "Great minds have noble objectives, high purposes and daring dreams; average minds engage themselves in wishful thinking and petty dabblings in little ventures; small minds are content to complain why life has passed them by." To close out with a baseball example, just remember, a bloop single looks like a line drive in the box score the next day. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 49
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE LAW OF ABUNDANCE

If you are living in America, have you ever wondered why our nation has become the greatest economic success story in the history of the world? In the event you don't know, there are two basic reasons why this is true. The first being that our system of government allows private citizens to own property and production facilities and to produce products and services and sell them to consumers for a profit. To say it very simply, we have the incentive and the freedom to achieve personal success. While just as important, the second reason is that our nation was blessed with tremendous natural resources. We have an abundance of clean water, fertile soil, timber, petroleum and minerals that are needed to produce these products in vast quantities.
While the age of technology has changed the way we do things, the key element in our success is that we produce far more than we need for our own use and this "surplus" is what drives the engine of trade and commerce. To continue this line of thinking, I want to talk about the "LAW OF ABUNDANCE" and how this law can help you in many different ways. The LAW OF ABUNDANCE is a natural law and we know a "natural" law is a series of events in nature that has been observed to occur with unvarying uniformity. The key word is "unvarying." In other words, if the conditions and circumstances are exactly the same, then the result or the outcome of our actions will also be the same.
As the LAW OF ABUNDANCE relates to each of us, when we know about this law and understand it, we can then use it to our advantage. In this sense, a natural law then becomes a success law. While I'm not talking about just "making" money, who among us doesn't want to achieve financial success? What many of us fail to realize is that we live in a prosperous nation, but unfortunately there are millions of our citizens who don't share in this prosperity. While it may be too obvious to even mention, the reason this is true is because of their low self-esteem and their negative thinking.
Now if I happen to be talking about you or someone you love, quit thinking that there's not enough to go around. Everything we could possibly wish for has been placed within our easy reach. It was certainly intended that everyone who wished for abundance and worked toward it can have abundance. Just think about this: there is sufficient electricity in the water of a creek to furnish the power of a million slaves. There is enough atomic energy in the substance we could hold in one hand to run the world. If every person produced to his utmost and we did away with strikes, monopolies, crime and waste, everyone could have his needs supplied many times over.
On a more personal basis, think about the fact that a handful of seed sown in fertile soil, watered and cared for, can produce millions of times more than the original planting. A whole forest can spring from a single acorn. This is the LAW OF ABUNDANCE at work and it operates in the mental, social, financial and spiritual areas of our lives, as well. The essence of this law is that you must believe in abundance. You must think abundance. You must raise your sights for greater accomplishments and let no thought of failure or limitation enter your mind.
One of the great concerns I have is that the economic gap between the rich and the poor is widening in this country. If every American understood the “LAW OF ABUNDANCE”, and how to apply it to their own lives, we would all be better off in the future. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No, 51
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

CHILDREN AND FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE

At one time or another, can you remember hearing some parent say, "My kids think that money grows on trees?" If you have never heard this, loosely translated it means that some children think there is an unending supply of money and for whatever they think they need or want, their parents should have enough to buy it for them. When I was growing up, my parents were good, honest people, but we didn't have a lot of money. We certainly were not destitute and had plenty to eat, a warm place to live and decent clothes to wear, but beyond this, at times things were pretty "lean." To be honest, I guess the thing that has motivated me more than anything else is that I saw so many of the other kids in our small town who had so much more than I did.
One year during the summer, when I had just finished the seventh grade, I remember
chopping cotton for four ten-hour days, for $4.00 per day. When I got paid 16 crisp one-dollar bills, I thought I was rich! Of course, in some circles today that $16.00 won't even buy a good steak. This experience helped to shape my values and I truly believe the only way to appreciate the value of money is to earn it. When a young person earns their money by the sweat of their brow they not only know its value, the chances are much better that they will spend it wisely and may even save part of it.
What I'm saying that may be of interest to you, especially if you have children or grandchildren you are rearing, is that most of our financial habits are learned while we are young. Trying to teach a 16 year old youngster financial responsibility is a little late. It's not impossible, but it's much easier when they are younger. To my way of thinking, one of the greatest problems we have in America today is parents who give their children too much money and material things without them having to earn it. Just think of all the divorces that come about because one or both of the marriage partners never learned the value of money or how to manage it.
Please consider this true story and how you might be able to use it to help someone you love. It seems a father had an eleven year old son who always wanted to borrow money, in addition to what he was being paid for doing assigned chores and odd jobs. So the father said, "What will you give me as collateral on a $35.00 loan?" At this point the father explained what the word "collateral" meant and the son said he had a skateboard and a stereo set that he would give him to keep until the loan was repaid. Over the coming weeks a few payments were made on time, then one day he missed a payment, so the father sold his skateboard. Later when the son missed another payment, the father sold his stereo set. Quite naturally this made the son very unhappy, but the father reported that this son never asked to borrow money again. You may think this was cruel, but just try to keep in mind that quite often the best lessons in life are learned the hard way. I say this because here is the rest of the story. Ten years later this same son said, "Dad, there is just no way you will ever know how much I appreciate what you have done for me in regards to managing my finances."
When we have lots of money, it's the easiest thing on earth to give, because there are few who will refuse it. From my heart to yours, if you really want to do something special for your children and grandchildren that has lasting value, teach them to work, save and invest a percentage of their money. Few are they that learn this, but it’s a great lesson. (EDITORS NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 27
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
ATTITUDE AND THE SELF-IMAGE

Have you ever wondered why some people have a negative, pessimistic attitude about most things while others are generally positive and up-beat? Based on many years of work in the field of human resources, it's my personal belief that the answer to this dilemma, while very simple, is not understood by the majority of people. Since these individuals don't really understand it, they don't know how to go about changing a negative attitude to a positive attitude, and in the process, living a happier, more productive and successful life.
=The reason one person is positive and up-beat while another is negative and pessimistic, is because our overall attitude and our outlook on life is a reflection of our self-image. In other words, what's "taking place" on the inside shows up on the outside. Because this discovery was made in the past 50 years, many people did not learn about it in school or later in life, as they moved out into the world.
Almost by chance, a plastic surgeon, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, discovered the concept of self-image and later wrote about it in his book, titled Psychocybernetics, which has sold in excess of fifteen million copies. As Dr. Maltz worked with his patients to change their physical appearances with the aid of plastic surgery, he began to notice a definite, marked change in their attitude and their willingness to tackle jobs and assume risks that would have been considered impossible before.
Further research revealed that an outward physical change was also accompanied by an inner emotional change. Thus the conclusion was reached: the self-image is the mental picture we hold of ourselves and this mental picture relates to both the "outer" and "inner" person and it literally controls our lives. In fact the discovery of the self-image has been called the most important psychological discovery of the twentieth century. When an individual holds a positive picture of himself, he performs better than when he holds a negative picture. In a very real sense, a ‘winner’ feeds on his or her success.
The real meat of the coconut can be found in this statement: The human nervous system cannot distinguish between actual true life experiences from those imagined in vivid detail in the mind. In other words, we must see ourselves as successful and begin to act this way before it will ever come to pass. There is however, a real pitfall that we must take steps to avoid. In recent years many schools have developed courses to help students develop a healthy self-image. While the intent is great, many times the methods have been found wanting. It takes more than telling a student or any human being that he or she is a good person with real value because a healthy self-image is not based merely on words but on solid achievement. Our subconscious mind can tell the difference between praise and performance. To say it another way, nothing truly worthwhile is ever easy.
Since our rewards in life are determined by the quality and quantity of service we provide to others, it's important to understand that our value to society is determined by what we make of ourselves. We can change our life for the better by changing our self-image, which is simply the way we see ourselves, both physically and emotionally, that is to say, from both the outside and the inside. It also becomes easier to help other people when we understand the reasons behind their negative attitudes. It’s a wonderful thing to help a person change his or her self-image and begin to see the winner God created them to be. In reality, the more we help others, the more we help ourselves. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next column password is: Caleb

No. 29
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE WORST GUILT OF ALL

There is a little five letter word called "guilt" that most people suffer from at one time or another, and if it's not dealt with and handled properly, the consequences can be devastating. The primary reason guilt is so difficult to deal with is because complete freedom or release from guilt often involves some deep soul searching, a confession or at least admitting our shortcomings. To confess or admit we are wrong goes against basic human nature and this is especially true for the person who has poor self-esteem. The British statesman and author Edmund Burke (1729-1797) had this to say about it, “Guilt is never a rational thing; it distorts all the faculties of the human mind, it perverts them. It leaves a man no longer in the free use of his reason, it puts him into confusion.” I might also mention in passing that Edmund Burke was highly esteemed and one of the foremost thinkers of his day. I believe you will agree that guilt is a load too heavy to carry.
Here it might be appropriate to ask you a couple of very pertinent questions. What's inside a person who feels guilty that causes him to feel this way? Are we born with a mechanism that makes us feel guilty, or is it an instinct or attribute we have to develop? Personally, I think it's both. We are each born with a conscience, which has been defined as "the faculty by which distinctions are made between moral right and wrong, especially in regard to ones' own conduct." In other words, because we are each born with a conscience, we therefore have the inherent or built-in capacity to know whether what we do is right or wrong. It's how we use this built-in faculty that has a lot to do with whether or not we feel guilty. I believe this little allegory will help you see what I'm saying.
Our conscience, figuratively speaking, can be compared to a triangle inside our hearts. When we do something that we instinctively know is wrong, the triangle turns and the corners prick our heart and it hurts. When we continue to commit acts we know are wrong, the triangle keeps turning and before long the edges are rounded off and worn smooth and it no longer hurts. At this point, it is often said, "he has no conscience." This isn't true; this person still has a conscience, but it's become so dull from misuse that it no longer makes him feel guilty or has any bearing on his actions.
If we are to live happy, successful and well-adjusted lives, we should feel guilty when we lie, steal, cheat or commit crimes against an individual or society. Otherwise, we will be totally insensitive to the needs of the people around us. The power of guilt is evident when we see people who have committed serious crimes and they feel such guilt for what they have done, they actually want to be punished. It's very important for us to deal with the day-to-day problems and decisions that are the source of much of our guilt; however there is a deeper and much more serious root problem that brings about the worst guilt of all. This is the awareness, deep in the innermost part of our beings, that God has given us tremendous talents and abilities He wants us to develop and use to serve Him and our fellow human beings. When we don't develop and use what He has given us, it creates a void. As a result, we experience a form of deep-seated guilt that gnaws at us regardless of where we go or what we do. There is only one solution to this problem and that's to put our heart and soul into those activities that we deem worthy of our time. It's even better if we can find some real purpose in life. It's only when we do our best with what God has given us that we feel good about ourselves. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 31
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
STRAIGHT TALK THAT PAID OFF

The Golden Rule is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", but there is another golden rule that also affects the lives of many people. This could be called the Economic Golden Rule, and it can be summed up with these words: "He who has the gold makes the rule." Because we live in a materialistic society, it's important to also understand this other golden rule, otherwise life can be very frustrating.
One of the greatest blessings I have in traveling and making speeches is that I get to meet and know so many fine people. This personal contact with people in all areas of society is where I get most of the ideas and concepts for this newspaper column. However I realize a good idea in itself is of little value to you unless I can show you how to use it and how to turn it into a benefit for your own life. Some time ago, I was visiting with a businessman in south Mississippi and he told me a true story involving one of his employees that contains a very important principle.
It seems the mother of one of his employees had died recently and the employee was fast becoming an alcoholic. Word was beginning to spread that he was talking 'smart' to some of the other employees. Well, the problem reached the point that it became necessary for my new friend to call him into his office. When he did, he closed the door behind him. After they chatted a moment, my friend looked him straight in the eye and called his name. He said, "You know your mother would not be proud of you and the way you are acting. You have a choice. You can either make your mother proud of you or you can become a drunk. But you are not going to be a drunk and work for me."
My friend went on to say, "I don't want your answer now. I want to give you a few days to think about it, but come Monday, you come in sober and be ready to work, or be ready to leave." Well, that was almost ten years ago and the man is still there and has become an excellent employee. He later told his boss, "Mr. Moore, I ain't never had anyone talk to me like that."
You see, with my friend, it was not just an employee with a problem, it was a human being that he really cared about. One of the deepest psychological needs we have is to know that other people care about us and that we are needed and appreciated. As an aside to this true story, the lack of personal concern and caring is why many management people fail when it comes to dealing with employees who have problems. In many cases they treat them impersonally, yet wonder why their turnover rate is so high.
Another amusing part of the story about my friend's wayward employee is when still another employee was having a problem and this man told him, "You better straighten up. You don't want to go into the boss's office and have him close the door behind you." There is not doubt about it, my friend had made a believer out of him!
As I bring this story to a close, there are several obvious things some of us can learn from this experience. In many cases, it's hard to find another person who cares enough about us to look us straight in the eye and tell us the truth. The truth may hurt, but it's better to hear it and do something about it than go on living with the problem. Of course, the primary reason the employee's problem was solved was because the 'Economic Golden Rule' came into play. "He who has the gold makes the rule." Sometimes all it takes is the thought of losing our job to change our attitude and our behavior. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 33
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
YOU CAN'T SINK HALF A SHIP

The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, "No one ever fails in life until he blames someone else." Unfortunately, many people in our prosperous nation were never taught that accepting responsibility for themselves and their actions is the most visible sign of maturity. This is a personal quality that will contribute greatly to individual success and it's also a vital need, if we are to preserve our freedom in the perilous and ever changing times in which we live.
As it relates to our personal and collective freedom, I would like to ask you to create this scene in your mind: just before the break of dawn one cold winter morning, a family is standing out in the street in their pajamas, watching their home burn to the ground. As they huddle together and hear the distant sound of the fire truck on its way to the fire, they begin to think about the loss of their most cherished possessions, many of which can never be replaced. But at this moment, they are thankful just to be alive.
Now, as we all know, this scene actually takes place thousands of times each year in America and many families are not as fortunate as those I've just described, as their lives are lost in the tragedy of a home fire. There are also many of our nation's firemen who perish in the line of duty. However, for those who are fortunate enough to escape with their lives, they can start over and rebuild. In a few years, in most cases, their lives can be back to 'normal.'
The example I've just shared with you is meant to graphically illustrate that everything is relative. We don't appreciate fair weather until we have suffered through several weeks of rain or snow. Most of us don't appreciate good health until we have had an accident or a prolonged illness of some kind. Most won't appreciate freedom until we come face-to-face with the distinct possibility of losing it.
One time I heard the late Dr. Ken McFarland, noted speaker, author and guest lecturer for General Motors, tell the story about the first mate of a ship who rushed up to the captain and said, "Sir, the ship is sinking!" to which the captain calmly replied, "Let 'er go, she ain't ours." Dr. McFarland then went on to make a very important point, as he said, "If we are on a ship, it is ours, regardless of who owns it." You see, when a ship goes down, every person who is on it goes down with it. In other words, "you can't sink half a ship."
The reasons are many, but the United States of America is sailing through some tough social and economic seas just now, as we struggle to pay off our national debt and we have many social problems begging for a solution. If we are to maintain our precious freedom, as American citizens we all need to accept responsibility for ourselves and our actions and we must believe it's possible. This principle also applies to our homes, our jobs and careers, and especially how we treat those around us. To show love, kindness and concern for others is a sign of maturity.
In the wake of the tragic shootings in our country we should all get on our knees and pray to God that He will heal the wounds of our society. I’m deeply concerned, as I’m sure you are, for the citizens of our country, especially for our young people because they are our hope for the future. Just remember this thought, you can't sink half a ship. The whole ship stays up or the whole ship goes down, and it is yours, if you are on it. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 35
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE SCARS ON THE DOOR

One time I heard a story about a little boy who crawled under a big tent, thinking he was getting into the circus free, but when he got inside it turned out to be a revival meeting. Life is filled with surprises and disappointments of various kinds, but this is one facet of life which makes it so interesting. When you think about it, I believe you will agree that much of the drama of life would be destroyed if this were not the case.
From my perspective, it would be wonderful if there was always something good, exciting and worthwhile waiting just around the next bend in the road or in the next days' mail or the next phone call, but we know this is not reality. Life is made up of good days and bad days, happiness and sorrow, and success and failure. Life is just this way.
We can, however, make personal choices to insure that the law of averages will work to our advantage to have more good days than bad days, more happiness than sorrow, and more success than failure. In other words, it's not what life does to us, it's what we do to life that counts. The reason this is true is because of the natural law that controls everything in the universe, called "cause and effect." If we take care of the causes, in most cases the effects will take care of themselves.
We read in the Bible in Galatians 6:7, "Be ye not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap." Most of us believe this and know it's true, but unfortunately we do not always base our actions on this great truth. Rather, we permit other factors to influence our decisions and for the time being, forget that sooner or later we will reap the consequences of our actions.
Since most of our important values and habits are established when we are young, I felt the following story might be worth thinking about. It seems a farmer had a rebellious son. This youngster was forever getting into trouble. Not serious trouble, just things that were out of character for the way he was raised. Finally, one day the father suggested to his son: "Son, every time you do something that you know is not right, I want you to take a hammer and drive a nail in the front door of our barn.
Every so often during the next few weeks, the father would hear the tat-tat-tat of the hammer, as the son was driving nails in the barn door. This went on for several months, until the barn door was almost completely covered with nails. At this time, the farmer made another suggestion. He said, "Son, now every time you do something that you know is right, I want you to pull a nail back out of the door."
At this point, the son took his father's suggestion and little by little, the nails began to come back out of the door. However, they didn't come back out nearly as fast as they went in. Finally, one day when the nails were all out, the son said to his father, "Father, I see what you mean. I thought I would be happy when I got all the nails out, but I didn't realize all the scars that would be left on the door."
I hope you can see the point of this story, because while outside influences can help us change our values, attitudes and habits, in most cases the consequences of our actions will still be there. Everything we do in life has a consequence and there's always a price that must be paid. If you really want to do something that will make a difference in the lives of some young people, why not sit down and explain this principle to them. It could make a world of difference down the road. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034)

No. 37
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THEY WANT TO BE "IN"

Former President Hoover once said, "Children are our most valuable resource." I've said the same thing many times and because of my extensive work with the public schools, I have been able to see and understand some things from first hand experience. If I had to decide on one single thing in today's times that impacts a youngster's future more than anything else, I believe it would be along these lines. Because of the tremendous changes in our society over the past two or three decades, not only from the standpoint of technology, but also the breakdown of traditional moral values, our young people today are subjected to more "peer pressure" than at any time in the history of public education.
Because "peer pressure" is so strong, kids want to be "in" and they will do almost anything in order to be in. As a friend told me recently, they want to be in even if it kills them. Unfortunately in thousands of cases each year, it does kill them, whether it's from drugs, alcohol, suicide or any number of other things that are peer pressure related. Fear for their safety is another concern but that’s another story.
Here in Conway, Arkansas, where I live, we have a great community. We have one of the very best school systems in the state, a strong economy and some of the most compassionate civic minded people in the world. At Christmas time last year I volunteered to ring the bells for the Salvation Army and learned that Conway is one of only two communities in the United States where the entire fund raising effort of ringing the bells is made up entirely of volunteers.
Of course, Conway, like most communities in our country, also has problems. Some time back the vice principal of the high school came to speak to the Lion's Club where I am a member. He told us about the gang activity in our community and our schools, as no less than 16 gangs are operating at one level or another. Our school people, along with local law enforcement are on top of it and doing a good job, but there is always the possibility that it will get out of hand, as it has already done in many communities across the country.
The thing I remember most about his presentation is when he said, "Don't stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist, because it does." Unfortunately many good kids are pulled into gang activity because they want to be "in" and also because gangs use fear as a way to recruit new members. They tell many unsuspecting, naive kids, "You become a member of our gang and we will protect you."
I believe you will agree that when a young person gets involved in a gang they are headed down the wrong road and in time this can have devastating consequences. The reason I have shared this with you is because while law enforcement and school officials already know this, many parents do have their heads in the sand and don't think it could happen to them.
Now, let's go back to that quote by President Hoover: "Children are our most valuable resource." It's my belief that the best way to help a youngster to stay out of a gang is to constantly tell and show them that you love them, communicate with them and tell them over and over again that they have value, worth and potential. In short, give your youngsters a reason to have hope and help them realize that they have a wonderful future in store for them. It's fine to be "in" if they are in the right things. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 39
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
O-P-P-O-R-T-U-N-I-T-Y

It's my sincere hope that what I have to share in this column will be a source of inspiration to you and a good number of other people, as well. One of the greatest blessings we have in this country which so many people take for granted is opportunity. Because of the basic freedoms we enjoy and an economic system that permits the free flow of goods and services to all parts of the world, opportunity abounds for each of us. Unfortunately, because there are millions of our citizens who broke the law and have committed crimes against society or one or more individuals, they wound up in prison and have forfeited their opportunity.
However, the greatest prison of all is not made with human hands, but rather it is the prison of the mind - people who are bound up in their thinking and just can't see all the opportunity that is around them. For example, think of the millions of people in America who are working at jobs they don't like or jobs where they feel they have no opportunity for advancement. Before I go on, could I be talking about you or someone you care about? Here is a statement that you may or may not agree with: the problem I have just described in 99% of the cases is not the job, it's the thinking of the person who holds the job.
This story will illustrate what I am saying: Some years ago there were three negative women who lived on a bayou in south Louisiana, and day-after-day they complained about their circumstances. Each day they would moan and say, "There is no opportunity for us here." Sound familiar? Then one day a positive thinking woman came along and heard them complaining and she said, "Look, so you live on a bayou. Well, the bayou runs into the river and the river runs into the gulf, and the gulf opens up into the sea. You have a boat. You can go anywhere from where you are."
I don't know how you feel about it, but to me this is really some exciting news! If you or someone you care about is in a job you don't like or one that seems to have no possibilities for the future, in most cases the problem is not the job -- it's in your thinking about the job. Like the three negative women on the bayou, you can go anywhere from where you are.
Here is what Walter Malone had to say about opportunity: "They do me wrong who say I come no more. When once I knock and fail to find you in, for everyday I stand outside your door and bid you wake and rise to fight and win. Wail not for precious chances passed away. Weep not for golden ages on the wane. Each night I burn the records for the day. At sunrise every soul is born again. Laugh like a boy at splendors that have sped, to vanished joys be blind and deaf and dumb. My judgments seal the dead past with its dead, but never bind a moment yet to come. Tho' deep in mire, wring not your hands and weep. I lend my arm to all who say, "I can." No shame faced outcast ever sank so deep, but yet might rise and be a man again. Art thou a mourner? Rouse thee from thy spell. Art thou a sinner? Sins may be forgiven. Each morning gives thee wings to flee from hell. Each night a star to guide they feet to heaven."
Until our next visit here is something worth thinking about. The American editor and craftsman Elbert Hubbard once said, “Opportunity is health and a job.” That’s it. If we have good health and a job we can use our time, talents and other resources as a springboard to achieve any success we desire. Don’t procrastinate!!!. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 72
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

RATE YOUR PERSONALITY

Did you hear about the conceited nurse? She always subtracted 10 beats from the pulse count of each of her patients to compensate for the effects of her personality. In relation to this, here is a question that may be worth thinking about. When it comes to your personality, do you have a good one or does your personality have a way of turning other people off? You probably know he answer to this question and if you feel your personality could stand a little improvement, I would like to invite you to take the following personality self-rating scale. Since it is self-rating, be totally honest with yourself, because no one needs to see it but you.
There are 23 questions in this exercise, so please take a moment and rate yourself 1, 2, 3, or 4 on each one. As you answer each question, give yourself 1 for poor, 2 for average, 3 for above average and 4 for superior. 1) Do I maintain a well groomed appearance? 2) Do I have a pleasing voice? 3) Is my posture alert and poised? 4) Is my disposition cheerful? 5) Do I make friends easily? 6) Do I exert positive leadership? 7) Am I generally thoughtful of the feelings of others? 8) Is my enthusiasm sincere and contagious? 9) Do I persevere until I achieve success? 10) Am I sincere in my interest in other people? 11) Am I ambitious to get ahead? 12) Do I get along well with others? 13) Do I react constructively to criticism? 14) Do I remember names and faces? 15) Am I punctual on all occasions? 16) Do I have and evidence a spirit of cooperation? 17) Am I free from prejudice? 18) Do I know how people react in most situations? 19) Am I generally a good listener? 20) Do I refuse to allow what other people say to hurt me? 21) Can I criticize without giving offense? 22) Am I reliable? 23) Can I adapt myself to all situations?
When you total up your answers, if your score was 70 or more, your personality rating is superior, 60 to 70 is above average, 50 to 60 is average and anything under 50 definitely shows some room for improvement. This is one of those personal development tools that I picked up at an education conference and I don't know who developed it, but it sure "hits the nail on the head." According to my large Funk & Wagnell Dictionary, the word personality means "distinctive qualities or characteristics of a person." In other words, it's what distinguishes or sets us apart from every other person, it's what makes us totally unique, unlike any other human being in the world.
If you will go back and re-read each of the 23 questions in this exercise, you will see many of these characteristics such as your appearance, your voice, your posture, your disposition, your thoughtfulness, your memory, your enthusiasm, your listening skills, plus many others. This should make it easy to see why your personality is so very important.
A good example of this came the other day when I was talking to the manager of our local Chamber of Commerce. He was telling me about filling a position on his staff and he had two applicants with outstanding credentials. Both were highly qualified, but he gave the job to a young lady who has a great personality, in addition to her education, experience and personal appearance.
Until our next visit, here is a statement that I hope you will think about. When we combine a great personality, excellent character, creativity and a genuine love of work we have a winning combination. Obviously, we can have the first three and be lazy and still fail as a person. Our personality is what we are when people are around, the rest is what we are when everybody else goes home. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 74
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE GOOSE STORY

The Greek philosopher and teacher, Aristotle once said, "Education is the best provider for old age." While my views with regards to education may be a little too simplistic, I believe that all of life should be a classroom. We should learn something from every person we meet and spend time with and from every experience we have throughout our lifetime. We are each different as individuals and I don't know about you, but I love nature and the out of doors. This covers the gambit from raising a garden, working in the yard, taking trips to the mountains and the beach and each year I spend some time deer hunting with good friends down in south Arkansas.
Our hunting camp is located near the Mississippi flyway and while we are there, there is seldom a day that goes by that you can't hear geese honking and look up in the sky and see them flying along. Any one who has ever seen a flight of geese knows they always fly in the shape of a "V" and many people have wondered why this is true. We can learn a lot from our fine feathered friends, as evidenced by the following article, titled The Goose Story, by an unknown author.
The Goose Story
Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in a "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. An encouraging word goes a long way.
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gun shot and falls out, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with the group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.
When I first read The Goose Story I was reminded of a visit several years ago with Jack Smith, over in Jackson, Tennessee. He told me about a goose hunting trip when he actually saw a wounded goose being carried to safety by another goose. He said, "As I sat there and watched this big goose get underneath the other one and flap its wings harder and harder to carry it to safety in a nearby refuge, I couldn't believe this was happening before my eyes." While doing research for this column, I also learned that wild geese mate for life, which ain't no bad deal. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 76
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE LEAST IMPORTANT WORD

There is a word in the English language that is used, perhaps more than any other, yet it is the least important word of all. Do you know what it is? Before I address this question, however, I would like to share some personal thoughts with you about this column. If you have become a regular reader over the past several months, I would like to say a very sincere "thank you" for your interest and also for your time. It's my heartfelt desire that a good number of my topics will speak directly to you and your interests and will benefit you in a multitude of ways.
I'm pleased to say that we now have newspapers from coast-to-coast who carry this column and even though we may be miles apart, I hope you will think of me as a good friend who stops by for a visit each week. If you have a comment or suggestion about anything I've said in the past or an idea or suggestion for a future column, please call the fine people at this newspaper. If they don’t run it at the end of the column I feel sure they will give you my address. Regardless of the nature of your comments, if you write me, I promise I will respond.
Now, back to my earlier question: Do you know the least important word in the English language? Like most things of this nature, it's a matter of perspective, but according to an article I ran across a while back, titled A Short Course In Human Relations. I've already used it a good number of times. It's "I" -- that's right, the big "I". As the saying goes, "I, I me, myself and my." "I" did this, "I" did that, "I" want, "I" will, "I" can't, "I" won't, "I" shouldn't and so forth. Without further comment from me, here is:
A Short Course In Human Relations
The six most important words: "I admit I made a mistake." The five most important words: "You did a good job." The four most important words: "What is your opinion?" The three most important words: "If you please." The two most important words: "Thank you." The single most important word: "We." The least important word: "I."
As some wag has said, the problem with most people is that their "I"s are too close together. When it comes to changing our focus from "I" to "we", here is a quotation by the English novelist, Charles Kingsley that may be worth thinking about. "If you want to be miserable, think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, what respect people want to pay you and what people think of you."
At this point, I'm just going to lay it on the line and say something that you may not want to hear. The problem for most of us is that we are too self-centered and by nature we are selfish. In other words, we are too wrapped up in ourselves and our own plans, ambitions and desires to think about other people and how we can help them. While we all want to succeed we must remember that success is not to be achieved by following our natural wants and desires. Success is achieved by doing those things that most people don't want to do and that's why so few people achieve outstanding success.
If you will take the time to go back and re-read the Short Course In Human Relations and begin to use the key words and phrases it talks about, i.e., "I admit I made a mistake," "You did a good job," "What is your opinion?", "If you please." "Thank you," and "We," when it is appropriate to do so, it will be a tremendous help to you. Changing our habits is not an easy thing to do, but when it comes to making other people feel genuinely important, the results will be very rewarding. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 78

The next password is dennis

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DO YOU NEED PLASTIC SURGERY

There is a new and noisy kind of plastic surgery taking place in America today. It's the sound of people who are cutting up their credit cards! It's too late for many people as we have reached the point where over one million families are filing for bankruptcy each year. A recent report revealed that the collective debt of the American people is now over one trillion dollars and about 40% of this is credit card debt. While filing for bankruptcy may seem like a panacea to some people, it has far reaching consequences and this is the primary reason I decided to write this column.
Who knows, I may be able to keep a few people from going down the path that leads to financial ruin. While I believe in the individual rights of every person and how they handle their financial affairs is up to them, however, it does affect all of us when they act irresponsibly. When a person files for bankruptcy and the slate is wiped clean, the debt still has to be paid by someone. In most cases, it's simply passed along to the American consumer in the form of higher prices, which means we all pay. The saddest story of all is about the one who does the filing. It may appear that they get off "Scott free", but in reality they have been branded, much like a cow on a Texas ranch and it stays with them for the rest of their life, psychologically, if not physically.
Now, please understand that I'm not saying that all credit is bad. It's good when used in the proper way and most of us would not be where we are today if it were not for credit. Over the years, we have had a great number of loans and installment contracts and I'm proud to say that everyone of them has been paid back, either before or on time. At present, we only have one credit card with a very low balance, and we keep it for tax purposes, emergencies and convenience, in a small number of cases.
It's easy for me to see why many people get in a real dilemma when it comes to the use of credit cards. Several times each month we get offers from various credit card companies with special offers, low introductory rate, no annual fee, life insurance benefits and on and on. They make it so easy and if you don't have the self-discipline to say "no", you can be up to your neck in hot water in a very short period of time. The problem for most people comes when they live so close to the edge and when an emergency comes along they are wiped out. After several months of being wiped out, then bankruptcy becomes more and more attractive. As I said earlier, "don't do it" and don’t get yourself in a position where you have to even consider it, because the consequences are long lasting.
If what I'm saying applies to you, I believe you will appreciate something titled Economy Raises Revenue. This has been a great guide for us when it comes to spending and saving money. "Your ship won't come in except through the straight of economy. You can increase your wealth by decreasing your wants. You can raise your wages by lowering your expenses. You can have more by wanting less. What you make is not as important as how you handle it. This requires efficiency, planning and the maturity to stick with the plan. Economy does not mean no spending, it means wise spending. Frugality takes the view that a thing not needed is too high at any price, and there are so many things we don't need.”
In conclusion, here are a couple of questions that may be worth thinking about: Do I need plastic surgery at this time in my life? If I continue with the same spending habits as I have in the past, am I headed for some real financial problems down the road? As I said earlier, my heart’s desire is to help you. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next column password is: Dennis

No. 54
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
HOW TO REMEMBER NAMES

Someone once said that "our memory is what holds the past and present together and gives continuity and dignity to human life. It is the companion, the tutor, the poet, the library with which we travel." To be sure, the capacity to remember in vivid detail and recall facts, data, events and circumstances of the past is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us.
There is one area of our memory, however, that causes real problems for many people, and this is the perceived mental condition that they are unable to remember names. In regard to this, over the years, if there's one comment I've heard more than any other it's, "I'm terrible with names" or something to this effect. If this is an area of concern for you and you would like to do something about it, I will do my very best to help you.
While this may or may not apply to you, we see many individuals in our society who are motivated to remember names because of business or economic reasons. On a personal level, how successful would a salesperson, a teacher, a minister, a banker or a public speaker be, if they could never remember your name? It wouldn't take long before you would begin to feel like they really didn't care about you as a human being, which is exactly the point.
We must care about other people and respect them as one of God's special creations, if we are to be able to remember and recall their name, even if we hadn't seen them in months and ran into them 1,000 miles from home. In other words, their name is important because they are important as a person. In reality, the only people we are going to help very much are those we really care about.
Apart from this "caring" factor, the biggest obstacle to remembering names is that about 95% of our waking hours are spent thinking about ourselves, our goals and our own personal problems. When we are introduced to another person and they give us their name, we hear what they say but our mind is thinking about something else and we simply never "get it." When trying to recall it later, we say, "I've forgotten their name", which is really not the case. It's impossible to "forget" something that we never "got" in the first place. In other words, we must get it before we can forget it.
Here is the key. The next time you are introduced to someone, try to slow your mind down and really focus on their name and get it lodged firmly in your mind. If you didn't get it the first time, don't be embarrassed to look this person straight in the eye and ask them to repeat it as often as necessary, until you really get it. While this may seem like a failure on your part, the other person will view it as a sincere compliment because you care enough to want to know their name.
Please understand that some people can remember a name best by hearing it, while others can remember best by writing a name down on paper. In many cases, it may not be possible to write it down, but by repeating it several times in your mind and using it in your conversation, you will be able to remember it and you can always write it down later. There are many techniques that space does not permit me to give you, but one that has really helped me is association. Get the new name lodged firmly in your mind and then associate it with some famous person or someone you know real well. As in most things, the key to success is practice, practice and more practice. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 56
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE RIGHT WORDS

The English poet, letter writer and political figure, Lord Byron (1788-1824), has made this observation concerning words: "Words are things, and a small drop of ink, falling like dew on a thought, produces that which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think." When taken in this context, I believe we can see how very important it is to choose our words carefully, because words not only influence the quality of our thinking, they also enable us to express ourselves --- to communicate.
Thank you for spending a few moments of your time with me. I would like to begin by sharing some thoughts concerning the "right" words and how, if we are not careful, they can expose some of our misplaces values. Here is an example that will illuminate what I am saying. The story is told of a man who was a public speaker by profession. Using the right word, in the right place, with the right pronunciation, was a passion for him.
One day during a stroll by the river, he slipped off the bank and sank under the water. An elderly lady shouted, "He'll be drowned-ded! He'll be drowned-ded!" The public speaker came to the surface sputtering and coughing. He asked for no help and didn't reach for the rope thrown to him. Instead, he fixed his eyes and index finger on the lady and shouted, "Drowned, not drowned-ded! Drowned!" His thoughts were not on life, but the right word.
When it comes to using the right words, I'm limited in some respects and I tell people my vocabulary is kinda like the printer who said, "I ain't never made but one grammatical error since I come to work here. I seen it when I done it, so I taken it back." All kidding aside, the manner in which we communicate is very important as it relates to achieving success in today's times.
Our effectiveness in communicating with others is determined to a large degree by our vocabulary. It's been said that we should know big words but use little words if we are to communicate with the vast majority of the people around us. Along these lines, something that may cause you to think is the results of a survey that I came across some time ago. It's been determined that the average middle class person in our society uses less than 400 words, 80% of the time in his or her normal everyday conversations.
If you will think about it a moment, you'll be able to come up with many of these words, like: hope, happiness, security, money, work, love, family, time, sale, bargain, food, if, and, it, but, or and so forth. Now if you will continue on, I believe you will see that it takes a lot of these "regular use" words to reach 400. However, when it comes to successful communication this is tragic, because there are now over 700,000 words in the English language.
Another consideration here is what educators call our "reading level." When we read a story or an article that has one or more words that are not familiar to us, much of our comprehension or understanding can be lost. While we can certainly get by without a large vocabulary, and millions do, it does give those individuals who have a good vocabulary a great advantage in these days of rapidly changing technology.
In conclusion, when we take the time to improve our vocabulary so we can use the right words, we are taking a step in the right direction and this will pay handsome dividends in the months and years to come. Please consider these ten two letter words: If it is to be, it is up to me. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley rive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 58
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
CAN YOU STAND PROSPERITY?

The other day I asked my wife if she could stand prosperity and she said, "I don't know, but I sure would like to try!" My response was, "Yeah, you and several million other people." The Roman philosopher, Cicero, once said, 'Prosperity is when the stream of life flows according to our wishes." Using the vernacular of our day, we might express it this way: The person who experiences prosperity has the world by the tail on a downhill drag." In our modern culture, however, when we think of someone who is prosperous, we usually think of someone who has a lot of money.
Now, I would like to ask you the same question I asked my wife: Can you stand prosperity? If you are fortunate and already have a lot of money, then you probably know the answer to this question, but if you don't, you may want to think about this for a while. I think it's important to understand that we are already rich as a people, because our nation has experienced unparalleled prosperity in the history of the world. The point I want to make here is that all too often money changes people. It shouldn't, but it does. There are a few people who can handle it, but they are rare.
Have you ever been around someone who didn't have a dime and because of luck or a rich uncle dying or something like that, they came into a lot of money overnight and suddenly they got too good for their friends? As the old saying goes: You couldn't touch their rear with a ten foot pole. Unfortunately there are lots of young people who were fortunate enough to be born to rich parents who have the same attitude.
The people I know who are truly prosperous and have it all together are those who understand that money is just a medium of exchange and it comes from rendering valuable service. Instead of being arrogant or big headed, these people are humble and grateful that America has provided the opportunity for them to become financially successful. I believe I'm safe in saying that the big difference is whether a person has made their wealth slowly, over a long period of time or have come into it overnight. To those who acquire instant wealth, I'd simply say there is a rule of thumb you might consider here: "Easy come, easy go." While we can go to nicer places and have nicer things, our money should not change us, as a person.
Another consideration here is that the acquisition of a great deal of money does not necessarily produce happiness. I saw a great example of this in the paper a while back. A man in another state had won a big lottery jackpot a few years ago and according to him, that's when his troubles really began. He had gotten his first installment and his family and new found friends had helped him spend it quickly. But he didn't stop there; at the time of the article, he was deep in debt, as he had been spending considerably more than his yearly installments from his lottery winnings. The man was just plain miserable and he was trying to sell his future jackpot lottery installments and pay off his debts and go back to the way things were before he won.
To be sure, here was a man who could not stand prosperity. In the event you do not already have a lot of money, since you began to read this column, have you thought about whether or not you could stand prosperity? When it comes to my own personal situation, I'm kinda like my wife; I don't know if I could handle it or not, but I sure would like to try. I'm convinced, however, that God does not bless many of us with too much prosperity, because He knows we can't handle it. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 60
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE LAW OF APPRECIATION

Do you remember how you felt the last time you did something special for someone else and they took the time to say "Thank you" or even wrote you a note to express their appreciation? This happens millions of times each day in our country and it enhances the lives of both the one who sends the note, as well as the one who receives it. This wonderful feeling is also the basis for a natural law called The Law of Appreciation. If you recall, a "natural law" is a series of events in nature that has been observed to occur with unvarying uniformity. In other words, if the conditions and circumstances are exactly the same in all respects, then the results or outcome will always be the same.
It should go without saying that the proper understanding and application of this law will help any person to achieve a happier and more successful life. The reason this is true is because one of the strongest hungers in human beings is the desire to be appreciated. Everyone wants to be liked and to be made to feel important. No one wins the esteem of another quite so quickly as the one who feels and shows sincere appreciation with "sincere" being the key word here.
Before I move on to another aspect of this law, I want to suggest a way you can prove this to yourself, and if you are not already doing this, I can guarantee you that it will change your life for the better. In your mind, just see an invisible sign on every person you meet that has the letters "M.M.F.I.". These letters stand for "Make Me Feel Important." If you will take the time to make every person you meet to feel like they are the most important person in the world, you will find more open doors and more opportunities to be of service than you ever dreamed possible. Just remember, this law will make things better in every area of your life. To earn more money, apply this law to your customers, your business associates and those you serve. To have a better spiritual life, home life and social life, apply it to your family, fellow church members, your friends, neighbors and anywhere else you wish to be more successful.
Now, apart from this aspect of the law of appreciation, there is also another consideration that must be completely understood if we are to profit from this law. Here is an often misunderstood paradox: if we expect appreciation from others in return for what we do for them, we will be sadly disappointed. No doubt you know people who do for others because they expect something in return. In reality, this is a very shallow way to live, because it goes against a fundamental trait of human nature. All too often, we see people who are not appreciated for their good works and they withdraw or become bitter and this doesn't produce success. In most cases, it produces failure and the root cause was a lack of understanding of this great natural law.
Here is the essence of the law of appreciation in clear, understandable terms. When we are sympathetic, helpful and give sincere appreciation to other people, we are using this great law to our advantage. It is equally important that we never count too much on the appreciation of others, because in many cases we will be greatly disappointed. We should remember what others do for us and forget very quickly what we do for them.
Whether or not you believe or understand this law is not the issue. The only thing that really matters is that you use it. Incidentally, if reading this column made you feel like you were back in school again, just remember, we all need to stop and sharpen the ax once in a while. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 62
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE STRANGER WITHIN OUR GATES

Several years ago I had the privilege of flying to Savannah, Georgia, to be the keynote speaker for a Guidance Conference sponsored by the Georgia State Department of Education. The conference was to be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Savannah, and this is where they made a reservation for me. I have done quite a bit of traveling in my work and have stayed in some nice hotels before, but the Hyatt Regency just has that little extra "touch of class" that makes it stand out as one of the very best.
First, the hotel was new and it had very elaborate furnishings. It also had those bubble elevators with glass, so you can look out and see folks in the lobby as you go from the ground floor all the way to the top. The hotel also has a couple of very nice restaurants and the food was great. Since the hotel was right on the Savannah River, the view was fantastic. You could look out over the city in one direction and see the river and the large ships in the harbor in the other direction. Just these things alone would have been enough to make the Hyatt Regency a fine place to stay, but as I said, they had that little 'extra' touch of class.
After a long, hard day, I went to my room to turn in and was surprised to find the maid had come by and turned the covers down and propped up on my pillow were two small bars of chocolate wrapped in foil, and a little card with this message written on it: "To our guest: In ancient times there was a prayer for The Stranger Within Our Gates. Because this hotel is a human institution to serve people and not solely a money making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof. May this room and hotel be your second home. May those you love be near in your thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be as comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house. May the business that brought you our way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe. We are all travelers, from birth till death as we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those who know and love you best."
When I boarded the airplane the next day for the flight home, this little card was tucked safely in my briefcase and as I've looked at it from time-to-time, it has reminded me of that wonderful experience. To the management and staff of this hotel, I was just another sojourner passing through, but as I've thought about the message on the card, I realized once more that it's the little things that often make the difference. In short, they made me feel "special" and in doing so, they also made me feel at home. In a general sense, the people all over Savannah were the same, and the grace and charm of this historic old city has touched my life.
The people of the south have a word for this kind of treatment. They call it "hospitality." There is an old Greek proverb that says: "The chief thing is good will." While it's hard to put a price tag on "good will", if we are to succeed in business, it's something we cannot do without. The lesson for each of us should be obvious: if we wish to succeed in business or any area of life, we must take the time to do those little things that makes the people we serve feel special. When we do, they will come back time and time again. Until next time, please understand that this is not meant to be a commercial plug for this fine hotel, but rather an example that all business people would do well to emulate. A final question. Is it possible that these thoughts could help you? (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 64
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE RATCHET PRINCIPLE

The person who achieves real success in any area of life seldom travels in a straight unbroken line, because he or she has setbacks and reversals along the way. It is often said that success is taking two steps forward and one step back. But what happens to the person who takes two steps back after one step forward? Unfortunately, this person is going backwards and losing ground. Today, this is happening to millions of people in America, especially in the area of personal finances. Perhaps the American Railroad Builder, and financier, James J. Hill (1838-1916), said it best in relation to financial success: "The test is simple and infallible: Are you able to save money?" If you or someone you love is losing ground financially and you would like to do something about it, perhaps a good understanding of the little known "ratchet" principle may help you.
The ratchet principle refers to something or someone moving in a given direction for a period of time, then falling back to a solid position to regroup, then doing what's necessary to be on solid footing before heading out again. To be able to see this principle very clearly in your mind, just visualize a socket wrench that can be purchased at any store where tools are sold. A socket wrench consists of a set of sockets and a ratchet with a little button on top of the ratchet to turn if you want to go in the opposite direction. As you turn a tap or bolt and then back it up to get more leverage, you can hear the little 'clicks' of the ratchet as it's being brought back into position for a fresh start. These little clicks of the ratchet is what keeps it from losing ground.
When it comes to achieving personal financial success, I might say here in the beginning that the most important ingredient is self-discipline. Without having the self-discipline to stick with a plan, everything else is lost. When it comes to using the ratchet principle to help you or someone you love to achieve personal financial success, there are four simple steps to follow that will definitely help you to improve your present circumstances. The first step is to REGROUP, which is what happens when you pause while using the ratchet; just sit down where it's quiet and list all of your expenses item-by-item so you will know exactly where you are in relation to your income. You must know this before you can proceed.
The second step is NOT TO LOSE GROUND, which is what the little clicks of the ratchet are designed to do. Eliminate unnecessary expenses and if you have credit cards and other loans with a high interest rate, pay them off before buying anything else that is not absolutely necessary. The third step is to GET ON SOLID FOOTING, which means you must have the ratchet setting firmly on the tap or bolt you are going to turn. This is the point where you develop a financial plan that includes goals and it's vital that you establish a savings and investment account that will begin to compound your earnings for the future.
The fourth and final step is to HEAD OUT AGAIN, which is when you begin to turn the ratchet to achieve real financial success. At this point, with peace in your mind and heart, you can go to work with real determination and enthusiasm that will make your plans and your goals come true. Remember, when you follow this simple four step plan, the chances of your losing ground have been greatly diminished and you have the plans to help you achieve. It's the ratchet principle. Until our next visit, just remember, you can not be defeated if you take the long range view. What many people do not realize is that ‘perseverance’ is just another word for success. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 66
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
ADDLED ADS

It has been said that if we wish to live a happy, well adjusted life, we should take what we do seriously, but we should not take ourselves too seriously. This is especially true when it comes to making mistakes. One day I heard the late Earl Nightingale say, “If you will watch what the crowd is doing and do exactly the opposite, you will probably never make another mistake as long as you live.” The truth is, we all make mistakes and while I'm sure they make many mistakes that I don't even see, every once in a while our local newspaper makes a real "doozie" and true to form, in a few days a reader writes a "Letter to the Editor" to take them to task.
To my way of thinking, it's very important to be conscientious and do our best work, but in real life, if we were doing anything at all, we are bound to make some mistakes. To place what I'm saying in perspective, I would like to share something I ran across, titled "Addled Ads", from the collection of The National Composition Association. Back in the old days, before the computer came along, these are the folks who used to set type for the major newspapers across the country. The article starts off this way: "For sale, a used sewing machine. Call Mr. Tom Kelly at 555-3455 after seven o'clock and ask for Mrs. Perkins, who lives with him cheap." The next day in the paper there was a correction for this ad: "Correction: an error appeared in Mr. Tom Kelly's advertisement yesterday. It should have read: For sale, a used sewing machine cheap. Call Mr. Tom Kelly at 555-3455 and ask for Mrs. Perkins who lives with him after seven o'clock." The next day there was another correction: "Mr. Tom Kelly has reported several annoying telephone calls as a result of a classified advertisement that appeared in this newspaper yesterday. The ad stands corrected: "For sale, a used sewing machine cheap. Call Mr. Tom Kelly after seven o'clock at 555-3455, and ask for Mrs. Perkins who loves with him." The next day the paper carried the following notice: "I, Tom Kelly, no longer have a used sewing machine for sale. I took an axe and smashed it. I also no longer have a housekeeper. Mrs. Perkins resigned yesterday."
There are several reasons why I wanted to share this with you. First, it's a wonderful example of "Murphy's Law" -- anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. To me, and maybe to you, it was very humorous, but at the time I can assure you it was not funny to Mr. Tom Kelly. We have to be very careful when we start having fun at someone else's expense. As the old saying goes, "what goes around comes around." The primary reason, however, that I wanted to share this with you is because of my own personal experience in the printing business.
About 30 years ago, I was a printing salesman for a large commercial printer in Little Rock, Arkansas. In spite of the best efforts of our company to produce "error free" work, very seldom did we produce a print job that contained a large number of pages of "type" that didn't have some mistakes. You could find them later, but very seldom could you catch them all before press time, especially when you were under a deadline. So, the next time you see a mistake in your local newspaper, if you feel you must point it out, do so in a constructive way, because a critical spirit never helps anyone. What we all need to remember is that "to err is human, but to forgive is divine." If we overlook the mistakes of others, maybe they will overlook ours. To be honest, I would never make it were it not for God’s grace. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 68
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
"ACRES OF DIAMONDS"

Do you have any idea how many people waste their lives always searching for the "Pot of Gold" at the end of the rainbow, but they never stay with one thing long enough to find it? Based on the number of people I've talked with over the years, I would say the it has to be in the millions. There is hardly a week that goes by that I don't bump into someone who has a brilliant idea, a way to strike it rich, some new product, invention or innovation that just can't miss. However, I often run into these same people six months or a year later and they are doing something entirely different. If this person happens to be you or someone you love, I believe you will be interested in this story I discovered many years ago, called Acres of Diamonds.
This story is about a man who owned a farm in Africa and he became fascinated by the tales he began to hear about people who were discovering diamond mines. In his mind, this fascination became so strong that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and search for diamonds himself! After selling his farm for practically nothing, he spent the next 20 years searching for the gleaming gems that brought such high prices on the markets of the world. Then one day, broke, discouraged and despondent, as the story goes, he threw himself into a river and drowned.
Some time later, the man who bought his farm was out on his property and he picked up an unusual stone in the small stream that flowed through the land. Evaluation proved this to be one of the largest diamonds that had ever been discovered. When he went back to the same area and searched some more, he discovered that his whole farm was literally covered with them. So you see, the first farmer had owned literally "Acres of Diamonds", but he had sold them for practically nothing in order to search for them somewhere else. If he had just taken the time to learn what diamonds look like in their rough states, he would have had the millions he sought right there on his own property.
As you think about this story, can you see a parallel between the first farmer and the millions of working people in our country who never stay with one job or career long enough to become a great success at it? What we all need to realize here is that in the vast majority of cases, it's not the job or career, but rather it's the person who holds it. The job has all the potential in the world, at least it can be a starting point to move to any reward or position we want in society. In reality, it's up to us to turn our job or career into our own "Acres of Diamonds."
As a word of caution: please don't confuse the moral of this story with the person who starts to work for a company or organization, does a great job and builds a solid foundation of knowledge and experience and gets promoted to a higher position. This may occur several times over the years and well deserved promotions may propel this type of individual from the very bottom all the way to the top. Nor does it apply to the person who becomes highly qualified and takes a position with another company with equal or higher standing, because he or she sees more opportunity there. The key phrase here is "becomes" highly qualified.
The bottom line is simply this: if you are a 'job hopper' and take every job that comes along because someone offers you a little more pay, you may be missing the boat that will carry you to a very rewarding career in the future. The problem with being a "job hopper" is that in time, everybody knows it. Earning a lot of money is another story and I’ll address that in a future column. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 70
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE SLIGHT EDGE

In these modern times when millions of Americans are all wrapped up in sports, we hear a lot about "winning" and "losing", but have you given much thought to the difference between the winners in life and the losers? Well, believe it or not, the difference is very little. In fact, it can be as little as 2%. Some time ago I ran across a very timely article by Gene Emmet Clark, D.D., titled The Slight Edge - It Only Takes 2%. If you are striving to reach some goals that seem to be just beyond your reach, I believe this article will help you see that if you do just a little bit more, it could mean the difference between winning or losing, success or failure, mediocrity or greatness. The remarkable thing about the principle involved here, is that it's true regardless of how well you are presently doing.
Dr. Clark makes a good case as he relates this principle to his own personal success. He begins by asking the question: "Have you been working like a horse?" Well, I've been thinking about that expression and at least one horse I can name has earned a pretty fair hourly rate. Someone figured up that the race horse Nashua earned more than a million dollars in a total racing time that added up to less than one hour. Now I believe you will agree -- that's pretty good pay!
Of course we know that many long hours went into preparation for that winning hour of racing, but here's something else that's important to understand that makes this horse so valuable. You would probably pay a hundred times as much for a horse like Nashua as you would for just an ordinary race horse, but is this horse a hundred times faster? Of course not. What makes the difference is the fact that a horse of this caliber finished just ahead of the rest on a consistent basis. All he had to do is win by a "nose" a good share of the time to be worth a hundred times as much as an "also ran."
Here is the reason I wanted to share this with you and it's the unmistakable point of Dr. Clark's article. The principle we see illustrated here with Nashua the race horse is the same with human beings who are on top in the game of life. The difference between achievement and mediocrity is that extra 2% in study, application, interest, ambition and effort. It's that one extra story for a writer, that one extra call for a sales person, that one extra putt for a golfer, and it's that extra hour of practice for the athlete who wants to compete in the Olympics. In short, it's that little "extra" -- that 2% -- that often makes the difference.
When it comes to applying this principle to our own lives, the most important advice I could ever give you or anyone else is to use your common sense. The Bible says there is a time and a season for everything under heaven and this is certainly true here. I want to make it perfectly clear that I never advocate having an all consuming goal that drives an individual to work day and night at the expense of everything else in his or her life. The problem for most people is that they waste too much productive time. We should balance our activities in light of our current responsibilities, our age, our health and the commitments we have to God and our families. As I’ve said before, we can never be defeated if we take the long range view. We should view life over the long term and give that extra 2% all along the way. We should also take time off for a vacation on a regular basis. When we do that and keep our priorities in the right order, we can become a real "winner" in the game of life and still have good health to enjoy it. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 822

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHAT IS YOUR LOT IN LIFE?

Every once in a while when I get to thinking about my lot in life, at this particular time, I am reminded of the story of the man who felt sorry for himself because he had no shoes, then he encountered a man who had no feet.
As individuals, when we are facing adversity, regardless of the source, we can usually find others who are having a much rougher time than we are. To be sure, adversity is just a part of life, and how we handle it can mean the difference between sanity and insanity, happiness and unhappiness or even life and death. The word “lot” has a number of different meanings, including a parcel of land, a batch or group of products, a number assigned as a result of drawing or casting lots and several others. However, when I say my “lot in life” I am referring to fate, as in a card game - playing the hand we are dealt.
If you happen to be going through a rough time, regardless of the reason, what I am going to say to you in this column is meant to be a source of encouragement and a way of mentally dealing with the problems you may be facing. If you have read my column for very long, you know that my wife Viola has Parkinson’s and has had for the past 15 years. In spite of this, we have had a great quality of life and have been able to accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible. However, the inevitable is now beginning to come about. Parkinson’s is winning the battle, as we knew it would. Over the past few years I have seen her go from walking with a slight limp, then to walking behind a walker, and on to a power chair but still able to stand, move about and do many things.
Then, in just the past few weeks, she reached the point where she can no longer walk or stand, which means she is totally dependent on me or someone else to take care of her and meet all of her needs. To exacerbate the problem, Viola happens to be a very fastidious person, this is to say, she has a special way of doing many things and she wants them done the very same way they have always been done. It’s taken me a while, but I am learning and life is getting much easier. It is amazing the things you can learn when you have to. My domestic skills have improved dramatically over the past couple of months. I am now doing the laundry, cooking, grocery buying, dish washing and many other household duties, while continuing to write my column, volunteer for our Lions Club and doing all I can to provide leadership for our wonderful “Bookcase for Every Child” project.
When I have told this to a few of my friends, some have responded by saying how sorry they were for my present state. To this I have replied, don’t be … this was part of the contract I signed many years ago. The contract, our marriage vows, did not say for better or better, it said for better or worse. We just face life and each new day one at a time. I am happy to report that I have found some relief when a wonderful lady, who is experienced in dealing with those who have Parkinson’s, has come to help me and stay with her three days a week.
I am not complaining. I count it all joy that I can be here to take care of her during this time. She certainly took care of me for many years. Now, this question please. What is your lot in life? If it’s rough, how are you handling it? A positive attitude certainly makes a lot of difference.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 824

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE LIFE-LONG IMPACT OF PARENTING STYLES

What I want to share today can make a tremendous difference in the lives of many, many people. Dr. Charlotte Rainey Green has written one of the best and most insightful little books I have ever read. I say little because it only contains about 100 pages. It’s titled, “Because I Said So” and is about various parenting styles and the influence they have on a child’s development, self-esteem, behavior and success. Just remember, we were all children at one time and I believe we have a responsibility to help the children of today become good citizens and the leaders of tomorrow. This is especially true if we have children or grandchildren at the present time.
The book opens with the example of two pre-school girls, in different homes, getting too close to an open fire in a fireplace. Cassandra’s mother states firmly, “I told you not to get too close to that fire, Cassandra!” “Why can’t I get close?” Cassandra questioned. “Because I said so, Cassandra. Do not ask me why. Just do what I told you to do.” When their eyes locked, Cassandra quickly stepped back from the fireplace and watched her mother close the screen.
This scene is repeated in another home when Stephanie also moved too close to the fireplace. Her mother says, “Remember what I told you, Stephanie,” her mother said firmly. “I remember: Don’t get too close to the fire,” Stephanie recited in her mother’s tone. “That’s right. Fire is dangerous. Don’t let the beauty fool you. Fire can and will burn almost everything it touches.” “I know mom. You don’t have to remind me.” “OK, because it will burn your hand, just like it destroyed that house on the news last night.”
After these verbal exchanges, two years passed and both girls were entering kindergarten, same school, same class, with the same teacher. The first day Mrs. Icy, the teacher, prepared to read the class a story and showed them a picture. “Who knows what is in the picture?” Mrs. Icy asked. Both Cassandra’s and Stephanie’s hands shot up. So she called on Cassandra. “It’s a picture of fire,” she answered confidently. “That is correct, Cassandra. What do you know about fire?” “You don’t touch it!” she responded confidently. The teacher said, “Very good, Cassandra. Who else can tell me about fire?”
Stephanie was almost out of her seat when Mrs. Icy called on her, “Fire is dangerous. It can burn almost anything it touches. It burns houses and takes away people’s things, and you should not be fooled by its beauty.” This brief exchange set the wheels in motion for much more serious things down the road. In the teacher’s notes after class, she noted that Stephanie was exceptional with a good vocabulary, while Cassandra may need some remedial work. Here is the rest of the story. Cassandra is an African-American child while Stephanie is Caucasian.
Dr. Charlotte Rainey Green, who is African-American, points out that the parenting styles in the home environment, before each child enters school, could be the difference that charts the course for each child’s future. She lists three different parenting styles: Authoritative, Authoritarian and Permissive. She also talks about the African-American culture and the impact it has on achievement gaps and dropout rates. You will have to read the book to learn more, but this fine author, who did the research, really opened my eyes. The book is “Because I Said So” and was published by Outskirts Press.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 826

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE RULE OF LAW!

Here is one of the most compelling statistics in all of society and affects every law-abiding citizen, whether they realize it or not. According to the National Institute for Literacy, 85 percent of all juvenile offenders rate at functionally or marginally illiterate. In our local daily newspaper, perhaps yours as well, we have a section that runs several times each week titled “Police Beat.” In this section you will find reports released by the Conway Police Department that lists the various incidents, or police calls, that occur in our city over the past 24 hours or longer, depending on when the report runs in the paper.
We have one or more homicides reported from time to time, along with the usual armed robberies, muggings, purse snatches and many others. To give you a good idea, here are some incidents that were in a recent “Police Beat” that I read: harassing communications, public intoxication, violation of a protection order, sexual assault, terroristic threatening, theft of property and property damage. Have you thought about the fact that a high percentage of individuals who are involved in these incidents are functionally or marginally illiterate? Again, we all pay a price whether we realize it or not.
In our community, our overall crime rate is fairly low because we have a good police department and they are on top of the crime problem. The thing that makes any community safe, more than any other, is something we call the Rule of Law. The rule of law in its most basic form is the principle that no one is above the law. The most important application is the principle that government authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws adopted and enforced in accordance with established procedural steps referred to as due process.
The principle is intended to be a safeguard against arbitrary governance, whether by a totalitarian leader or mob rule. Since this column runs in newspapers all across the country, please allow me to stop here and ask you a few questions. How safe is your city or community? Is the Rule of Law strongly exercised where you live? Do you feel safe when you leave home, in the daytime or at night? While my column is basically a “community” newspaper column, I have been seeing something in the news that is very disturbing to me.
This is the rise of something called “flash mobs,” where a group of people, mostly teenagers, swoop down on a business of some kind and just loot it in mass, taking anything they can get their hands on. Apparently these “hits” are coordinated with the use of cell phones and they enter an unsuspecting business establishment, take what they want and are gone before anyone has time to call the police. For the most part this is happening in large cities, but you can see where this is taking us if the authorities do not put an end to it. You can be sure that those responsible for actions of this type do not have any respect for the Rule of Law.
I am sure you know that the best way to deal with problems of this nature is to stop this activity before it spreads or gets a toehold. This usually requires harsh action and severe consequences for the offenders. Of course, catching them is something else. When people are functionally or marginally illiterate, they are failing in life and we all, as law-abiding citizens, pay a high price. Our Bookcase for Every Child project can make a difference.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.

No. 828

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE HIGH COST OF BACON!

Even though I like bacon, I quit buying it several weeks ago when the price of the brand I like went to almost $5 a pound. It was not that I could not afford it, it was the principle involved, and besides I could buy a great 97 percent fat-free slice of ham for a dollar a pound less.
Now I know there are various market factors involved that determine the price, but the one that overrides all others is called supply and demand. Apparently a lot of other people agreed with me, because the price of my bacon has come back down. As a result, I have started picking up a package now and then.
I have shared this example to talk about another kind of bacon, which as you know is made from pork. The pork being doled out by members of our nation’s Congress is literally killing us and is one reason for our massive national debt.
Here is the bottom line and the point I want to make. In our society we have gotten so used to members of our congressional delegation bringing home the bacon or pork to our district that we are willing to look the other way when it comes to his or her character. It has been said that character is the stamp on our souls of the free choices of good and evil we have made through life.
A good case in point is former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who represented the 9th Congressional District in the state of New York. Congressman Weiner was elected to Congress in January 1999 and resigned from office in June 2011 due to a sexting scandal that began when he posted a link to a suggestive picture of himself on his public Twitter account. There is much more about this affair that I could say, but won’t. However, he would still be in office if left to his fellow congressman to boot him out -- rather it was the media that did him in. Personally, I am so thankful for the American media, in spite of their shortcomings, who understand there is a limit to what a person can do and still remain on the government payroll.
In spite of this sad state of affairs, the thing that is most egregious to me is that in a subsequent survey of the people in his district, 56 percent of his constituents said it did not matter at all to them what he did in his personal life. When I heard this, my first thought was, “Boy, I sure would not want any of these people representing me in Congress.” While not a true reflection of the attitudes of voters in all parts of the country, it has a lot to say about what is important and what is not important, at least in former Congressman Weiner’s district.
As I thought about this, two observations came to mind. First, is the morality so low that a majority of his voters think it’s the norm and don’t see anything wrong with the kind of bizarre behavior that finally led to his resignation? Second, so long as Congressman Weiner was bringing home the bacon or the pork, regardless of his poor character, in the end is that what really matters? If that is the case, the price of bacon is way too high. It has been said that a better world begins with me. Certainly I am not perfect, but I do know what is right and what is wrong. While only time will tell, together we can make a difference.
If enough of you feel as strongly as I do, we can begin to hold our elected officials to a higher standard. For the sake of future generations of Americans and our country, we must hold our elected officials accountable. They take an oath when they are sworn in. Let’s boot them out of office if they don’t live up to it.
P.S. As a postscript, apparently the survey about 56% of voters in his district not caring was wrong or the voters had a change of heart. In the following election to replace Congressman Weiner, voters elected a Rupublican for the first in in almost 100 years. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 830

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

AM I MY KEEPER'S BROTHER?

It is often said that an honest confession is good for the soul. I certainly hope this is true. This is because I am about to make one. For most of my life I have known what an idiot was, but I had no idea what an idiom was. Do you know? If you do, you are way ahead of me in this area of our various language peculiars. Fortunately, this changed for me several weeks ago while attending an interdenominational prayer breakfast at one of our local churches. A well-versed gentleman by the name of Joe Heird, who has become my friend, brought the program that day and he talked about Idioms.
In case you don’t already know, an idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. There are estimated to be at least 25,000 idiomatic expressions in the English language. In linguistics, idioms are usually presumed to be figures of speech. Moreover, an idiom is an expression, word, or phrase whose sense means something different from what the words literally imply. When a speaker uses an idiom, the listener might mistake the actual meaning, if he or she has not heard this figure of speech before.
Idioms usually do not translate well -- in some cases, when an idiom is translated into another language, either its meaning is changed or it is meaningless. As you can guess, this drives teachers of ESL (English as a Second Language) crazy. If you are like me, you have probably been using idioms all the time and did not know what they were. Here are some of the more common, with maybe a comment or two by me, thrown in here and there. You will recognize that a good number of these come from the Bible, and if you are interested you might even look up the scripture references from where they came.
Here we go: “Fly in the ointment. My heart’s desire. Three score and ten. See eye to eye. Put words in one’s mouth. No rest for the wicked. Go the extra mile. Fight the good fight. O ye, of little faith. Woe is me. Living off the fat of the land. Can a leopard change its spots? Fall from grace. Don’t cast your pearls before swine. Wolf in sheep’s clothing. Writing on the wall. Sweat of your brow. Thorn in the flesh. Pride goes before a fall. Skin of your teeth. It is better to give than to receive. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Man after his own heart. Wash your hands of the matter.”
There is a little difference in an idiom and a cliché. A cliché is just a truth used so many times that it has grown old, while an idiom is a figure of speech that is separate from its literal meaning. In preparation for writing this column, I went to the Internet and found scads of other idioms. One that struck me was “Zip your lip.” Now we both know that you cannot put an actual zipper on your lip but another way to say the same thing is “keep your mouth shut.”
When I read the idiom, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” which comes from the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible, I had the mental picture of a monkey sitting in a cage in the zoo, being fed by his caretaker and the monkey was asking himself this question, “Am I my keeper’s brother?” For sure, an interesting way to close this chapter on Idioms.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 832
The Next Password is Dill

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO HELGA’S BAR?

Helga is the proprietor of a bar in downtown Detroit. She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now and pay later. Helga keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting her customer’s loans). Word gets around about Helga’s “drink now, pay later” marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Helga’s bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume in Detroit.
By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Helga gets no resistance when, at regular intervals, she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most popular consumed beverages. Consequently, Helga’s gross sales volume increases massively. A young and dynamic vice president at the local bank recognizes that these customer debts constitute valuable future assets and increases Helga’s borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue concern, since he has the debts of the unemployed alcoholics as collateral. At the bank’s corporate headquarters, expert traders figure a way to make huge commissions and transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS.
These “securities” are then bundled and traded on the International Securities markets. Naïve investors don’t really understand that the securities being sold to them as “AA” “Secured Bonds” are really debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb and the securities soon become the hottest-selling items for some of the nation’s leading brokerage houses. One day, even though the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the original local bank decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Helga’s bar. He informs Helga, who suddenly demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed alcoholics they cannot pay back their drinking debts.
Since Helga cannot fulfill her loan obligations, she is forced into bankruptcy. The bar closes and Helga’s 11 employees lose their jobs. Overnight, DRINKBOND prices drop by 98 percent. The collapsed bond asset value destroys the bank’s liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans, thus freezing credit and economic activity in the community.
The suppliers of Helga’s bar had granted her generous payment extensions and had invested their firm’s pension funds in BOND securities. They find they are now faced with having to write off her bad debts and with losing more than 95 percent of the presumed value of the bonds. Her wine supplier also claims bankruptcy, closing the doors on a family business that has endured for three generations, her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor who immediately closes the local plant and 150 workers are laid off. Fortunately, though, the bank, the brokerage houses and their respective executives are saved and bailed out by a multi-billion-dollar no-strings attached cash infusion by the government.
The funds required for this bailout are obtained by new taxes levied on employed, middle-class, non-drinkers who have never been in Helga’s bar. There are winners and losers here. Does this story sound familiar? A special word of thanks to my friend Bud Green for sharing this with us.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

The Next Password is Dill

No. 808

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE VALUE OF FAMILY LITERACY

If there is one thing I have learned in almost 20 years of writing columns, it is that what I have to say is just so many words on paper unless I can express my thoughts and ideas clearly, with conviction. It must also be of interest and have real benefits for the vast majority of my readers.
If you will tune me in and really think about what I have to share today, I believe you will agree that this one qualifies on all counts. As you may know, my real passion is literacy, especially helping children in disadvantaged or low-income homes learn to read at an early age. A member of our Conway Bookcase Project Committee, and a former teacher, told me recently that if a child is not reading at grade level by the third grade, the chances of this child later winding up in prison are very high.
As you may know, illiteracy affects every single person in our nation, either positively or negatively. No literate or highly successful person in our society is above having an illiterate school drop-out who can’t find a job, steal from or rob them, or even worse, take their life. And this is just one example of how we are all affected. To improve literacy and our schools, reading must begin in the home with what is often called Family Literacy. I have a favorite aunt who has taught fourth grade in one of our local elementary schools for almost four decades. Several years ago she shared a school newsletter that contained the following article.
FAMILY LITERACY: Family literacy is a powerful and innovative approach to education. It is a bridge that leads to a more literate future for American families. It is often said that reading can take us places that we have never been. We can soar as high as a bird, travel to an exotic land, sail upon the open sea, or become a hero or a villain, all within the pages of a book. There is no better way to connect, educate, and just have fun with children than to read to them. (Parents and grandparents are you listening?) Here are 10 ways to encourage children to read.
1. Share at least one book every day with your child. 2. Select a quiet, comfortable place to share a book with your child. 3. Children need to see reading as a fun thing to do if they are to become good readers. Make reading a family fun ritual. Allow for age and needs of your child. 4. Listen to your child and encourage his/her listening. 5. Think and talk about the stories that you read as you go about daily life.
6. It is OK, even good, to read the same story repeatedly to your child. Children love to hear books repeated many times. Let your child turn the pages, touch the book, explore. Be patient. 7. Children are never too young to read to! Babies respond to sound and language before they are born. 8. Even when children can read, they still need to be read to. 9. Take your child to the library. 10. Apply for a library card and use it regularly.
Here are a few closing comments to consider. In the age of technology where we now live, all the major companies are spending billions of dollars on advertising to entice a younger audience to buy all the latest gadgets, including cell phones. However, for a person to succeed in life, he must be able to read. This fact makes it even more critical for parents, and grandparents, to begin Family Literacy in the home. When I encounter people who are struggling, I also see the results of poor reading and communication skills. This is why reading must begin very early in life.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 811

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

IS YOUR STATE GOING BANKRUKPT?

We have become a nation of “Takers” not “Makers,” so says Stephen Moore, senior economics writer for the Wall Street Journal. Sometime back a friend sent me an article written by Mr. Moore, dated April 11, 2011, in which he outlines in very vivid detail why many states in our nation are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. As a general rule, when any business or a government goes bankrupt, it means that expenses exceed income. If this situation continues for long enough, an organization of any kind is insolvent and has no other choice but to declare bankruptcy. It’s kind of like that fellow I heard about one time who was making it for $3 and selling it for $1, but they said he was making it up on volume.
From a practical standpoint, when a ship starts sinking, you know the first thing that happens, don’t you? The captain and crew begin to throw everything overboard that is not nailed down to lighten the load. This is what states that are on the verge of bankruptcy must also do, but it’s very painful. If you want to understand better why so many states – from New York to Wisconsin to California – are going bankrupt, consider this depressing statistic. Today in America, there are nearly twice as many people working for the government (22.5 million) than in all of manufacturing (11.5 million). This is an almost exact reversal of the situation in 1960, when there were 15 million workers in manufacturing and 8.7 million collecting a paycheck from the government.
It gets worse. More Americans now work for the government than work in construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities combined. Here is the real rub and why we must reverse the trend if we are to survive. Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local government is the $1 trillion-a-year tab to pay the benefits of state and local employees. Is it any wonder that so many states cannot pay their bills? In his article Mr. Moore gives a number of state-by-state examples, but it all adds up to the same thing, as already stated -- unless the trend is reversed we will not survive.
However, don’t expect a reversal of this trend any time soon. Surveys of college graduates are finding that more and more of our top minds want to work for the government. Why? Because in recent years only government agencies have been hiring, and because the offer of near lifetime security is highly valued in these times of economic turbulence. When 23-year-olds aren’t willing to take career risks, we have a real problem on our hands. Sadly, we could wind up a generation of Americans who want to work for the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The real question for me becomes, what are we going to do about it? While easier said than done, we must elect people to office who have business experience and understand our free-market economy, and create jobs that are attractive for our nation’s college graduates. We can also reduce the size of government and not have to lay off or fire anyone just by attrition. Just stop hiring people to work for the government and, in a few years, the ratio will come back into balance. There certainly was a day when the dream of most college graduates was to go into business for themselves and not seek a career in the government. My economic attitude has always been, “Give me opportunity and then get out of the way.” To be sure, there is security in the ship of state, but only if it’s not loaded too heavy.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 813

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

BUY GOODS MADE IN AMERICA!

In case you have not noticed, America is in a trade war and has been for the past several years. We have a huge trade imbalance as we import far more goods from foreign countries than we sell or export. Of course, this varies from month to month, and year by year. Our biggest trading partner is China, as the American consumer has all but built their economy. Now there is an effort under way to do something practical about our trade situation, especially with this fast-developing superpower, and it’s simply to stop buying Chinese-made products and food, unless there is absolutely no other option. Because of some recent developments we, the American consumer, may be able to turn this around.
Sometime back, Diane Sawyer of ABC News conducted a study that was later reported on this major television network. Here was the basis for the study -- their team removed all items from a typical, middle-class family’s home that were not made in the USA. There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During this special report, they showed truckloads of items – USA made – that were brought in to replace these items and they also showed where to find these items and the difference in price, etc. It was interesting that Diane Sawyer said that if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA-made items this year, it would create something like 200,000 new jobs.
Here is the bottom line. Would you spend an extra $64 each year at the grocery store if you thought it would create more jobs in America and do great things for our nation’s balance of trade? I would in a heartbeat! Again, from a practical standpoint, simply look at the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says, “made in China” or “PRC” (Peoples Republic of China) and that now also includes Hong Kong, just choose another product or none at all. If you will take what I am saying seriously and begin to do this, you will be amazed at how dependent you have become on Chinese products and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.
For example, who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and help some American farmer. Easter is just one example. The point is this: Do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own. Think about this: If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor … fast. There is a downside: Some American businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. I would not want that and I don’t think you would either.
What’s the solution? Let’s give them fair warning and send our own message. Most people who have become aware of this campaign, and are reading and thinking about it, will taper off over a period of time anyway. For me, and perhaps you as well, this comes down to a matter of freedom. We all cherish our God-given right to open, honest and free elections but actually we vote each time we open our wallets or swipe a credit card. When enough American consumers decide we have had enough, and vote with our purchases, there will be changes made in our economy.
The greatest change of all is that more Americans will be working instead of drawing unemployment. If you have some good ideas, share them with me. I will be happy to pass them along in a future column.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 815

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

FAILURE: DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL!

Have you ever heard of a prolific author by the name of Joey Green? To be honest, I had never heard of him until my friend Coach Dale Brown sent me some excerpts from one of his books titled “Famous Failures.”
With a little investigation, I learned that Joey Green was born in Miami, Fla., on May 26, 1958. He graduated with a BFA from Cornell University in 1980, where he founded the humor publication, The Cornell Lunatic, and had many literary honors. At this point in time, Joey Green has written more than 40 books, has been a guest on numerous television talk shows and has written numerous television commercials.
Coach Brown and I have a wonderful relationship because we have a common bond -- we both want to encourage others to be the best they can be. The book “Famous Failures” lists a plethora of well-known individuals in a wide variety of fields who were told by others that they would never make it, and later went on to become a household name because of their outstanding success. This brings me to a very important point. You and I have the final vote. No one, I repeat, no one, can tell us that we can’t succeed but ourselves. Failure is just a normal part of life and, when we don’t take it personally, we can get back up, dust ourselves off and get back in the game.
Most, or all, of the following names of people who achieved outstanding success will probably be well known to you, but maybe there is a story behind the story that will be both interesting and revealing. The most important thing in the life of each individual is that they did not quit when another person in authority sold them short.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, but was later named the greatest athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN. Marilyn Monroe was dropped in 1947 by 20th Century Fox after one year under contract because production Chief Darryl Zanuck thought she was unattractive.
The famous children’s author Dr. Seuss’s first book was rejected by 27 publishers, and Seuss considered burning the manuscript. The book that was eventually published sold six million copies. Barbara Streisand’s Broadway debut opened and closed on the same night. Humphrey Bogart was fired from a job reading radio playlets for laxatives. He then earned a living playing chess for 50 cents a round.
Walt Disney’s first cartoon production company went bankrupt. The Beatles were rejected in 1962 by Decca, Pye, Phillips, Columbia and HMV labels. And here is a shocker, Elvis Presley’s music teacher at L.C. Humes High School in Memphis gave him a “C” and told him he couldn’t sing.
In Joey Green’s book “Famous Failures,” the list is almost endless, but without the specifics here are other well-known names of individuals who failed one or more times before they achieved great notoriety: Lucille Ball, John F. Kennedy, Dustin Hoffman, Steve McQueen, Mick Jagger, Gen. Douglas McArthur, Albert Einstein, Wilma Rudolph, R.H. Macy, Henry Ford, Randy Travis, Rudyard Kipling and best-selling author John Grisham, whose first novel was rejected by 16 agents and a dozen publishers.
What this says to me is these people had more than talent and ability. They also had true grit and determination. A final question: Are you as successful as you would like to be?
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 817

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DO UNIONS HAVE TOO MUCH POWER?

A few years ago I bought a new set of tires for our 2003 Honda Element, an automobile that has served us well. A new set of tires just gives you that hug-the-road feeling and you, at least, feel safer. Then over the past few weeks I began to notice a vibration on the front end and I knew from past experience that it was time to rotate and balance the tires. This past week I got around to doing that and, presto, the problem was solved for a while.
You know, having the proper balance is the key to lot of things running better and smoother, including our lives. This concept also includes our nation’s economy, which has been terribly out of balance for a long time. In this context it is important to understand that it only took a few months of highway tread wear for my tires to get out of balance, while it’s taken several decades for our economy to get out of balance.
There are many different reasons for the dilemma we face: Corrupt politicians, a massive national debt, high unemployment, a huge trade deficit and a national government that is seeking to control more and more of our lives. While there is more than enough blame to go around, one of the factors that must be considered is our nation’s unions.
In the national interest, here is a question that I would like for you to ponder with me for a few minutes: Do unions have too much power? From my perspective, the answer to this question is both “yes” and “no.” If you are a member of a union and, over time, your union leaders have been able to negotiate you a higher salary, fringe benefits and a better work environment, the answer is “no.” On the other hand, if you own or manage a company that is “union” and it has become so powerful that it is almost impossible to fire incompetent employees, and the union is inflexible when it comes to concessions when the company falls on hard times, the answer is “yes.”
Whether you agree or not, here is the problem. Like my tires that got out of balance, when unions get out of balance and have “too much” power, you have a stand-off that is not good for anyone, and this includes our nation’s future. The key phrase in the question is “too much.” As English historian and moralist Lord Acton (1834-1902) has said, “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Then there is also the question of whether we are talking about private sector or public sector unions. I belong to the school of thought that public sector unions should not exist. It is a privilege to work for the government and serve the people, and when public sector employees band together to from a union and “take more” than private sector business and jobs can sustain, you are again out of balance. You know what happens when workers are taxed to their limit -- the government borrows the money and this is where we are today. If we are to ever again have a healthy free-enterprise economy in our nation, we must understand who the real boss is.
The author here is unknown, but the truth is undeniable: “There never has been, there is not now, and there never will be any boss but the customer. He is the one boss we must please. Everything we own he has paid for. He buys our home, our cars and our clothes. He pays for our vacation and puts our children through school. He pays our doctor bills and writes every paycheck we will ever receive. He gives us every promotion we will ever obtain during our lifetime and he will discharge us, if we displease him.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 819

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

LESSONS FROM THE GARDEN!

If you could stand a little practical advice in the areas of happiness, loss, humility, pride, death, life or some other crucial aspect of our existence, I have some great news for you. Sometime back I received an offer from Steve Bates to preview his first book titled, “The Seeds of Spring -- Lessons from the Garden.” Steve Bates is a longtime gardener and journalist who grew up in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., and spent 14 years as a reporter and editor at The Washington Post. Steve received a scholarship from the Virginia chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the Society of Professional Journalists, and he earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary.
After reading his book, I have concluded this is not only a great book from the gardener’s perspective, but it demonstrates how our gardens can teach us valuable lessons about life. As one would suspect, this journalist with one of our nation’s major newspapers is a gifted writer, but what sets Steve apart is that he loves nothing better than to get his hands dirty in the soil. He not only loves to reap the rewards of seeing things grow, but also enjoying the fruits of his labor at the dinner table. “The Seeds of Spring” follows the challenges, failures, joys and revelations that Steve experiences as he cultivates vegetables, fruits and flowers in a remarkable setting.
The book intertwines practical “how-to” gardening advice with deep insights as he recognizes the richness and simplicity of the outdoor life and the importance of sustainability for individuals and the planet. As they say, the proof is in the pudding and I don’t know of a better way to convince you to buy and read this book, especially if you love to garden, than to share a portion of the Foreword with you.
He begins: “We all tend gardens. Tens of millions of us battle heat and storms and unrelenting weeds, all for that golden moment when we pluck that first rich tomato of summer or fill a basket to the brim with bright yellow zinnias. We save a little on our grocery bills, welcome the release of tension as we work the soil, revel in that supreme sense of satisfaction as we harvest the fruits of our labor.
“We tend figurative gardens, too. We cultivate our careers, families and sow the seeds of hopes and dreams. We weed out illness, transplant hope, nurture ideas. In countless ways, we strive to create, to shape, to guide, to produce and we are compelled to be at least a tiny part of something bigger than ourselves, outside of ourselves. Yet it is in our garden plots that our spirits take flight in unique, myriad and sometimes surprising ways. It is here that we become more than just neighbors and voters and architects. We come to realize that we are the fortunate ones who know that dirt is not dirty, that returning home with a line of fine soil under our fingernails is a badge of honor.”
Well, I will stop there because you can easily see what a gifted writer Steve Bates really is, and his ability to use words that can add meaning to our lives. The whole book is laced with solid and entertaining ideas that will stimulate your thinking in ways you may have not even considered. A healthy mind is a good mind that will serve us well all the days of our lives. “The Seeds of Spring” is available from Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions or visit his web site: www.theseedsofspring.com.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 820

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

BOOKCASE FOR EVERY CHILD IN AMERICAN PROFILE!

There is an old saying with a great deal of merit that goes, “If you are free, thank a soldier. If you can read, thank a teacher.” I am confident that most Americans are grateful for our nation’s Armed Forces that have won and preserved our freedom. I am also confident that the vast majority of Americans who are literate are grateful for their teachers who taught them how to read and the value of education.
As a literate person, can you imagine what life is like for those who cannot read? Sadly, there are 42 million adults in America today who are being denied basic opportunities most of us take for granted.
Those in our society who are at the greatest risk are children being reared in low-income homes, because quite often their parents can’t read. As a result, they have few, if any, books in the home for the children. In 2005 we started a literacy project here in Conway, Arkansas, called “Bookcase for Every Child” and we are making a difference. So far we have given 350 personalized bookcases and a starter set of books to some of these children. We are making a difference, and now our project is beginning to spread to other communities. The community of Greenbrier, just north of us, is holding their first Bookcase Literacy Banquet soon, no doubt with great success, and will build 60 bookcases to present to their children this coming spring.
We have been truly blessed by something that happened back in August 2011 when the American Profile magazine featured our project on the front cover. This publication is a full-color weekly magazine that is distributed in more than 1,400 newspapers, has a nationwide circulation of more than 10 million and is presently the fourth largest magazine in the nation. You can view our story at www.americanprofile.com. Knowing the story was coming for several weeks, I worked hard to completely rewrite and update the copy for our own web site so I could point those in the right direction who had an interest in starting a project of their own.
My thinking was well founded, as there was no way I could have kept up with all the activity without this miracle of technology. As the chairman, I had e-mails and phone calls from interested people all across the nation and believe we have at least two other communities in other states, so far, that are starting their own project. Just go to our web site: www.bookcaseforeverychild.com and you will find everything a community needs to start and complete the first-year cycle of having a book drive, hosting a fund-raising banquet and an awards ceremony to present the bookcases to their children. You should see the children’s faces light up when they receive their very own personalized bookcase and a starter set of books.
The American Profile story was written by contributing editor Marti Attoun, who came to Conway to interview me about our project. She also interviewed Nija Graves, a child who received a bookcase as a Head Start student a few years ago. Her picture, along with her bookcase and books, were featured on the front cover. In a subsequent video, she and her mother told about how much she had been helped by a “Bookcase for Every Child.” As the article says, “We are making a difference one kid at a time.” These children are America’s future and we must take time and make the effort to help those in low-income families who, in most cases, cannot help themselves.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 182

The next password is earl

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

"FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH"

Over the past several years I have discovered something for myself that has had a tremendous impact on my life, and for "what it's worth" I would like to share the essence with you. It is common knowledge that a human being is made up of basically three parts..the body, the mind and the spirit. We also have an immortal soul which is interrelated with the spirit, but that's a different story. According to Webster's New World Dictionary the body is defined as "The whole physical structure and substance of a man, animal or plant. The mind is that which thinks, perceives, feels, wills, etc; seat or subject of consciousness." The spirit is "the vital or aminating force in living organisms, especially man, often considered divine in origin." The reason I wanted to give you these definations is so we would all be on the same page.

Please understand, it is not my purpose here to get into Theology or dig too deeply into what could be a very complex and even controversial subject. Rather, I'm more than content to stick with common sense and the practical aspects of what I want to share that most people will accept at face value. One of the most desired aspects of what we call "life" is to have good health. In fact, the American people spend billions and billions of dollars each year on health insurance, medications, dietary supplements and trips to the Doctor or hospital when a crisis arises.

Now "for what it's worth", here is what I have discovered that has made a tremendous difference in my life. I am blessed to have a wife who is a fantastic cook and she feeds me good nutritious meals. It's up to me however, to exercise and do other things that will help me to keep my BODY in good physical condition.

When it comes to my MIND, I have learned to be very selective in what I read, watch and listen to because what goes into my mind will sooner or later come out. It comes out as speech, actions and behavior. You no doubt know the computer term G.I.G.O. which stands for "Garbage In..Garbage Out." This is a perfect example of how the human mind works and in time will have a great bearning on the quality of our life.

While we all know that it is important to feed our body if we are to live and its also an accepted fact that our mental diet, or what goes into our mind, is also very, very important. What's not so widely known however, is that if we are to be a happy and contented person we must also feed our SPIRIT. From my perspective, many of our problems in society are brought about because millions of people are spiritually and morally bankrupt. This is to say these people are spiritually hungry and may not even know it.

Little did I realize it at the time, but in 1984 when I made the decision to read the Bible through once each year and to spend some quiet time each day with the Lord, it would completely change my life. At this point I was not only feeding my body and my mind but I was also feeding my spirit. What a difference this has made in my attitude and how I view other people and the world around me. I also listen to QUALITY spiritual music, like the songs and videos produced by Bill & Gloria Gaither and the singing of gospel artists like Squire Parsons, Anrde' Crouch, Carmen and the late Ethel Waters.

Here don't be misled and compare this with other types of music. It's not the singing or the music but it's the words that really makes the difference. As I said earlier, this is just "for what it's worth", but if there are times when you are lonely, discouraged or sad, why not take time to 'feed your spirit' and I believe you will find as I have, that it will make a tremendous difference in your life. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next column password is: Earl

No. 158

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE PESKY LITTLE ROOSTER

A few years ago I had the pleasure of traveling over to Claremore, Oklahoma and speaking to the Annual Progress Banquet sponsored by the local newspaper. The city of Claremore is also the home of the famous Will Rogers Memorial Museum and I found the time to visit it while I was there. What I saw that day was so very, very impressive and if you have never been there, I would enthusiastically recommend that you go see it because you will be glad you did.

Will Rogers, the cowboy humorist, was talented in so many different fields and especially as a writer. I've taken a moment to add this personal touch because I want to enlist one of his quotations as a basis for what I want to share with you in this column. He said, "it's just as important to be reminded as it is to be educated." The reason this is true is because the human mind is like a two edged sword. We often forget some of the most important things but remember many other things that have little merit or lasting value.

It is in this vein that I would like to ask you to think with me about a human weakness that many people have, including myself, that could help us achieve greater success in our lives. When we interact with other people, many times in our enthusiasm about what is taking place in our lives we move from sharing to telling and then to bragging. And sometimes it's very difficult to know when we have crossed the line.

When we begin to tell someone about our job, career, kids, hobby, team and a whole hosts of other things, most people don't mind if we share it with them. Usually they welcome the news unless we are an out and out "bore", but we begin to get on shaky ground when we talk about our success. If you are not careful, we come across as bragging.

To be honest, this is a failing of mine, especially when I am telling a newspaper publisher or editor about the merits of our column. Because I have deep convictions about what I believe the Lord has called me to share with you, I don't mean it that way, but later I realize that this is the way I may have come across.

We have all heard people say after their hand was called, "toot your own horn, lest the same be never tooted." To be sure, we would all be better off if we never had to make this statement. Now, I've already confessed and if your personality and enthusiasm lends itself to bragging a little once in a while, this very pointed story might be of value. I know it has reminded me to be more sensitive in the future.

"When I was a boy in the country we had a pesky little rooster that was a mighty big crower. Finally, we got tired of it and took him to market. He was priced according to his weight rather than the noise, because crowing doesn't bring anything in the market place. No wonder, for all its noise, not being, not doing." This is another way of saying, it's not so much what we say but what we do that really counts. As George Eliot once said, "A donkey may bray a good while before he shakes the stars down."

In the final analysis bragging never accomplishes anything, not even in prayer. So, all our boasting today will be naught tomorrow. How frantic, how vain, how futile. And finally this quotation by the French philosopher, mathematician Blaise Pascal, "Do you wish people to think well of you? If you do, then don't speak well of yourself." That's pretty sage advice but in these days of the "me" generation, it's pretty hard to do. Our human frailties is the reason I believe Will Rogers said, "It's just as important to be reminded as it is to be educated." What you do about this particular reminder, of course, is your own private affair. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 160

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DO YOU BELIEVE IN LUCK?

Someone once said that LUCK is "when the bread falls on the floor with the buttered side up." It is also "a lazy man's estimate of a workers success." Because there are millions of people in our prosperous nation who base their future and their success on luck, I felt it might be a wise use of our time to dig into this topic a little bit.

I'm sure you have heard this statement before: that man or that lady is the luckiest person in the world. We have all been around people who seem to have the Midas Touch or the Luck O' The Irish and everything they touch turns to gold. Maybe you are this kind of person and if this is the case, I hope your luck never runs out.

To gain a little deeper insight into this word that we all like if it's preceded by the word "good", this question please. What is LUCK? Mr. Webster defines luck as the fortuitous happening of fortunate or adverse events, or simply "good fortune." Now, here is a personal question that I believe will bring what I am saying a little closer to home. Do you believe in luck? Please give some thought to your answer because it may have more effect on your future than you may realize.

While this is a very personal thing, for what it's worth, please permit me to share how I view luck. I believe in luck up to a point. The point being, I'm not going to depend on luck to build my business, make a living or feed my family. If some luck or good fortune comes along, fine, I'll take it and thank the good Lord for it but that's as far as it goes.

The truth is, there are some people who are lucky, like the person who wins the sweepstakes or the lottery. In this case, these people simply beat the odds, a million to one, a hundred million to one or whatever they were. In reality however, for you as an individual the odds are better that you will be struck by lightening than to win a lottery jackpot. The lottery people always put the "winner" on television for promotion but it would take several years if they were to give the same treatment to all the "losers" and put of them on television.

Talking about odds reminded me of the man who was about to get on an airplane for the first time. He said, "What are the odds that there will be a bomb on this plane?" The airline official said, "We have done a study and the odds are a million to one that there will not be a bomb on this plane." This man said, "I don't like those odds." The airline official replied, "Well, if you will take a bomb on with you, the odds are a billion to one that there won't be two bombs on this plane."

But back to the word LUCK for a moment. Most of us who live in this great country consider ourselves lucky to have a job, good heath, a good home and all the other blessings that many of us take for granted. In planning our future however, most of us need to be reminded of some things from time to time. First, we need to understand that luck comes most often when preparation meets opportunity. As I have said many times, the smarter and harder I work, the "luckier" I get.

If you really want to increase your chances for good luck, here is how to go about it. The letters in the word luck stand for Labor Under Correct Knowledge. When we work or labor under correct or true knowledge, the odds are good that we will be far more successful. While we have to make our own decisions, instead of buying lottery tickets or gambling on our future in other ways, I believe we should invest our money in real estate or Treasury Bills or something that has the potential to grow. It's this kind of thinking and acting that will produce a bright future. In short, we can make our own "lucky" breaks by making wise choices. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 162

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE DAY THEY'LL STOP LAUGHING

One evening last week the phone rang and on the other end of the line was a lady who reads my column in one of our many fine Kentucky newspapers. After she introduced herself and told me where she was from, she said, "I've been meaning to call you for some time. Each week after reading your column I feel better." She then went on to tell me that she works as a hairdresser in a beauty shop and is constantly around negative people.

After thinking about our conversation I decided to share some of the highlights with you because there are so many working people who are in a similar situation. If you have ever experienced this kind of environment, you know it can be terribly depressing. It's almost like working and living under a wet blanket. If my column is helping this dear lady to cope with her circumstances, I say, "Praise the Lord" and I hope some of the ideas I share in the future will help her to rise above her circumstances. I know it's easy to feel trapped but really, life is too short to be unhappy.

In reality, we must first achieve success in our own life before we can ever be in a position to help someone else. It should be understood that success means different things to different people. Here I'm not advocating that this lady quit her job if being a hairdresser is what she is good at and what she likes to do. She also told me that she is involved in a multi-level marketing program. This may work out but the odds are against her. In her case, she would be much better off in the long run, if she saved her money for a few years and either started or bought a beauty shop of her own. She would then be in a position where she could control her enviorment.

In case you don't know or have wondered why so many people are negative, I believe I can shed some light on this subject. If you will do some research as I have, you will find that the vast majority of negative people have no goals. Without goals there is no way to score or to win. In other words, these people may cheer when their football or basketball team wins but they don't have much to cheer about in relation to their own personal success.

When you find people who are negative and down and out, you will find other people just like them because these are the kind of people they want to spend their time with. Misery loves company. Over a period of time this negative environment creates a negative state of mind. What's important to realize is that negative talk or comments must first be formed in our mind before they are expressed out loud.

In many cases negative people have the same talents and abilities as positive people, but they have just never seen it or believed it. One of the things that holds a person back when they begin to seek a better life is that they must make a break with their old friends and places where they hang out. For the person who decides to make the break, it's like the story of the crabs in the bucket. One crab gets almost to the top and freedom but just before he gets out a crab from the bottom reaches up and pulls him back down. Another technique they use is to laugh and make fun of the person who is trying to better himself.

Here is perhaps the most important point I can make in relation to what I have been saying. In our society no one laughs at a true "winner" and the way to become a winner is to keep our own councel, set some short and long range goals, save and invest 10% of our income, and work hard and stay with our plan. If what I'm saying applies to you or someone you love, when you become a "winner" you will know it and so will they. I can promise you the day you move up in the world is the day they'll stop laughing. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 164

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A BETTER HUMAN BEING

The late Dr. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) was one of the finest human beings to ever grace this planet. Born in the Alsace region of France, during his long life he would become a missionary, theologian, doctor, philosopher, author and musician. Having resolved to devote his life to the service of humanity when he reached the age of 30, Schweitzer prepared by qualifying in medicine, and in 1913 he went to Lambar'ene' in French Equatorial Africa where founded a missionary hospital.

His hospital was supported almost entirely by proceeds from his many organ recitals in Europe and numerous lecture tours and publications. Always a leading exponent of JoHann Von Goethe, he came to the United States in 1949 to deliver an address at the Goethe Celebration in Aspen, Colorado. During his notable discourse he shared his faith in two basic ideals: "Purity and Kindness." He would later be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.

When I read about Dr. Schweitzer and studied various aspects of his life, I was greatly impressed by how he used his God given talents. One of the things I most admire and appreciate about Dr. Schweitzer and his exemplary life, is that he was a trend setter. He gave us a standard, as a human being, that we would do well to try to emulate. Of course there have been others over the years, too numerous to mention, but were it not for great men and women who routinely placed others before self, the human condition would be much worse off.

Now, you may not share my convictions, but it seems in these days of the "me" generation here in America that we need people who will take a stand and live by Dr. Schweitzer's ideals of purity and kindness. Pure in the sense that our ethical character and morals are above reproach and that more of our citizens will develop a spirit of kindness that always considers the needs and feelings of others, as well as their own.

At this point I realize that to some people what I am saying sounds like Pollyanna but believe me, it's real life. I'm sure you know that an individual can become "world class" in many fields of endeavor and still be a lousy human being. Unfortunately, what these people miss is that when they come to the end of their life and stand before a Holy and Righteous God, they will not be judged on their accomplishments but on what kind of life they lived. Every week I see people who are changing their lives because they finally realize that what I am saying is true. Here it should be noted that what I am advocating is in no way meant to diminish the "spirit of competition" that has helped us individually and collectively as Americans to achieve great things.

We should always play hard and play to win, but always within the rules of decency and fair play. Whether it's in business, sports, politics or any other area of society, to win by any other means is shallow indeed. To my way of thinking we should reward those who play by the rules and disqualify those who don't. While not easy, the answer to our national ethical and moral crisis is simple. We just have to emulate Dr. Schweitzer's ideals of Purity and Kindness. The greatest power we have as a free people is the power to choose. We can choose what kind of leaders we have, what kind of government we have and most important of all, we can choose what kind of person we want to be.

What I want you to see is that if enough people feel this way and will take a stand we can make a difference. I'm hoping and praying that these thoughts will resonate and you will think about what I've shared here. The past is gone but from this point forward let's pledge that we will strive to be better human beings. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 166

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SOCIETY'S "THROW AWAY" KIDS

One of our fine city police officers came and spoke to our Lions Club a few weeks ago on the subject of gangs and he really opened my eyes. If you know about gangs in America and their activity, what I'm going to say will be old news to you, but in my case I had heard reports about gangs on television but that was about all. In some of the smaller communities across our country gangs may not be a problem but they are so pervasive, the more we know about them the better off we will be. One of the handouts that Officer Haynes shared was titled, U.S. GANGS: AN ANALYSIS OF RECENT DATA, that was written and compiled by George W. Knox, Ph.D.. Dr. Knox is the director of the National Gang Crime Research Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The report covered a wide range of topics involving gangs in America and their activity and here are a few of the areas: gang members among the nation's prison population, racial conflicts among confined juveniles, simple questions, complex answers, gang proliferation or gang migration, gangs in high school, a breakdown of the various gangs state by state and it wrapped up with a summary, conclusion and some very good recommendations.

If you think we don't have a gang problem here in America here is a documented statistic. There are from two to four gang members for every sworn law enforcement officer in the United States. To me, that's scary. From all accounts, with a few rare exceptions, we know that gangs and their activity is bad news. Gang members are involved in illegal drugs, auto theft, and other crimes which either directly or indirectly affects every citizen in our nation. I feel a part of that affect each time I pay an insurance premium.

While statistics are important because they give us perspective, I always like to reduce things down to the personal level because this is where we live. The one thing that Officer Haynes said that stuck in my mind is that in most cases, gang members are Society's Throw Away Kids. Here is what he meant by that. More likely than not, a gang member at one time was a young man who was attending school but did not have the material things like most of his peers.

While this description is by no means exclusive, go back a few years and think of a young man who comes to school in old, worn out tennis shoes, faded blue jeans, no transportation and very little spending money. If this humiliation were not enough, he was often made fun of, ridiculed and was the butt end of jokes. About this time a gang leader comes along and sizes up the situation and begins to cultivate a new gang member. His approach is to provide this young man with things he was not getting at home. First, genuine acceptance into a group of people who become his friends. Then comes the success trappings of society like a gold chain, new clothes, transportation and spending money. In short, the gang has now become his family.

A gang member and his new family's bond is so strong that it can't be broken, even when he is sent to prison for selling drugs and other illegal activities. It's a sad but all too often true story. Unfortunately, there is much more that space does not permit me to share with you such as gang names, signs, graffiti, and how they wage war to protect their turf. Hopefully what I've shared with you has been of interest because I wanted you to know or be reminded of Society's Throw Away Kids. The way to deal with this problem is to become better informed and to identify potential gang members and help them before it's too late. What we need most in our nation is positive role models for our kids and we can all be that, if we choose to do so. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 168

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE "WHY DON'T THEY" SYNDROME

The other day I heard a story about this mother who took her young son to visit a church where they had a new minister. After it was over and they were leaving the service, the young lad said to the minister, "That was the worst sermon I have ever heard." The mother, somewhat flustered and embarrassed said, "Oh, don't pay any attention to him. He just goes around repeating what he hears other people say."

Hopefully you understand this is not a true story but it does serve to enhance a concept that if properly understood and applied, could be of real value. The key word in this concept that I would like to illuminate is "repeating" and the danger here is that if we repeat something often enough and for a long period of time, it could turn into a syndrome.

Over the past several years I have heard a lot about the various kinds of syndromes, but do you know what the word syndrome means? The dictionary defines this word as "a group of signs and symptoms that collectively indicate a disease or disorder." In other words, the person who develops a syndrome of one kind or another is sick, at least to some degree. Whether we have been personally affected or not, we all know about "Down's syndrome" and "Parkinson's syndrome."

However, the syndrome that I want to discuss with you here is curable, because it has to do with our human personality. Really and truly what I'm sharing with you here is good news. In recent years the behavioral sciences have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that a human being's personality can be altered and changed for the better.

As a basic premise for this discussion, I believe I'm safe in saying that most people, at some time in their lives have developed "hang-ups" of one kind or another. What I'm referring to here is people who form the habit of thinking in a certain vein for so long that they just do it over and over again until it actually becomes a syndrome. Many years ago I worked for a man who owned a laundry and he used the expression, "on the thing out there" at least 50 times in every conversation. In short, he had developed a syndrome.

As it relates to our own mental health I would like to narrow this discussion down to one particular syndrome that affects many people in a negative way. This is what I call the "why don't they" syndrome. Unfortunately, this is how many people view life. When they don't get the breaks they think they deserve, the all too often question, "why don't they" comes to their mind.

Without being aware of it, is it possible that you may have developed this syndrome? How often do you say, "why don't they?" Here are some questions we have all heard from time to time: "Why don't they like me?"-- "Why don't they treat me better?"-- "Why don't they accept me?"-- "Why don't they respect me as an individual?"-- "Why don't they give me a raise or a promotion?"-- "Why don't they do a number of other things for me?"-- "Bless my poor little heart!!"

Do you see what's happening here? If we are not careful, any of us can fall into the "why don't they" syndrome. What this is of course, is an attempt to transfer the burden of guilt for our failures to someone else. In our mind, it is really someone else's fault rather than our own. We all have our ups and downs and our good days and bad days, but we just need to be careful that our "self-talk" from the bad days does not turn into a syndrome. Please repeat after me, If-It-Is-To-Be-It-Is-Up-To-Me. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 170

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHAT KIND OF "TATER" ARE YOU?

While I'm sure I miss the mark in many cases, it's my hope and prayer that I can share something with you in each of these visits that will make a difference in your life. As we work and grow together to develop and use more of our God given potential to serve others and to be happy and contented with who we are, one of the most important factors is our attitude. The person with a great attitude is head and shoulders above the crowd and, if not already, is well on their way to becoming a more productive and successful human being.

With these thoughts in mind I want to tell you about one of the most fantastic ladies I've ever had the priviledge of knowing. Her name is Willie Oates and while I have never had the courage to ask her age, she was a cheerleader for the Arkansas Razorbacks back in 1937-40, but since that time what a difference she has made in the lives of others! Without a doubt she has started or been involved in more civic, charitable and humanitarian organizations and received more awards and honors (including from 6 former Governors) than any person in the history of Arkansas. Wouldn't you know it! She is originally from Arkansas City, Kansas but she has become in institution in our state. Her resume, single spaced, is seven pages long and even you would be impressed.

One of the things listed on her resume is that she has traveled to all 50 states doing "hat" skits over a period of years. She is known far and wide as the "hat" lady and each time you see her in person, in the newspaper or on television, she will be wearing a 'hat' that is a show stopper, if you know what I mean. Recently I had the pleasure of being in her audience when she performed one of her famous "hat" skits. After some opening remarks she began to pull long Irish potatoes from a shoe box. Each potato had both ends cut off so it would stand up and she had painstakingly painted a face on each one so it could be identified as a person. As she continued to talk, she would pin a little hat on each potato and set it up before the audience.

Now here is the part that I don't want you to miss. She was very creative and this made the message she was sharing ten times more effective. The first potato she called 'spectator' or 'Spec' for short. She then talked about how most people never get too involved in anything worthwhile. In other words they are a 'spec-tater'. They show up for the meeting but that's as far as it goes. The next potato she called 'agitator' or 'Agie' for short. As she said, there are some people who never plan on getting too involved but their nature is to needle people and always ask controversial and emotional questions at the wrong time. This type of person is a "lightening rod" and quite often makes the sparks fly. Just one person like this can kill the enthusiasm of any group.

The next potato she called 'dictator' or 'Dick' for short. None of us want to be around, much less be under, any person who tries to be a dictator. Unfortunately, this is the style of many people but they are far less effective than they could be. The final potato was a little different color than the others because it was a 'sweet-tater'. She said old 'Sweet' is the one who has a sweet spirit, is always there and is willing to do more than their share. Every successful organization, profit or nonprofit, has people with these very important qualities.

I'm sure you know, not every person can or wants to be a leader. We need great leaders but we also need good followers if the job is to be done. When you boil it all down, (I hope you caught the pun) the big question becomces, "WHAT KIND OF TATER ARE YOU?" (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 172

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

PUTTING SUCCESS INTO PERSPECTIVE

The first time I met Ray I was impressed with his intelligence, energy level and commanding presence. Although he was just in his early thirties he was moving up the management ladder of a large company like a rocket. One evening when my wife and I were in his city, we made arrangements to have dinner with Ray and his wife Laurie at a well known restaurant. We had a pleasant evening but I was surprised at the amount of alcohol Ray consumed during dinner. When he told us he had recently been promoted to Senior Vice-President, I figured he was just celebrating a bit.

Laurie was a lovely person. She and Ray had one child, a son who was an outstanding football player at a major university. Tim was a blue-chip athlete, sure to be named All-American that year. Ray was excited about the prospects of his son going early in the NFL draft the following spring. As it turned out, Tim was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round and Ray called me long distance to relay the good news. If there was one thing I learned about Ray over the years, it was that only two subjects made him sit up and take notice. One was his son's football career. The other was money. At the time he was made Senior Vice-President, he confided in me that his net worth was already close to three million.

Ray was flying high, but little did he know that he was headed for a crash. The downward spiral began when the President of Ray's company announced he planned to retire later that year. Most of the employees felt that Ray or the other Senior Vice-President would move into the corner office when that happened. Top management insiders believed that Ray had the edge. Between the President's announcement and his actual retirement however, the pressure began to eat Ray alive. His drinking inreased and two or three martinis with lunch were the norm. Another change took place in his life as his former relaxed management style changed to a more dictitorial and demanding one.

When the President finally retired, few in the company were surprised when the other Senior Vice-President got the job. When Ray was informed of the decision he angrily resigned. After his resignation I lost contact with Ray but I learned that he had taken a job with a company in another state. He commuted back and forth but his drinking continued until Laurie moved out. She told him that she still loved him but he had to stop drinking. Some time later I ran into Ben, who was a mutual friend, and he told me that he had called Ray to have dinner so he could cheer him up. They were to meet at 7 O'clock but Ray never showed. Later he learned that around 6 O'clock Ray had put the barrel of a gun into his mouth and pulled the trigger. He was forty-five years old.

Here was a man who had everything to live for. He was wealthy, had a beautiful wife who loved him and a son who had fullfilled his dreams by becoming a professional football player. By most standards, he was successful. He had position, power and money, however he lacked some things that were even more important: peace of mind, happiness and contentment.

I believe you will agree this true story really puts SUCCESS into pespective. It can be found in the first chapter of a powerful and life changing book titled "ULTIMATE SUCCESS" written by Frank R. Baudine who lives in Dallas, Texas. Frank Baudine is the CEO of a major executive recruting firm and has had the opportunity to dig deeply into the lives and careers of top executives for many years. The book "ULTIMATE SUCCESS" is the best book on success that I have ever read. It's available at your local book store and is published by Tyndale House Publishers. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 174

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HOW TO FLY OUR FLAG

The famous American, General Douglas MacArthur once said, "The American flag is the embodiment of our ideals and it teaches us not only how to live but how to die." The other day I got some correspondence in the mail from The Veterans Of Foreign Wars of The United States and it contained a little brochure titled, "HOW TO FLY THE AMERICAN FLAG." After reading it, I decided it was something I wanted to share with you in this column.

If you are someone who already knows the information it contains, please understand that I do not wish to insult your intelligence. After doing a little survey however, I find that most people do not know there is a right way and a wrong way to fly our nation's flag. I hope you will join me in helping to enlighten some of the citizens of this great country. Before sharing this information I want to go a step further. If you do not own a flag with a holding bracket or a flag and pole like we have, why not purchase one at your earliest convenience and display it at the appropiate times and in the proper way?

First, here are ten rules on how to properly fly the flag. No.1-The flag should be hoisted brinkly and lowered ceremoniously. No.2-The flag is never allowed to touch the ground or the floor. No.3-When hung over a sidewalk on a rope extending from a building to a pole, the union stars are always away from the building. No.4-When vertically hung over the center of the street, the flag always has the union stars to the North in an East/West street, and the to East in a North/South street. No.5-The flag of the United States Of America should be at the center and at the highest point of a group when a number of flags of states or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs. No.6-The flag should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds but always allowed to fall free. No.7-The flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day then raised to the top of the staff. No.8-Never fly the flag upside down except as a signal of distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. No.9-The flag is never flown in inclement weather except when using an all-weather flag. No.10-The flag can be flown every day from sunrise to sunset and at night if illuminated properly.

The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year's Day, January 1st; Lincoln's Birthday, February 12th; Washington's Birthday, 3rd Monday in February; Easter Sunday, variable; Mother's Day, 2nd Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, 3rd Saturday in May; Memorial Day, Last Monday in May (half staff until noon), Flag Day, June 14th; Independence Day, July 4th; Labor Day, 1st Monday in September; Citizenship Day, September 17th; Columbus Day, 2nd Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27th; Veterans Day, November 11th; Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25th, and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the birthdays of states (date of admission) and on state holidays.

And lastly, here is the Pledge Of Allegiance to our flag. When you pledge, please stand reverently, face the flag, remove your hat or cap, place your right hand over your heart and begin, "I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." When it comes to patriotism and love for our country, this is something we have to teach, especially to our young people who have never fought a war to preserve our freedom. When the opportunity presents itself, why not talk with your children and grandchildren about why it is so important to respect and honor our Nation's Flag? (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 176

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ARE YOU "SEEDING' YOUR MIND?

Each Spring for the past several years, my wife and I have planted and raised a small garden. We both enjoy the therapy and the fresh tomatoes, onions, radishes, beans, potatoes, squash, cucumbers and the other vegetables we grow are always delicious. We also enjoy having guests over for dinner and giving some of it away to family and friends. Along about the first of March, I begin to get the soil ready and the big debate begins. What are we going to plant and where? We usually compromise and do it her way. Other than the plants we buy, something that always comes up is the question about seed. Do we use some of the seed left over from the previous year or do we go to the store and buy fresh seed? I prefer fresh seed, using the logic that the cost is so small, compared to all the hard work I have to do to get the soil ready, to take a chance on not getting a good stand. Of course, to some degree each of these decisions are important if we are to maximize our potential for a good harvest.

At this point I would like to change gears a bit and use what I have just shared as an analogy to the human mind. Have you ever thought about the fact that a human mind must also be "seeded" if it is going to be productive and produce a good harvest, which is to say, to enable us to live a happy and successful life.

A while back I read a column where the writer was talking about the fact that "good ideas" are everywhere, and at the end of the column she encouraged her readers to send her column ideas by E-Mail. I know from my own experience of writing for over 20 years that my good ideas would dry up very quickly if I did not constantly "seed" my mind. I have a number of resources I use when I sit down to share with you and these include the World Book Of Facts, a book of quotable definations, a set of encyclopedias, my files and library, the Bible, a pink binder that contains several years of collecting quotes, concepts and humorous stories, my personal experiences and listening to and reading about interesting people. Really and truly great ideas are everywhere, if we will just take the time to look for them. In writing as in speaking, the key is to share our experiences in such a way that it will help other people to be happier and more successful.

To expand a bit on what I have just said, think about the person who works in a factory and punches a time clock. Once they punch in, usually this person will do some routine things over and over again. After the new wears off and this person has the routine down pat, there is little or no challenge to grow mentally unless he or she takes the initative to learn new things and expresses a desire to move up in the organization. A quick aside here. Most people want more money, but they do not want the increased responsiblity that comes with it and this can be very frustrating.

This same principle is true for every other person who is employed, and it doesn't matter whether they work in the public or private sector of our economy. To grow and succeed as a business owner, manager, employee or whatever our job description or title,

we must continually "seed" our mind with new and better ideas in these highly competitive times in which we live.

When I write each of these columns, I have a set of established criteria that I follow that I trust may give you some ideas. No.1-Must be national in scope. No.2-Positive & Upbeat. No.3-Personal benefits for my readers. No.4-Variety of topics that will meet a specific need in the lives of as many readers as possible. No.5-Have fun..light when appropiate. I just try to do each of these things to the best of my ability. I hope at every opportunity you will"seed your mind" with with good, positive information. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 178

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE OLD COUNTRY CHURCH

A while back my daughter gave me one of those not so small, refrigerator magnets that has a line drawing of an old antique automobile. It has the words "Dad Is A Classic" printed on it. There was a time in my life when I thought someone who was sixty years of age had one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peeling. But now that I have reached that magic number, it's not so bad and I certainly don't feel old. In fact, mentally I feel better and fresher than anytime in my life.

One of the advantages that I have now that I didn't have when I was much younger is that I see things from a different perspective. I have lived long enough to not only see and experience some of our wonderful modern inventions like the television, jet airplanes, the cotton picker, computer, digital sound and the Internet, but I was also around when life was much simpler.

While it may be just wishful thinking, I would like for us to be able to hold on to the best of both worlds. Wouldn't it be great to have all the modern conveniences that we have today, like those in a modern kitchen for example, and not have the massive social and enviormental problems that were not so evident thirty to forty years ago? Again to place things in perspective, please consider this: since 1960 there has been a 560% increase in violent crime, more than a 400% increase in illegitimate births, a quadrupling in divorce rates, a tripling in the percentage of children living in single parent homes and a 200% increase in teenage suicides. This may be the reason there is a massive wave of nostalgia that sweeps over many of us from time to time.

Because I'm not dumb, I know it's impossible to live in the past, but we can hold on to some of the traditional values that have served to make our nation the greatest in the history of the world. There are many symbols of the past, but one that holds special meaning for me is "The Old Country Church." I grew up in a small town and was not around when it was most prominent, but I'm reminded of it's virtues each time I hear these words set to music, "Oh, I'd love to go back to that old country Church and to hear the songs of praise. How the people would sing..It would make the heavens ring, in that old country Church".

A few days ago I was reminiscing with a friend and we were trying to decide on an era or period of time in our nation's history when "The Old Country Church" played the most prominent and significent role in our culture. We finally settled on a time that was before the advent of television and maybe just prior to most people owning an automobile. From what I have read and seen on television, it was back in the days when a father would hitch up a team of horses or mules and the family would ride to Church in a wagon. There were few large buildings or meeting places in those days and the Church was more or less the center of the community.

When people went to Church on Sunday it was a all day affair; preaching, singing, dinner on the grounds and kids running everywhere. Many people were married in the Church and were usually buried in the nearby cemetery. During these hard times families prayed together and stayed together and the values that were taught, both in the Church and the home, made it possible for us to become a great nation. These were also the people who volunteered for military service and made it possible for our nation to win two world wars. In a very real sense, those of us living today owe our very freedom to these people. In case you didn't already know, or had never thought about what I've shared, the next time you hear the song, "The Old Country Church", I hope you will be reminded of what these good people have done for us. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 180

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HAVE YOU "HUGGED" YOUR CHILD TODAY?

There is an old saying that goes, "Never try to teach a pig to sing. It doesn't work and it annoys the pig." I had not heard this saying in many a moon until I heard a well known TV Judge use it on a program I was watching the other evening. This Judge was trying a case that was brought by an elderly couple who were trying to get the money back from a "sensitivity seminar" that was paid for by their children.

If you have ever seen or heard something that caused a "flashback" to an earlier time in your life, then you will appreciate even more what I'm going to share with you. What this elderly couple had gone through was to them a humiliating and stressful three day seminar that was designed to remove their "inhibitions" and make them more sensitive and loving toward their children.

After hearing the sordid details of what went on during the seminar however, I could understand why these old people were stressed, but their children were so desperate they were willing to try most anything that might make a difference in their relationship. Here are a few of the details that will give you some insights that may be of value. The elderly mother, who did most of the talking, came to this country from Baghdad, Iraq when she was ten years of age and had later married the children's father. This was back in the days when times were extremely hard and they both worked to provide a meager living for their family. As is often the case, the children's physical needs were met, but they received little or no affection from their parents. Years passed, and while the two sons and a daughter knew deep down that their parents loved them, there was never a strong bond of love between them and this left a real void in their lives. .

Now, years later, they were so desperate for a meaningful relationship with their parents they had paid for them to take the sensitivity seminar. Well, it didn't work and that's when the Judge made the comment about "annoying the pig." She dismissed the case, but in doing so she reminded the children that they were fortunate to still have their parents and she also helped them realize that the hard times they had gone through had taken their toll on quality time and their affection toward them.

As this story unfolded, it caused a "flashback" in my mind to the days when I was growing up. My parents were good people, hard working, honest and they did their best to provide for my sister and me. We didn't have much money but we knew they loved us. My father however, was considerably older than my mother and I very seldom ever saw any open display of affection between them. I can't ever remember seeing them hug or kiss and they very seldom hugged us, at least after I was old enough to remember.

As I look back now to times with our extended family, there were few hugs and kisses when we got together. To say it very simply, we were just not a "hugging" family. They were and are good people and most have done well. It was not until I married my wife however, that I began to realize how much I had missed. She came from a large family and they were "huggers" and openly demonstrated their love and affection for each other.

Today, our children are all grown and have families of their own. Now, when we are together I always "hug" each of my children and tell them how much I love them. What I have shared here is very personal, but if you have children or grandchildren I hope you will give each one a "hug" and tell them you love them. While teachers, friends and other people can do this, it's just not the same. They need it from "YOU" and they need it every day. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 857

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

IT’S TRUE – KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

The word passion is one that we hear quite often in our English language. It means, “Any intense, extreme, or over-powering emotion,” according to my trusty dictionary. As it relates to people, you show me a person who has a passion about something truly worthwhile, and I will show you a person who will get more done and often excel in the process. Such is the case for a group of male African-American students at Rivercrest High School in Wilson, Ark. These students became known as the Gentlemen of Knowledge, and there is a story behind this distinction that I want to tell you about it in this column.
Let me say up front that the information I am about to share will help minority students, especially African-American, all across our country. So tune me in, as it affects you whether you realize it or not. I will tell you how before I finish. This story begins at the end of the 2010 school year when the end-of-course literacy exam revealed that African-American juniors scored 31 percent and their white counterparts scored 64 percent. These scores are typical in many school districts across the nation. This was unacceptable to a teacher and an assistant principal, both white.
They decided to try a novel approach, asking the students, grade by grade, for their help in bridging the gap in test scores. All African-American students were interviewed in small groups. They were asked what the school district could do differently to make a difference. Educators wanted to know how to better reach members of this population, and it did happen. Just as important, a group of African-American male students were offended that minority students were falling behind their white peers, formed the Gentlemen of Knowledge to hold each other accountable, and to serve as examples for their fellow students of all races.
In one year, African-American scores on that end-of-course literacy exam rose 17 percentage points to 48 percent scoring proficiency. Educators expect more improvement in the current year. As a result of their success, the Gentlemen of Knowledge are making a name for themselves, and other school districts are following suit. They have even presented a session before 700 members of the Arkansas School Boards Association who were ready to carry them out on their shoulders after it was over. Meanwhile, the Gentlemen are solidifying and expanding their mission. They also started a service project to collect used shoes to benefit children in Kenya.
Membership requirements have been created that include a minimum 2.5 grade-point average, good behavior and demonstrated leadership. Here is what senior Terrian Tyler told the school boards association: “You pay more attention to what you do because you don’t want to get kicked out of the Gentlemen of Knowledge. I mean, this is where the cool kids are.” What is really exciting is that now a number of white students want to be in the group, and a group for young ladies is also being formed.
I am indebted to my friend, and fellow columnist, Steve Brawner, who has written two columns on this subject and for giving me permission to share portions with you. I mentioned earlier that I would tell you how this would help you. When minority students do well, they stay in school, and many go on to college and get a degree. They pay taxes and become successful, productive citizens. It’s true – Knowledge is Power. I don’t have to tell you what happens to many of them without an education, and we all pay the bill.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 852

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A UNIQUE GIFT-GIVING IDEA!

When you buy Christmas gifts, or gifts for other special occasions, do you ever get sick and tired of seeing labels that say “made in China” or some other foreign country? If you do, you are not alone, and some creative person came up with a unique solution to this dilemma that will benefit a lot of your fellow citizens and may even save you some money. As you may know, for the past several years our trade deficit has been growing, which is to say we have been importing a lot more goods from other countries than we have been exporting. This means that their economies are helped while ours suffers. The result is a lower standard of living for American citizens.
I am indebted to a loyal reader, Holly Baxter, who lives in Forrest City, Ark., and who shared this idea. She reads my column in the Times-Herald, where it has run since August 1996. Here is the gist of the idea. Instead of buying foreign-made products, Americans can give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. Rather than complaining that there is nothing to be found that is produced by American hands, you can find out that, yes, there is. And after reading this, I believe you will agree. It is time to think outside the box, and instead of buying a gift that needs to fit in a shirt box with Chinese-produced wrapping paper, consider these alternatives.
How about buying that special person a gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement. Who would not appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American-owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or book of gift certificates. Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down a pile of George Washingtons on a Chinese-made flat screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like to have his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at a local golf course.
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants all offering gift certificates, and if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery sort, what about a half-dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint? Remember, this is not about big national chains. This is about supporting your home-town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open. How many people couldn’t use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy? How about a heart-felt gift for mom? Mom would love the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
There is no limit to the number of things we can do for other people, and because most gifts of this nature are out of the ordinary, you will be a hit because you were so thoughtful. While I am sure you have gotten the idea a long time ago, I’ll give you just a few more, as one or two may be something you have not thought about before. Let’s say you are looking for something a little more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes. Plan your holiday outings at local, owner-operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre? Musicians need love, too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Well, I am about out of space, but I believe you will agree that this is really thinking outside the box and I am grateful that Holly cared enough to pass it along.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 856

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE POWER OF WORDS!

It has been said that we should keep our words soft and sweet because we never know which ones we will have to eat. To be sure, words are powerful. They can lift the spirits of a downcast human being to the heights of the tallest mountain, or they can crush the very life out of a person, much like a smoker who drops a cigarette butt to the pavement and extinguishes it with his heel. What brought these thoughts to mind was a short one-minute video clip a friend sent me in an e-mail a few days ago.
It began with a blind man sitting on the bottom step of a large building on the sidewalk of a very busy street. He had a soft blanket in front of him with a tin cup and a hand-lettered sign that read, “I am blind. Can you help me?” As the throng of people passed by, occasionally someone would throw a coin or two at the cup, usually missing, but landing on the soft blanket, whereupon the blind man would move his hand across the blanket slowly until he found it, and he would then place it in the cup.
Shortly, a well dressed lady stopped in front of him. As she stood there for a moment, he touched her shoes to identify her, and she then took his hand-lettered sign and moved on, without placing any money in his cup. She returned shortly with the sign and placed it where it had formerly been. She had taken his sign and changed the wording. Now, as people passed by, many would place numerous coins in his cup or on the blanket near him where they were easy to find. Soon, she came back and once more stood in front of him. He reached out and touched her shoes again and recognized her as the same person who had been there before.
The blind man said, “What does my sign say now?” She said, “It’s a beautiful day but I can’t see it.” Yes, words are powerful, and as this simple illustration points out, they can make all the difference in the world. Since I am a member of our local Lions Club, a part of the 44,000 clubs in more than 200 countries in Lions International, I would be remiss if I did not stress the importance of helping the blind, which is our primary objective. Like the poor blind man in the video clip, we also raise money to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.
In February 2012, we had a great fundraiser that is worthy to tell you about. In your community, assuming you have service organizations, you may want to do something similar. We recruited two legendary coaches and a former member of the Arkansas Razorback basketball team to coach our local team called the Toad Suck Lions. Our Lions team was made up of former players -- including three All-Americans -- to play the internationally famous Harlem Ambassadors in a benefit basketball game. The game was played at the Hendrix College Wellness Center, a $20 million facility. We had a great time for a great cause.
For my local readers, we hope to make this an annual event, and I want to encourage everyone in our community to attend future games and get involved to help the blind and visually impaired. When I thought about that poor blind man sitting on a step begging, I was reminded of a great organization we support called World Services for the Blind. This facility is located in Little Rock, Ark., and people come to WSB from all across the United States and several foreign countries to receive training to get and hold a job. WSB also helps to place those they have trained in gainful employment.
This is God’s work as He tells us to help the blind, the widows and the orphans.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 834

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

COOKING: A LOST ART!

My friend Milton Davis is a cartoonist featured each day in our local newspaper, as well as a number of others around the state. As it relates to my topic today, which is cooking, he had a cartoon awhile back that really hit the nail on the head. He has one of his fictional characters say, “My wife and I split the duties on cooking -- she calls it in and I go and pick it up.” There will be many in the younger generation who won’t know what I am talking about, but there was a day in our country when people, mostly women, actually cooked and prepared all of their meals in the home. However, today you have to hurry to get in the take-out line at McDonalds in order to make it back to work on time.
There are still many in our country today who long for the good old days and to have good, nutritious, home-cooked meals. In this respect, I have been tremendously blessed ever since I married my wife Viola, as she is an excellent cook. This reminds me of a day when I put my foot in my mouth. Soon after we married, we were attending a family reunion with mounds of food on picnic tables. I made the comment that Viola was the best cook I have ever known. Then I looked around and there sat my grandmother and my mother, who had fed me for all those years as I was growing up. I tried to salvage the moment by saying that what I meant is that she knew how to cook “fancy” dishes. But too late! Several months ago, as her Parkinson’s began to take an even bigger toll, I found myself having to buy the groceries and do the cooking, if I didn’t go and pick something up.
It was during these past few months that I have developed an even greater appreciation for the art of cooking, and if you are a veteran cook or even a beginner, I have an excellent resource for your consideration. I have a friend of several years by the name of Janis Mack, and she and her husband Ralph formerly owned a group of specialty shops, that included a good restaurant at Pickles Gap Village. This restaurant also included a fudge factory. It was hard to get out without having a sample.
In addition to being a fabulous cook, Janis is also a talented writer and has written four cookbooks, all with great recipes. Her favorite is titled, “All Day Singin’ and Dinner on The Ground.” This book also includes many memories of yester-year. At this point I would like to separate the wheat from the chaff. You will find many cookbooks around but not many that have good recipes plus the memories, photos, quotes and poems -- and the singing was special, too.
These were the times that many have called America’s greatest days. I make this statement based on the fact that people who lived back in these times reared a high percentage of the young men and women who went to war to preserve our nation’s freedom. Manners were still in vogue, along with being married before you lived together. Faith, family and country really meant something. Apart from the nostalgia and sentimental part of the book, you will find one great recipe after another that will make your mouth water.
A few of the offerings include: Pickled Okra, “Edna’s Sausage Cheese Dip”, Cranberry Punch, Strawberry Bread, Jan’s Fresh Apple Cake, Cowboy Cookies, Melt in your Mouth Chicken Pie, Tenderloin Deer Steak, Pinto Bean Pie and Hash Brown Potato Casserole. And that’s just scratching the surface. Janis still has a few of these cookbooks on hand. If you are interested, good cook or beginner, contact Janis Mack, 8 Southshore Lane, Conway, AR 72032.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 836

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HOW AMERICANS GET AHEAD!
Do you know how most people who start with virtually nothing get ahead financially in this country? Some time back I received an e-mail that will give you some insights. It begins, “To All My Valued Employees” and comes from a man by the name of Michael A. Crowley, PE.
I cannot verify the accuracy of this story but I can verify the truth of the principles it contains and the reason most of our nation’s wealth winds up in the hands of just a small percentage of our total population. This is the primary reason I wanted to share it with you.
He begins by saying, “Sure, you see my Mercedes outside. You’ve seen my big home at last year’s Christmas party. I’m sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don’t see is the back story. I started this company 12 years ago. At that time I lived in a 300-square-foot studio apartment for that years. My entire living space was converted into an office so I could put 100 percent effort into building a company, which by the way would eventually employ you.
“My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty foreign car with a defective transmission. I didn’t have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business – hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom’s for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn’t look like it was birthed in the 70s.” My comment here -- while there are other ways, this is how most Americans get ahead financially, and while we may not want to make the sacrifices, the opportunity sign is still out.
At this point, Michael A. Crowley makes some additional comments, again talking with his employees. “You, of course, only see the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations. You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I’ve made. Now the economy is falling apart and I, the guy who made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail out all the people who didn’t. I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don’t pay enough. I have state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes and payroll taxes, plus countless others. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then, guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it now occupy most of my time. On Oct. 15, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my ‘stimulus’ check was? Zero!”
Here is what we all need to consider. Who is stimulating the economy? This company owner, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves more than 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business, or the single mother sitting at home pregnant, with her fourth child, waiting for her next welfare check? Now, I will be the first to say there are all kinds of injustices and corporate greed in our nation, but the fact remains, the people with wealth provide jobs. I have never heard of a poor person providing someone else with a job, have you?
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 838

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

PUT HER IN CHARGE!
In these days of our nation’s downturn, it is thrilling and encouraging to read about someone who really gets it, especially if they are a member of the younger generation.
Such was the case in a terrific article a friend sent me a while back that was written by a 21-year-old female and appeared in the Waco (Texas) Tribune Herald on Nov. 18, 2010. This young person was worried about her future, and the following is her opinion and how she feels about the social welfare big government that she is being forced to live in! In her opinion, the following solutions are just common sense.
She begins by saying, “PUT ME IN CHARGE of food stamps. I’d get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho’s, just money for 50 pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.
“Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I’d do is get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we’ll test recipients for drugs, alcohol and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke, or get tats and piercings, then get a job. Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your ‘home’ will be subject to inspections any time and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and own your own place. In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a ‘government’ job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22-inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the common good.
“Before you write that I’ve violated someone’s rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say this would be
‘demeaning’ and ruin their ‘self esteem,’ consider that it was not that long ago that taking someone else’s money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem. If we are expected to pay for other people’s mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices. AND -- while you are on Government subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Government welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.”
That is the end of the article and, as I said in the beginning, it is rewarding to see someone from the younger generation who truly understands that it is their future that our government is hocking, as well as generations yet unborn. I would hope that everyone in the younger generation would come to the same conclusion. While not quite as radical, I share many of the same views but would be careful not to paint with a broad brush. There are millions of people in our country who would like to have a job and take care of their own needs and the needs of their family, but unfortunately there are millions of others who would not hit a lick at a snake if given the opportunity. One of the main problems, and the reason our nation has a $13 trillion-plus debt, is that we have set the safety net bar too high. When you can get just as much from the government, and not work, as you do working, you create dependency.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 840

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A CHALLENGE TO BECOME A ROLE MODEL!

The American Gen. Arthur G. Trudeau once said, “Character is the total of thousands of small daily strivings to live up to the best that is in us … the final decision to reject what is demeaning to oneself or to others and with confidence and honesty to choose the right.”
Contrary to what some would have us believe, character does still matter. In these days when it seems the whole world is going to hell in a hand basket, it is more vital than ever for those of us who understand this truth to have a speaking part in the play.
If you are a faithful reader, you know that I have never claimed to be perfect, but rather just a sinner who has been saved by God’s amazing grace. If you will really tune me in, I have some thoughts to share that could make a real difference in the lives of countless people in the coming months and years.
I would like to issue a challenge to everyone that will read this column to become a role model, if you are not already one. This is to say an example that others can look up to and have a desire to pattern their lives after. We can begin with the simple premise that a better world begins with you and me. We should also understand that we don’t have to tear others down to build ourselves up.
In case you are not sure, or do not fully understand what I am talking about, a role model is a person others look up to. The key word here is “up,” as we are talking about winners in the game of life and not losers. It is also important to understand that, regardless of our mistakes and sins of the past, we can make a fresh start in the confidence that over time we can make a real difference. Let’s face it, we can’t do anything about the past -- it is gone forever. However, we can try to make amends to those we may have wronged in some way. If you owe them money, pay it back. If you have offended someone, say, “I’m sorry, will you forgive me?”
At this point I would like to list a few qualities that a role model should have at the very core of their lives. What I am talking about applies to both men and women. It’s a proven fact that the people who have had the most influence on our lives are our parents. I am truly amazed at the vast numbers of parents who cannot figure out why their children later get in trouble and do not turn out to be productive and successful human beings. The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
To be a good role model, consider these qualities.1. Honesty: to be honest with others we must first be honest with ourselves. Are you basically an honest person? 2. Truthful: When we don’t tell the truth, we are building our lives on sand, and it will not stand. 3. Responsible: What we should understand is there is no free lunch. Someone must pick up the check and winners and role models pick it up more than their share. 4. Kindness: Every good role model has a spirit of kindness as they are grateful for what others have done for them. 5. Compassion: We should have compassion for others when they are hurting, and this includes animals. We may need to give some people a hand-out before we can give them a hand-up. 6. Consistent: Without fanfare, be fair and consistent in our dealings with others. Most of us dislike a wishy-washy person who cannot make up their mind. 7. Be a Hard Worker: It is easier for most of us to out-work people that to out-smart them. 8. High Moral and Ethical Standards: It is our dealings and what others see in our lives that help them decide if we are a role model they can look up to and follow.
I believe you’ll agree that good role models possess these qualities. How do you stack up?
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 842

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE LEGACY OF MILTON HERSHEY

If you have ever eaten and enjoyed a delicious Hershey milk chocolate bar, you may not know, as the late Paul Harvey used to say, “The Rest of The Story.” Over the years I certainly haven eaten my share of these delicious chocolate bars, including the Hershey Kiss, but I did not know the amazing story of Milton S. Hershey, the founder of these products.
Thanks to my good friends Dr. Bill and Jonnie Bounds, who made a stop on a recent tour in the community where the factory is located and brought me some literature, I know more now than I did, and I am honored to pass it along.
Before I share a small portion of his story, I would like to offer this observation. If you will do some research on the truly successful people in our nation, past and present, you will find they failed many times before they succeeded. Such was the case for Milton S. Hershey (1857-1945). He made his fortune through dogged persistence and the courage to pursue a dream. Though he was modest and unassuming in appearance — not the sort you would pick out of a crowd -- he was a shrewd and determined businessman. He had a genius for timing and an instinctive ability to choose loyal and able people to help him. This is crucial.
Mr. Hershey was born shortly before the American Civil War on a farm in central Pennsylvania. He had little formal schooling. He attended several schools, as his family moved from their original home in Lancaster County, but his mother did not seem to emphasize learning. This was because she felt books were her husband’s downfall, and she did not want books to ruin her son. Although Hershey became successful without the benefit of a good education, the fact is that later on he insisted the boys in the school he founded would have a “sound” education. This left the impression that he felt the lack of it himself.
At first it seemed that Milton had no more talent for business than his father. He failed in numerous ventures before he finally succeed in making caramel candy. By then he was almost 40 years old. Later he would learn that the secret to making really good candy was a source of good milk, and the Pennsylvania countryside provided dairy products that would fill the bill. The success of his caramel business enabled Mr. Hershey, for the first time in his life, to spend money for his own pleasure. In 1898, Milton Hershey, now over 40, astounded everyone by marrying Catherine Sweeney, a beautiful Irish Catholic girl from New York State. They made a great team and she brought culture into their marriage that would bring much happiness to him.
Caramels gave Mr. Hershey his first million, but chocolate would later give him his fortune. His first taste of it came on a visit to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where he became fascinated by a set of German chocolate-making machinery. He bought the equipment and had it installed in Lancaster, where he began producing his own chocolate –114 varieties in all. The rest is history. He would later purchase a large block of Central Pennsylvania countryside, where he founded the town of Hershey, and would provide everything he needed for a factory: a plentiful water supply, fresh milk, and hard workers.
What I have just shared is how the Hershey name became synonymous with the best chocolate on the planet but that is only part of the story. He also founded the Milton Hershey School, where today more than 1,800 boys and girls K-12 who qualify, receive a free quality education. For more information, call 1-800-322-3248.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 844

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ONE KID AT A TIME!

Someone once said that children are natural mimics -- they act like their parents in spite of every attempt to teach them good manners. Children, sometimes called kids, are the centerpiece of millions of homes in our nation. In America, the value we place on children, and life, is far greater than the rest of the world’s population. In fact, the sanctity of life is at the very heart of who we are as a people. Most parents would do anything to help their children succeed, but often fail to help them develop a love for the most basic skill of all, and that is to teach them to read – to read well and to develop the joy of reading. In view of our ranking in the world’s educational standing, there is plenty of work to be done.
The most vulnerable of all of our nation’s children are those being reared in low-income homes, as most do not have any books for them to read, even if they had a desire to read. This is the basis and purpose of our Bookcase for Every Child project that we started here in Conway back in 2005. At our next awards ceremony, we will present 50 more bookcases and a starter set of books, and this will bring the total to 400 children who will have their very own personalized bookcase and some books. Our story was told in a front-page feature article in the American Profile magazine in August 2011. Since this publication has a readership of more than 10 million, we got wide national exposure. The front cover contained a photo of a child standing beside her bookcase with the words A Bookcase for Every Child: Arkansas town promotes literacy one kid at a time.
As a result of this article, I am pleased to tell you that our bookcase family is growing. After all the local organization for the project is done, we provide seed money and a set of bookcase plans to help them get started. We now have projects either up and running or getting organized to start in Conway, Wynne, Greenbrier, Mayflower and El Dorado in Arkansas; Cleveland and Delaware County (Jay) in Oklahoma; DeKalb, Ill.; and Ashland, Ohio. My point is simply this: As these new projects get going, it will also be “One Kid at a Time.” It is hard for some people to understand why we don’t use any grant money. If money would solve the problem of illiteracy, we would not be where we are in the world standings because we have spent billions of dollars on education. Of course you can never get an education if you can’t read.
While money is necessary to fund our schools and colleges, we don’t need much money because our project is all about giving back. We just need enough money to buy the wood and supplies to build the bookcases. That’s it. We need parents to read to their children, and buy them good books. We need communities who will place a high priority on academics.
Let me show you how God works. We have a wonderful lady over in Oklahoma who is doing a great job getting a project organized. She told me she was having a hard time getting a particular school superintendent on board. She said she had been to see him several times but without success. She said her next move was to attend a school board meeting and make her case there. Then, this superintendent saw a feature on a Tulsa television station about a project that was taking place in another community. He later said to her, “Is this the project you have been trying to tell me about?” She said, “Yes, it is.” He went on to say, “I am going to get all the superintendents in the county here in my office and I want you to come and tell us about it.”
You may say this was luck or providence, but I say, this is how God works.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 846

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DON’T ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT!

One thing I never like to hear is someone calling another person an idiot. According to the dictionary, the word “idiot” means “A person exhibiting mental deficiency in the most severe form.” I am just not comfortable with this word because it has a way of demeaning others, and I never want to put anyone else down because we are all created in God’s image. Besides, what is one man’s trash is another’s treasure. I used the word idiot in the title of this column because a friend sent me something that had an unusual twist, and it seemed to be the perfect way to introduce you to a new word, at least for me, that was most interesting. The word is Paraprosdokian.
While you may be ahead of me here, I believe most people would say, “What is a Paraprosdokian?” In simple language, it is a sentence that consists of two parts. The first part is a figure of speech, and the second is an intriguing variation of the first. Paraprosdokians are little known by the general public, but well understood by satirists. These are used typically for humorous or dramatic effect. What follows is a list of some of the most common or widely used Paraprosdokians. It has been reported that Winston Churchill loved them. Here is one of his favorites. “Where there is a will, I want to be in it.” Of course the traditional saying would be “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
Now that you have the gist of the idea, let me continue with a number of others: First, here is the title line, “Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.” “The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But, it is still on my list.” “Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.” “If I agreed with you, we would both be wrong.” “We never really grow up - we only learn how to act in public.” “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.” Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
I might pause here a moment and say that I hope this is expanding your mind a bit, I know it is mine. Here are several others and some you might be able to use in conversation or in your writing. Of course the key to success is knowing when and how to use them.
“Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good Evening’ and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.” “To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.” “A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a work station.”
“I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.” “Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, ‘In case of emergency, notify’ I put a DOCTOR.” “I did not say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.” “Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a big gut, and still think they are sexy.” “Behind every successful man is a woman. Behind the fall of every successful man is usually another woman.” “A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.” “You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.”
“Money can’t buy happiness, but it makes misery easier to live with.” “There is a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can’t get away.” “You’re never too old to learn something stupid.” “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.”
Here is some straight talk. Have a great day.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 848

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

CANNED SOUP OR CHEMICAL STEW?

While it won’t make the canned soup people happy, here is some information I ran across that has caused me to reconsider my soup eating habits.
In an article by Leah Zerbe, titled “The Truth About Canned Soup,” she outlines several reasons why eating soup out of a can is, at best, risky business. Ms. Zerbe is well qualified, as she is the online editor for Rodale Inc., the world’s largest multimedia publisher of advice and information about health, wellness and the environment, and the largest independent book publisher in the United States.
In her article she talks about BPA, something I had never heard of, but is a chemical used in cash-register receipts and some plastics, but also in the epoxy resin liner of most metal cans. The bummer? It’s most likely leaching into your favorite soup, exposing you to the synthetic estrogen-like substance that has been linked to obesity, breast and prostate cancers, and aggression and other behavioral problems in young girls. The amounts of BPA used in cans varies drastically, but an alarming new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association suggests we are ingesting dangerous levels in the hormone-mimicking chemical when we eat soup even once a day.
The study’s authors asked some participants to eat Progresso soup for lunch five days a week, while others ate homemade soup. All of the canned soup eaters had detectable levels of BPA in their urine at the end of the experiment. What’s even more striking is the amount of the chemical detected after downing a can of soup once a day for five days. Compared to those eating fresh soup, the group eating canned soup saw BPA levels jump more than 1,000 percent. Dr. Laura Vandenberg, a postdoctoral fellow of biology at the Center for Developmental and Regenerative Biology at Tufts University in Massachusetts, added that the huge spike in BPA seen after eating canned soup is “unlike anything we have ever seen.” The levels are shocking.
While there is more that I don’t have space to share with you, here is something of a more general nature that we should all know. As our food system becomes more industrialized, more and more farm chemicals are winding up not just on our food but also in the food we eat. Within the last 20 years, chemical farmers have overwhelmingly adopted genetically modified seeds, or GMOs, for crops like corn and soy, two common ingredients in canned soup. These seeds have been genetically engineered to withstand heavy sprayings of Roundup, and when that happens, the pesticide is absorbed by the plant and winds up in your food.
Roundup is used so heavily, in fact, that scientists recently detected it in rain. Constant low-level exposure to the pesticide can cause obesity, heart problems, circulation problems and diabetes, says Dr. Warren Porter, professor of environmental toxicity and zoology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The article concludes with some healthy soup tips, namely how to make good homemade soup, which is by far the safest kind. When you do make homemade soup, start with homemade stock. Like soup, it’s a lot easier to make than you realize.
“Many stores sell chicken backs and necks for pennies a pound and, if not, a few pounds of whole chicken wings makes a particularly rich stock.” The bottom line is simply this: Soup is a great food and it’s really a matter of whether you prepare it yourself or get it from a can.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 850

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DO YOUR KIDS MISBEHAVE?

Do you have any idea what it costs to rear a child in today’s society? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a middle-income family with a child born in 2007 will pay a tidy sum of $204,060 to care for that child until his or her 18th birthday. Since we have had mostly low inflation since that time, I am confident that figure today would still be pretty accurate. For a middle-income, two-parent, two-child family, expenses for one child ranged from $10, 930 to $12,030 per year, depending on the age of the child, with expenditures on teenagers being the highest.
From my own perspective, every child is precious in God’s eyes and there is no way we could ever put a dollar figure on the worth and value of any one of them. However, as parents we want to rear our children in a way they turn out to be happy, well adjusted, successful and productive human beings. One way to measure whether or not we have succeeded is how they behave in private and in the public square, the latter being where others can see how they conduct themselves. Again, this does not determine their worth or value, but it does let others see if we have done a good job, at least in this area of life.
Along these lines, sometime back I discovered a neat program that is designed to help parents enhance their relationship with their children. Since children will be taught behavior values in school, this program is designed to help parents to be consistent at home with many of the same techniques used in the school setting. This program is for children, ages 3-10, and is called Behavior-onics, a rewards-based program that provides parents with positive disciplinary tools for the home that are the same as those used in school. With this unique program you will be able to create a consistent discipline system throughout your child’s day.
Further, Behavior-onics is designed to enhance your relationship with your child and to better prepare them for school and life. One of the essential elements of Behavior-onics is its basis in authoritative-discipline style. Recent studies have shown that children who grow up in a predominately authoritative-discipline environment have a greater chance of scoring higher on achievement tests, have better vocabulary skills, and have fewer discipline problems. Additional benefits include opportunities to engage in expressive language, higher confidence levels, foster logical thought, elaboration of concept, and higher-level thinking skills.
One of the reasons Behavior-onics is so effective is that it was developed by educators who are also parents. Here is what Jenny Carpenter, kindergarten teacher and a user of the program, has to say about it: “Often times parents ask pre-school, head-start and kindergarten teachers like myself, ‘What we can do to help our child succeed in school?’ Now, I have a tool that actually has resources that parents can physically use at home with their children. Behavior-onics is not just a pamphlet but a program with tangible, professionally developed materials that parents will use with their children each day.”
The cost of Behavior-onics is $28 and includes a DVD, We Track Together Board with dry erase marker, We Play Together Book and We Talk Together Calendar. Going back to what I said earlier, if you have young children, when you consider the cost of rearing a child in today’s times, this could be a great investment in your child’s future. It can be ordered from their web site: www.behavior-onics.com.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 853

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

GET RID OF THE CLUTTER!

Do you know what happens when you point a finger at someone? If you will look closely you will see there are three pointing back at you. This is my way of saying that what I am going to share with you in this column will apply as much, or maybe more, to me than anyone else who will read it. I am going to talk with you about getting rid of the clutter in our lives, which will result in having more time to do those things that are more important, because time is one of the most important resources we have.
For me, the awareness of clutter has come about as I find myself battling the time factor due to my wife Viola’s Parkinson’s disease that she has had for the past 17 years. She is a real trooper, and a very strong woman, but the Parkinson’s is beginning to win, as we inevitably knew that it would. Several months ago she went to a local nursing home for physical therapy and it helped some, but soon we found ourselves back home. While I have a wonderful lady who helps care for her during the week, I am her primary care-giver. She is now in Hospice and we take life one day at a time and cherish each moment that we can share together.
The setting where I find myself, and I would not have it any other way, is more pressure on my time than I have ever had in my life. As a busy person with an active lifestyle, I was already committed to so many things that had to continue or I would let others down and I just did not want to do that. Of course, I have to continue to write this column or I am out of business. Our Bookcase for Every Child project has really taken off and we now have 10 projects going in five states, and this requires some of my time. We have a great project in our Lions Club that I am leading and it’s very important that it be successful. My fellow Lions are counting on me.
There are other pressures as well that I won’t take time to list here. Be that as it may, my wife is, and always has been, my first priority and I just try to keep the others going as best I can. Here is the “meat of the coconut” or the rest of the story. All of this means that I must be very efficient or it will swamp me. I pay our bills, buy all the groceries, do the cooking, run the dish washer and washing machine and run our home as best I can. Both of our freezers were full of things and the refrigerator had things in the back of some shelves that had not been cleaned out in months.
One of the first things I did was inventory all the food in the house and made up a chart with 16 different meals that I could prepare. This helped me make up a grocery list each week. I threw away everything that was no longer good, and went about eating or using everything that was good instead of buying more stuff to eat, when there was still plenty on hand. It took two to three weeks but I began to see progress and it was amazing how much better I could function without having to dig through all the clutter every week. In time, I am going through my closet and storage building to do the same thing. About 80 percent of my clothes and shoes I never wear, so I am going to give them to our church food pantry or some other agency where they can be put to good use.
Now, I realize the nature of this column has been personal and everyone’s situation is different, but I just wanted to share the benefits of what I have learned when my time really became a premium. What I learned is that when we don’t get bogged down with all the stuff and junk that serves no useful purpose, we are much better off to get rid of the clutter.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 183
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE DAY "THEY" WAS BURIED

Over the past several months I have received literally hundreds of comments, phone calls and letters from our readers, but a 'first' came in the mail a few weeks ago. I got a talking letter on cassette from Major Robert Cook, (U.S. Marines, Ret.), who lives in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. He had just read my column "The Why Don't They Syndrome" in the Sunday Edition of the Hot Springs Sentinel Record.

This column reminded him of a real life experience that happened back in 1960 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He began by swearing on a stack of Bibles that it was a true story and when I listened to it, it was hilarious and it also contained a worthwhile message that will benefit all of us .

At the time, then Captain Cook has just been assigned Company Commander of an H & S company of an H & S Battalion. When he reported for duty he learned that one of the platoons in his company was a utility platoon and he said these people were more or less engineers, as they maintained and operated dump trucks, road graders, cranes, bull-dozers and other heavy equipment. The platoon commander was a Warrant Officer by the name of George Herman and Captain Cook called him up and said that he would like to come out and see what he had.

They agreed to meet the next morning at 9:00 O'clock and as they sitting there drinking coffee, Robert looked out the window and saw a fresh grave. This grave was complete with fresh flowers and a hand carved wooden headmarker that said "THEY." Robert said he knew that back in 1941 when Camp Lejeune was built they had uprooted several family cemeteries and had moved them to a central location down near Jacksonville, North Carolina. When he first saw this grave he thought they had missed one. At this point he asked George Herman, "What's this all about?" George said, "Come outside and I will show you." When they arrived at the grave site, he went on to say, "Captain, when I first got here, every____ time something went wrong and I would ask some PFC., Corporal or Sergeant what happened, they would respond by saying, "Well, "They" told me to do it this way or "They" did this or "They" did that. Well, I finally got tired of it and decided "THEY" was going to be buried.
So, I got the carpenter shop to build a coffin. We also secured a mannequin (he obviously didn't want to tell me where he got it), and one of the Marines carved the wooden headmarker. I also got a local florist to provide the flowers, and we "big timed" the Second Division Marine Band to provide a bugler. Then I had a detail of men to dig a regulation grave, 6 ft. long, 2 ft. wide and 6 ft. deep.
As he continued to speak he pointed to a nearby shed and said, "We assembled at that shed over there and I had the Base Chaplain say a few appropriate words and when the service was over, the six Marines who served as pall bearers carried the coffin and laid it in the grave. As another detail of men covered the grave, the bugler played Taps and it was a very touching and moving service. He said, "I guess the hardest part was keeping a straight face."
After it was over, George Herman told all of his men, "I don't ever want any of you to say "They" did this or "They" did that because "They" is dead and is buried right here in this grave." I would just like to say a word of thanks to Major Robert Cook for putting it "ON THERE" and sharing this true story. It does contain a valuable lesson for each of us. We can all be a little more definitive and the next time you are tempted to say "They" just remember "They" is dead and is buried over in Camp Lejune, North Carolina. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 185

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE LAW OF SELF-PITY

The old Roman philosopher and playwright Lucius Annaeus Seneca once said, "Pity is a mental illness induced by the spectacle of other people's misery." Who among us in this prosperous land we call America has not felt pity on the hordes of humanity who have been driven from their homes, raped and pillaged by thugs and villains who were stronger and more powerful? This is a spectacle we have seen far too often in the past several years and my heart always goes out to these people, especially the innocent who are simply caught in the middle. While there is little I can do about it, save pray for them and give my blessings for a portion of my tax money to be used in an attempt to alleviate their suffering. In short, I have pity on these people. I have often said, "There but for the Grace Of God, go I."

It's a natural human emotion to have pity for others who are downcast, but it can be a very destructive emotion if and when that pity is directed toward ourselves. This is known as self-pity and we all know people who live there every day of their lives. It's been said that an honest confession is good for the soul and I want to say up front that there have been times when I have also had myself a little pity party. These times came along when I had worked hard and didn't get the promotion or breaks that I thought I deserved and things were not going my way. Along about here I began to feel sorry for myself. Have you been there too?

To be sure, none of us likes to be around a constant complainer or whiner and fortunately my few excursions into the pit of self-pity have not been too deep or lasted too long. I might add, this was years ago because I have since matured and learned to take full responsibility for my actions. If I want things to be better in my life, with God's help, it's up to me to make it better.

Over the past several months I have discussed a number of "Natural Laws" in my column and remember, a natural law is a series of events in nature that have been observed to occur with unvarying uniformity. In other words, given the same exact circumstances, the outcome or result will always be the same. A "Success Law" on the other hand is a positive application of a natural law, so as to use it to our advantage. That is, to help us become happier and more successful.

When and if self-pity strikes you, here is what I hope you will remember. The feeling of self-pity is often born out of paying too much attention to what we don't have, rather than being grateful for what we do have. If the legendary blind Helen Keller could say, "self-pity is our worst enemy", who are we to give it the time of day? In the course of our daily activities here is what we should always keep in mind. First, we should always be aware of the destructive emotion of self-pity. It's an internal sore by which the human personality is immobilized, but it can be cured by right thoughts and working constantly to achieve something worthwhile. The only way we can overcome self-pity is to take our thoughts off ourselves and our problems and begin to think about others and how we can help or serve them in some way.

It's true, self-pity is a very expensive emotion and one that we can certainly do without. This may be a trite and overworked story but it still makes a very valid point. There was a man who felt sorry for himself because he had no shoes and then he saw a man who had no feet. If by chance along about now you are having a pity-party about something, lace up your boots, put a smile on your face and start looking for something you can do for someone else. You will find that your self-pity will evaporate like the dew on a spring morning. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 187

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HAS "BINGE DRINKING" BECOME EPIDEMIC?

Several weeks ago I was sitting on an airplane approaching the Detroit International Airport and due to heavy traffic our plane had to circle a number of times. While maneuvering to get into position to land, the plane made a number of banks and sharp turns that make it a little uncomfortable for me. In fact when I fly on an airplane I never do put all my weight down on it. As I sat there I was reminded of the story of this man and his wife who were at a small air strip watching this stunt pilot perform all types of flying routines, dives, flips, loops, upside down and stalls. All in all it was quite a show.

When the stunt pilot landed the plane, this fella went over to him and said, "you know, that must be fun. I've always wondered what it would be like to fly because I have never flown in a plane in my life." The pilot said, "I tell you what. I'll take you and your wife up and furthermore if you can ride with me for 30 minutes without screaming, hollering or saying anything, I'll give you $5.00." This fella said, "you're on." Well, they took off and as they say, this stunt pilot let it "all hang out" in an attempt to make this fella say something. He performed every routine he knew and then some. After 30 minutes the pilot landed the plane and after they got out, he said to this fella, "You are the best I have ever seen. Here is your $5.00." This fella said, "you know, that was the hardest $5.00 I ever earned in my life. I almost said something...when my wife fell out."

In relation to flying I have a number of friends who own small planes and love to fly but I never became interested in flying for a very good reason. Earlier in my life, before I married my wife, I used to take trips in my car and would often be running on fumes before I would stop for gas. In fact, I have run out a few times and had to hitch a ride or walk to a gas station. Using this logic, I knew that I didn't want to run out of gas in an airplane in the middle of nowhere. As I said, this was back in the old days before my wife changed some of my habits. Now, when we get below half a tank, she says, "we had better get some gas." After hearing this a hundred times, I finally found out that this was the best way, even when she was not along. The point I'm making is that changing our habits is not easy but it can be done. The joy for me is that my wonderful wife has not only helped me in this way but in other areas of my life as well.

Now, this question please. Do you have people in your life that are helping you change some of your unproductive habits? While I'm not judging people who do things like drinking, gambling, smoking, lying, cheating and stealing, one or more of these habits can become very destructive. For example, drinking can start off as an occasional one or two, and escalate to three or four and then to "binge drinking." Can the state of being an alcoholic be far behind? A while back we had Dr. John White, Chancellor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, speak to our local Lions Club. He was really a fine speaker and one of the things he talked about was the subject of "binge drinking" at many of our nation's colleges and universities. He stated that a number of college presidents had told him that this was one of the most serious problems they faced at their school.

As a non-drinker, it's hard for me to relate to this, but as it relates to the American people, here is a question we should ask ourselves. Has "binge drinking" become epidemic? What's the answer? If you have the need, why not find someone like my wife to help you break the habit. Of course it's not that simple but it's tragic when you think of all the lives that are destroyed. If this is your problem, get some help. Your life is far too prescious to waste and every human being has great value. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 BentleyDrive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 189

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

"JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM"

As I begin this day I feel so blessed. When I came to the office this morning I had a fax from Dreyers Grand Ice Cream, located in Oakland, California. A representative from the company was inviting me to do an interview with John Harrison, Dreyer's Official Taster, whose tastebuds are insured for a cool one million dollars. Mr. Harrison has tasted more than 183 million gallons of ice cream during his lifetime and he has invented a few himself such as Cookies N' Cream, French Silk and Chocolate Fudge Mousse.

This fax is one of several I am now getting each week because someone placed my name on a mailing list as a General Columnist. I don't know who or where but the range of topics pretty well covers the water front. Some are very interesting and I think very worthy and a few are a little humorous. For example, a while back I got a fax inviting me to attend a conference in Bainbridge, Georgia to save the Red Cockaded Woodpecker. Not to say that this is not worthwhile but it's a little out of my league.

In this same vein I got a fax recently from Martha Kiley, a publicist for The World Almanac and Book Of Facts, located in East Hampton, New York. Because this seemed to be something I could use, I gave Ms. Kiley a call and she agreed to send me a preview copy. I can tell you truthfully that this book is wonderful and every home, organization and business in America should have a copy. To quote the American Library Association, "For the most information in one source, The World Almanac remains the champion." There are over one thousand pages of small type in this one volume and it contains facts and other information we can use in some way almost every day of our lives.

When I saw the title of this work, it reminded me of the old television series, now reruns, called "Dragnet." I can still see and hear Jack Webb, as Sergeant Joe Friday saying, "Just the facts Ma'am, just the facts." To continue, we have all heard someone say, "you need to get your facts straight or it helps to have the facts." Better still is the line, "Don't confuse me with the facts, I've already made up my mind."

Whether your motive is to dazzle your friends or to make sure what you say or write is accurate, The World Almanac and Book Of Facts could be a very valuable resource. Since I'm a basketball fan, one of the ways I was able to use it during "March Madness" was to look up some of the lesser known teams who were invited to the "Big Dance." I had no idea where many of the smaller schools like Iona, Gonzaga, Coppin State and Saint Mary's were located.

The latter was not in this particular tournament but it was interesting to note that their are two Saint Mary's Colleges. One is located in Los Angeles, California and the other in Newburgh, New York. The only difference is the spelling of the word Saint. The Los Angeles school uses the abreviated "St." In addition to the location of each college and university you will find the year it was founded, the enrollment, number of faculty members, tuition and fees and the cost of room and board is also given.

What I've given you is just a small sample. Regardless of the topic, whether it's mountains, seas, flags, politics, sports, population, health, education, environment, geography, the Internet and multitudes of other topics, you will find it here. The paperback cost is only $10.95 and is distributed by St. Martin's Press. Your local bookstore should have it or they can get it for you. I would like to leave you with this quote from Carl Ackerman, "Facts, when combined with ideas, constitute the greatest force in the world." (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 191

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE "NOT" RAISING HOGS BUSINESS

The Scottish Essayist, Historian and Philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) once said, "Government is the exact symbol of its people, with their wisdom and unwisdom." Personally I am grateful for our nation's forefathers who had the wisdom to establish a Republic with its built-in checks and balances. What they envisioned and developed has served us well as we have chartered a course and made our way through choppy seas to become the most powerful nation on earth.

To be sure, our nation faces challenges today that our forefathers never dreamed we would have and I'm not absolutely sure our modern day politicians are equal to the task. When a Nation's economy becomes as large as ours, there is plenty of 'wiggle' room and that's a big part of the problem. Many politicians do what's best for them and not what's best for America.

Along these lines I got something in the mail the other day that would have been funny if it had not been so close to the truth. It was a letter addressed to the Honorable Secretary Of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. It begins: "Dear Sir, My friend, Ed Peterson, over at Wells, Iowa, received a check for $1000 from the government for not raising hogs. So, I want to go into the not raising hogs business next year.

What I want to know is, in your opinion, what is the best kind of farm not to raise hogs on, and what is the best breed of hogs not to raise? I want to be sure that I approach this endeavor in keeping with all government policies. I would prefer not to raise razorbacks (Ouch!!), but if that is not a good breed not to raise, then I will just as gladly not raise Yorkshires or Durocs. As I see it, the hardest part of this program will be in keeping an accurate inventory of how many hogs I haven't raised.

My friend, Peterson, is very joyful about the future of the business. He has been raising hogs for 20 years or so, and the best he ever made on them was $422.00 in 1987, until this year when he got a check for $1,000 for not raising hogs. If I get $1,000 for not raising 50 hogs, will I get $2,000 for not raising 100 hogs? I plan to operate on a small scale at first, holding myself down to about 4,000 hogs not raised, which will mean about $80,000 the first year. Then I can afford an airplane.

Now another thing. These hogs I will not raise will not eat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that you also pay farmers for not raising corn and wheat. Will I qualify for payments for not raising wheat and corn not to feed the 4,000 hogs I am not going to raise? I want to get started as soon as possible as this seems to be a good time of the year not to raise hogs and grain. Also, I am considering the not milking cow business, so send me any information on that too.

In view of these circumstances, you understand that I will be totally unemployed and plan to file for unemployment and food stamps. Be assured that you will have my vote in the coming election. Patriotically Yours, Freddie Freeloader P.S. would you please notify me when you plan to distribute more free cheese?"

I'm back. In all seriousness, I know that it may be necessary to subsidize certain products to enable producers to compete in a world economy. What really gets us out of whack is when our national leaders use what we produce for political purposes, as in "be nice" and we will give you a billion dollars. The real losers here are the American consumers because that billion dollars is passed along to all of us in the form of higher prices. At the very least, this story should give all of us something to think about. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 73032.)

No. 194

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

PROFILE OF A DREAM TEAM

It's a wonderful feeling to wake up each day and to be thankful to God that you have so many friends. Two of my friends, Dave and Pat Engle are faithful readers of my column and they have written to me a good number of times over the years. Dave calls himself an old retired contractor from "Philly," meaning Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each time they write they also send along some food for thought and it's always good.

Up till now, I've not been able to find a spot for any of it in my column but today is the exception. In Dave's last letter he sent me something titled "Profile Of A Dream Team." It is by an unknown author and is circa 1970-1971. It's fantastic and regardless of where you are in life or what you do, I think you'll find some ideas here that you can use. You may have to ponder it a bit, but at least that's my heart's desire.

When I first saw the title, "Profile Of A Dream Team," it reminded me of the 1992 Olympics. This was the first year the U.S. Olympic Committee decided to use professional basketball players in the games. After all, this was certainly in order, because most of the other countries have been using them for years. Because of the level of talent the committee assembled, names like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Reggie Miller and Hakeem Olajuwon, they became known as the "Dream Team." This was very fitting because they were never challenged and as expected, they won the Olympic Gold and lived up to the label they were given as the "Dream Team", the best in the world.

But back to that "Profile" that David Engle sent me. The key word here is 'team' which means two or more and this concept can be applied to any team, whether it's a family, a civic club, an agency of government, a sports team, a racing team and especially a business team where employees must work together for the business to succeed. If you have ever worked for a business that went under, you'll appreciate even more what I am saying. What I hope you will do is focus on what I'm about to give you, and even type it up, put it on the wall or the refrigerator and even make copies and disseminate them to your employees.

Without further comment, here is "The Profile Of A Dream Team": Works toward a common goal, Develops its members skills, Efficiently uses its time and talents, Embraces the diversity of its members, Is committed to continuous improvement, Builds morale internally, Performs effectively and produces results, Accepts praise and criticism, Cooperates rather than competes, Maintains a positive attitude toward everyone's ideas, Stays on task, Uses resources wisely, Communicates openly, Teaches and learns from one another, Resolves conflicts effectively, Welcomes challenges, Shares pride in its accomplishments and Celebrates successes!!

Now granted, that's a lot of words, but I will guarantee that if you will go back to the beginning, read it again, think it through and go logically from one point to the next, you will have an agenda that can't miss. Believe me, success and achievement is no accident. It comes from setting goals, developing short and long range plans and the constant up-grade and improvement of all the individual members of the team. A word of caution here. Don't ever overlook the janitor, bus driver, receptionist, clerk, waitress and others in lower paying positions. These people are some of the most important people in the organization and they should be treated this way. What do you think would happen in your neighborhood if the garbage collector didn't come by for a few weeks? Thanks David, I appreciate your sharing "Profile Of A Dream Team" and hope our readers do, too. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR , AR 72034.)

No. 196

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A CLARION CALL TO ALL AMERICANS

The English Poet William Blake (1757-1827) once said, Inspiration is to see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wildflower; hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. If you have ever truly been inspired by something, you will more fully comprehend what I am going to share here. On June 29th of this past year I completed my term as President of the Conway Noon Lions Club. I have been privileged to serve with some of the finest men and women I have ever known and they have been a great inspiration to me. From the standpoint of community service, this has been the most rewarding year of my entire life. At the conclusion of our Installation Banquet, the club presented me with a plaque as a Melvin Jones Fellow, the highest award in Lionism. I shall forever be grateful to them for honoring me in this way.

My greatest inspiration came a few months earlier however, when I viewed a video titled, The Future Is Ours...So Now What that was produced by Lions International as a way to get more young people involved in volunteerism. The setting for this video was in the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Baltimore and Chicago. Because of all the negative things we hear about inner city youth, it was such a thrill to see young men and young women performing various acts of love and kindness. From meals on wheels to hospital visits, interaction with senior citizens and even a project to clean up the environment.

One young man truly inspired me when he said, During our lives we have the choice to perform positive acts or negative acts and I want to perform as many positive acts as I can. When I heard this I said to myself, Thats it. Thats the key to solving many of our massive social and economic problems. If the vast majority of our citizens would consistently perform positive acts most of our problems, over time would be solved. The reason this is possible is because the human mind cannot exist in a vaccum.

Now permit me to to digress for just a moment. In my mind I can see an army of volunteers all across our great country who are committed to performing positive acts for their own benefit as well as others. While we all have the power to change for the better, what we need is people who have excellent character, high moral standards and a genuine love and concern for their fellow human beings. Please understand these positive acts can be carried out in any forum. I have a deep respect for all civic and humanitarian organizations who are involved in projects to help the less fortunate and those who really need our help.

If you agree with what Im saying I want to ask you to drop me a note and let me know that you are committed to being a part of this great volunteer army that can make a real difference in the future of our nation. Certainly your note will encourage me but it will also crystallize your thinking and be a reminder in the months and years to come. If you will take time and do this I will promise you three things. First, I will never ask you for money. Next, I will never try to sell you anything and lastly. I will never (I repeat never) give your name to someone for a mailing list.

My only motive is to leave behind a better country in the future for my kids and grandkids and for those you love as well. In the future when you see someone who is a living example of what Im saying, send me their story and Ill share some of these in a future column. In the final analysis, We The People still have the power, and if enough of us are committed, we can make a difference. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 198

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A FORMULA FOR FINANCIAL SUCCESS

There is not a day that goes by that I do not hear or read about some person who is having serious financial problems. The reasons are many but the end result is usually debt created by the unwise use of credit cards. We all know that its easier to hand someone a piece of plastic, and the power that goes with it, than to hand someone a one hundred dollar bill, especially one that we have just earned. At this point, I realize that what I am saying may not apply to you but if you, family members or some close friends are deep in debt, I want to encourage you to share this column with them.

Its by no means original but I have a formula for financial success that I can guarantee will work and its so simple that anyone can take advantage of it. Here Im not talking about earning money, but rather what we do with it after we earn it. This is the formula; tithe 10% of your income to the Lord, save and invest 10% and live on the other 80%. The first part of the formula, tithe 10% of your income is a commandment of God that is recorded in the Bible in several places but most notably in Malachi 3:10 where it says, Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and test Me in this, says the Lord of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until there is no more need.

There is much more here than meets the eye. When we obey this commandment we are placing our priorities in the proper order. In a very real sense, this is the reason this formula works. When we honor God by giving Him our first fruits, He will bless beyond all measure. I might add here, for most of my life I did not believe this and did not do it. However, a few years ago I started tithing and God has blessed me and my family beyond all measure. From a point where I didnt think I could afford to tithe, now I know that I cant afford not to. The more we give with a pure heart the more He will bless us.

I will be quick to add here, this is not the prosperity gospel that many people believe which says, give $10,000 and God will give you a return of $100,000. No, what Im talking about is giving to God because He is God and we love Him and because this is what He commands us to do. Once we get our priorities right, it is time to implement the next part of the formula, to save and invest 10% of our income on a regular basis. Talk with someone you know who is financially successful and they can help you with this. Over time, financial success will come to you and be a source of real satisfaction.

Now lets turn to the part of the formula where the real rub comes, living on the other 80%. This is really a psychological battle for most people who are in debt. Granted the people who are living below the poverty line have a real tough time but the formual will still work. But there are millions of people in our prosperous nation who earn in excess of $100,000 per year who are still deep in debt. Just drive through the most affluent neighborhoods in your area and notice how many of the homes are for sale. Many are for sale for valid reasons but many others are for sale because the occupants cant afford to make the payments.

In reality, there are so many things we dont need or have to have and most of us can get by quite easily on 80% of our income. If you struggle financially, I hope you will think seriously about the formula for financial success that Ive shared; tithe 10% of your income to the Lord, save and invest 10% and live on the other 80%. As you know, nothing worthwhile is ever easy but this could be the solution you have been looking for. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 200

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE LAW OF SELF-CONTROL

Have you ever been discombobulated? I have, many times. This word means to be confused or upset. For some reason this word came to mind when I began to think about the Law Of Self-control, which is what I want to invite you to think with me about for a little while. If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that in the past Ive discussed various natural laws that can become success laws if understood and applied in the right way. Success is desired by almost everyone but unfortunately millions of people never take the time to learn the laws or principles that govern or determine success.

The truth is, we live by the grace of God but while we are here on this earth there are things we can do and acts we can perform on a routine basis that will make us more successful and in most cases, happier as well. Of course, whether its success or happiness or both, a lot depends on our priorities, but thats another column. But back to the word discombobulated for a moment. I am always inspired and even amazed at the amount of control that some people have over their body. Ill never forget Gold Metal Winner Mary Lou Retton who hit two perfect 10s in a row during the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Obviously, space will not permit too many examples but think of the high wire walker or flying trapeze artists in the circus or the fantastic ice skaters that have been around for years. My point is that you cant have this kind of control over your body if you are discombobulated. To be successful in most any endeavor we must have the mind and the body working in perfect harmony to achieve maximum results. However, there is still another aspect to consider here and that is to have a high degree of control over our lives. At this point, it should be rather obvious why our personal success depends to a large degree on our knowledge, development and proper use of the Law Of Self-control.

To elaborate a little more and to make it clear, we know by the process of experimentation that we have control over various parts of our body. A simple command will tell us to move our hands, fingers, legs, feet and even our eyes. But have you ever thought about the fact that a simple command will not cause your heart to stop beating? Its between these two extremes that lie all the rest of our self-control. While we have great control over our limbs, we have less control over our tongue, and in diminishing order our ideas, feelings, emotions and our instincts.

At this point I believe you can see that its here that our greatest potential lies. According to the dictionary, self-control means to exercise direction, restraint, motivation and government over our organs, our faculties, our emotions, as well as our personalities. At this point what Im going to say may be so simple that you may have a tendency to pass it off without a second thought. Hopefully, you wont do that because a little time spent each day in this area could pay great dividends. Please consider these final thoughts and what they could mean to you.

The key to achieving greater self-control is training and the greatest accomplishment is to train the mind to extend and increase its authority over the body. The first step toward self-control is planning. We must know what we wish to accomplish and also what our resources and shortcomings are. Then once a day we should sit down, plan, think, analyze and reason. If you will discipline yourself to do this on a consistent and regular basis, your self-control is bound to increase. Then to a larger degree, we will be masters of our own fate, and will be able to do more with our God given talents and abilities. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 202

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION

My former business partner, the late Bob Gannaway used to tell a story about Alexander the Jumping Flea. It seems this man had trained a flea to sit on his arm and on command, the flea would jump over a pencil or some small object and land safely on the other side. After a while this flea got so good at the routine that this man named him Alexander and he would show him off to everyone who came along. One day he was telling a gentleman about this trained flea and the gentleman said, Lets see him do it. The man then placed this flea on his arm, got his pencil in place and said, Jump Alexander, The flea just sat there. Again he said, Jump Alexander. Again no response. At this point the gentleman said, I think your flea is deaf.

Naturally this man was distraught and he said, I want to try one more time; Jump Alexander. Again, nothing. At this point this man looked at his flea a little closer and proudly said, No wonder, this is not even Alexander. Regardless of whether it was hearing, training or a case of mistaken identity, this is my way of introducing you to the very important topic of hearing health that has some potential benefits for vast majority of people in our great nation.

A few weeks ago I received a fax from the National Campaign for Hearing Health based in Washington, D.C., and they asked me to help make the general public more aware of the dangers of toxic noise and the resulting hearing loss. This is a very serious problem for over twenty eight million Americans who have complete or serious hearing loss. With noise levels in some areas and sectors of American life, the problem may only get worse. If you or someone you love is exposed to excessive toxic noise, here are some things you may need to consider.

Monitoring and testing hearing regularly is as important as checking your teeth, blood pressure and vision. Without testing, hearing loss symptoms can go unrecognized, leading to serious long-term damage, including tinnitus (a chronic buzzing and ringing in the ears) and potentially, deafness. Prevention and rehabilitation are possible through early detection and appropriate treatment programs. The National Campaign for Hearing Health reminds you to see your doctor regularly to test and monitor your hearing.

In the meantime, there are simple steps that you can take to ensure your hearing health every day of the year. No. 1-EAR AIDS..Wear ear plugs or other protection when you know youll be exposed to loud noises, fireworks, lawn mowers, power boats, airplanes and motorcycles. No. 2-VOLUME DISCIPLINE..Care for your hearing on a daily basis by turning down your car and home stereos, headphones and television. Louder isnt better. No.3-RAPID RESPONSE..When ambushed by toxic noises, including sirens, airplane engines and jack hammers, etc., plug your ears with your fingers. No. 4-FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY..Prepare yourself for the fireworks show by sitting a comfortable distance from the display or by using ear plugs. Firecrackers produce a noise that ranks between 130 and 190 decibels, which is approximately 110 decibels above a safe noise level and where irreversible ear damage can occur.

In conclusion, I realize this is something most of us dont give the time of day unless the noise level is so high that it hurts our ears and then we may plug our ears with our fingers. True!! For a copy of the Hearing Checklist and a free set of earplugs, call 1-800-829-5934 or visit their website at www.hearinghealth.net (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 204

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE SAGA OF IRVING LOSER

One of the greatest challenges a public speaker faces, after being introduced, is to gain the undivided attention of the people in the audience and to get them to concentrate and focus on what he or she is saying. I love to see and hear a master communicator who can do this. In addition to being well qualified, many times a speaker must also be very creative, especially if he does not have a commanding presence or a distinctive voice quality.

As an introduction to what I want to share with you, please permit me to tell you about a sales manager who was a master when it came to being creative. One day he stood before his sales force of a thousand men and women and he yelled, Who was the first president of our country? They all yelled back, George Washington. Then he yelled, Who was the first man to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean? They all yelled back, Charles Lindbergh. Then he yelled, Who was Irving Loser?

After a long pause, one man finally yelled back, Irving Loser, we never heard of him. At this point the sales manager stuck out his chest and said, The reason you have never heard of Irving Loser is because that blankety-blankety quit. Now, I believe you will agree this story contains is a real message for many of us. Here I would like to ask you an important question that is worth thinking about for a little while. How many people do you suppose could have been highly successful, even world famous, if they had just stuck with what they started out to do.

I was talking with a friend the other day and he was telling me about a young man we both know who has worked for several different companies the past six months. And believe me, he was not moving up the ladder, he was going sideways or even going down. Granted, he was at the bottom of the pay scale but he was not willing to pay the price and stick it out until a better opportunity with his first employer opened up for him. You see, each time he quit, his subconscious mind registered failure and it was also a black mark on his employment record for all future potential employers to see.

The sad part of this story is that he is living out the Saga Of Irving Loser that has been passed on from his father and unless he changes, he will also pass it on to his children. You see, this young man comes from a family of low achievers. In essence, this is what the word saga means. Its the story of the history of a family and when the family tree consists mostly of losers, this trait is just passed on from one generation to the next. The great news is that every healthy individual in our nation has the opportunity and the potential to become successful and in a sense to set new standards.

For example, many highly successful executives know and understand this principle and their kids start at the bottom. This is to say, driving a truck, working in the warehouse and doing other menial jobs. Not that these jobs dont have value, they just dont pay as much and usually the work is harder. If you will do some research, I believe you will find that most successful people started at the bottom and worked their way up.

In closing, I would just like to say that sometimes life is hard and in the long run we would be better off to tell our children the truth, then work to encourage them to do great things. Its called rising above our circumstances and in this country we certainly have the opportunity to make the most of our talents and abilities. In my own life, I have found that when things get rough, if I dont quit, the sky will clear and all kinds of good things have come as a result. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 206

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

YOUVE LIFTED MY SPIRITS

Several years ago I remember hearing the late Earl Nightingale quote a man by the name of P.G. Hammerton and he said, A strong life is like a ship of war. It has its place in the fleet and can share in its strength and discipline, but it can also go forth alone to the solitude of the infinite sea. Back then I made a note of this quotation and after reading it again, I made a cursory review of my resources but could not learn anything about P.G. Hammerton. What he said however, makes a world of sense when it comes to the challenges we face at various times during our lives.

There is a lot to be said for the strong disciplined person who can cope with life and rise above his or her circumstances to become a great success in their chosen field of endeavor. The question that keeps coming to my mind is how does a person become a strong disciplined person? Is this a quality they are born with or does he or she become that way over time because of the challenges and trials they face along the pathway of life? To my way of thinking it has to be the latter. I know many highly successful people whose children never amounted to much, at least by the worlds standards, and Ive also known many others who have far outdistanced their parents.

When it comes to a strong disciplined life, one quality you will always find is healthy self-esteem. As a real life example of this fact, here is a story that inspired me several years ago and it inspires me all over again each time I read it. It is a true story of a young lady by the name of Elaine Zayak. Elaine hails from the state of New Jersey and she represented the United States in the 1984 Winter Olympics in the former Yugoslavia. It came to light during the course of events that she was performing almost flawlessly as an Olympic ice skater, without the benefit of three toes on one foot.

Elaine Zayak slipped and fell under a running lawn mover when she was only two and half years of age, and the whirling blade severed three of her toes on one foot. She grew up with this handicap, but the thing that struck me, as one who tries to help people see their real potential, is what this unfortunate mishap did to her self-image.

She lived with the constant fear that she was less than a whole person. She was ashamed and embarrassed and went to great lengths to keep people from learning that she had this handicap. Im not sure how she got into ice skating but she struggled against all odds to become a success. During an interview, she said the turning point in her career and her life came when her boy friend learned that she had lost her toes and she found out that it didnt matter at all to him! He said, I love Elaine as a person and for what she is. The fact that she doesnt have all of one foot is not at all important to me.

When it was all said and done, Elaine Zayak finished sixth in the 1984 Winter Olympics, and she competed against the best skaters in the world. The thing that really came home to me is when she said, Im not a quitter!! Thanks Elaine, youve lifted my spirits; youve shown me and perhaps millions of others, that success is possible, regardless of the odds, if youre willing to hang in there when everything in you tells you to give up.

Now back to what I was saying earlier about a strong disciplined life. To be a truly successful person we need to be able to relate to other people, to be part of a group and make a real contribution. However, we also need to be able to persevere during those times when we are discouraged, lonely and feel that the whole world is against us. It takes a person with healthy self-esteem to do that. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 208

The next password is fred

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

I PLEASED MY DADDY, TOO!

One of the greatest tragedies in our society, at least for me, is when a man or woman is convicted of a crime and sent to prison. Unfortunately, it is necessary and even vital that thousands and thousands of our citizens are locked up for the common good. Ive always believed that if we took 5% of the right people off the streets, we would have a much safer society. Im sure you know there are many people who are in that should be out and thousands more that are out and should be in. The tragedy is what a prison inmate could have been, and the loss of their potential contribution to humanity, if they had not gone down the wrong road that led to a prison sentence.

It is with these thoughts in mind that I want to share something with you that could make a difference for a few people who even now may be headed down the wrong road. As you look back over your own life, have you ever thought about why you do many of the things you do? In your heart, if you believe you have made the right choices most of the time, then what Im going to say may not be that important for you.

On the other hand, if there are signs all around you that point to potential trouble with the law for yourself, your children, grandchildren or other loved ones, then you may want to seriously consider this true story a reader sent to me. A few years ago, a minister went into a Texas State Prison to hold a series a meetings with the inmates and he took along a friend to give his testimony about his life and why he had become a success. This friend, it turns out, was a famous major league baseball player and as he spoke to the inmates he told them of the great influence his daddy had been in his life.

He said when he was young, his daddy constantly worked with him and often told him son, someday youll be famous. Youll be a major league baseball player. And his fathers prophecy came true; he not only became a great player, but one of the greatest of all time. As he was concluding his talk he said, you know, as I look back, I realize now more and more the reason for my success is that I wanted to please my daddy and to justify all the confidence he had in me. In a very real sense I did it for him.

Then he went on to talk about the fact that if our earthly father cares for us, our Heavenly Father cares for us so much more. In fact, He cared for us so much that he sent His Son to die for us. As he finished, a very large man (one of the inmates) stood up and said, May I say something? and they handed him the microphone. He said, When I was growing up in the ghetto in Chicago, my daddy told me, Johnny, youre no good. Johnny, youre going to drop out of school. Johnny, you are going to get in trouble. Johnny, youre going to kill someone, and you know, my daddy was right. I killed two people. I pleased my daddy, too!! He was now serving time in prison for the crimes he had committed.

To me this is a very touching story and it contains some valuable information that can help many people. More often than not, our lives are self-fulfilling prophesies. What we see, what we believe, what we feel, that is acted out in that big picture show in our minds, all too often becomes a reality.

How many times do you suppose that people have gotten into trouble because the person(s) they idolized led them down the wrong road? Its been said that every life is an example. This is why we need more good role models in our society today. Parents need to be good role models, as well as ministers, teachers, business and civic leaders, elected officials and all of us who want the best for our children. What we do will have more impact than what we say. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next column password is: Fred

No. 859

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH!

Several years ago, I had the honor of being the principal speaker for the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. This small community has the distinction of being the home of the only diamond producing mine in the United States, and the only one in the world that is open to the public. The diamond mine is located in the Crater of Diamonds State Park, and each year hundreds, if not thousands, of people travel to this location in search of diamonds. Quite often a diamond is found that has very high value. This mine is just a plowed field, and people use a bucket and other soil-separating devices in an attempt to uncover one or more of these rare and precious jewels. When a diamond is found it is just a “diamond in the rough,” as it still has to be cut, polished and often mounted to achieve its maximum value.
Now, I see a perfect analogy here between an un-cut, un-polished and un-mounted diamond, and our copyrighted Bookcase for Every Child project that is also a “diamond in the rough” that has tremendous value. This is especially true when you consider the fact that we can help thousands, perhaps millions, of pre-school children who are being reared in low-income homes in this country learn to read and develop a passion for reading. These are the children who truly need help because many are destined to become school drop-outs who could later wind up in prison or dead. This past April, our Conway Bookcase Project Committee hosted our eighth annual awards ceremony and presented 50 more personalized bookcases, and a starter set of books to these precious children. This brought the number to 400 since we started back in 2005
We had two very special guests at our ceremony. Nija Graves, who received a bookcase back in 2009, and her mother Sherry came at our invitation to share what the bookcase and books had meant to Nija since she received them. Nija is in the first grade and reads at the fourth-grade level. Sherry says she reads 20 minutes every night. In addition to this success story, Nija was featured on the front cover of the American Profile magazine when they did a feature article about our project in August 2011. As a result of this article, our project has now spread to five states and signs point to many, many more in the near future.
Here is why our bookcase project is truly a “diamond in the rough.” We are all volunteer and do not use any tax money or grants of any kind. It is all about giving back. As I said earlier, this project has tremendous value because we attack illiteracy at the root of the problem, this being the home environment of the child. The parents and the community must take ownership of the illiteracy issue, which is killing our country, if we are to improve in the weeks, months and years to come. The reason our project is expanding is because American Profile made millions of people in America aware of the project that did not know about it before.
In the coming months, I will be available on a national basis for television, radio and newspaper interviews to make Americans aware of this great resource that can make a difference in their own community, and it does not cost taxpayers a penny. We get great support from local politicians, but not so much on the state and national level because we don’t use tax money. As you know, in most cases tax money is tied to votes. We don’t care about votes, because literacy is a non-partisan issue. We just want to help these special children develop the skills to help them succeed. Go to our website to learn more: www.bookcaseforeverychild.com.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 861

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THAT DOG WON’T HUNT!

Have you ever been amused and annoyed at the same time? These are two distinct emotions I had a while back while watching a newscast on a nearby Little Rock television station. The on-air reporter was interviewing a very attractive and charming lady who was there promoting, would you believe, the Jack Daniel’s Drinking School. After listening to her for a few minutes you would have thought that drinking Jack Daniel’s whiskey was the best thing since we started slicing bread. I was amused because of her vivacious personality and the way she was enthusiastically presenting her product. Of course, there was money involved (if not directly, indirectly), so the television station was more than willing to have her on and give her some time.
I was annoyed because the purpose of the interview, and all her comments, were aimed at increasing the sales of Jack Daniel’s. As a promotion, this company has teamed up with the Zac Brown Band to inform consumers about responsible consumption. You see, after a concert, Jack Daniel’s wants to help concert goers get home safely, especially if they have been drinking whiskey. Now here is the clincher. As part of a recently formed partnership with the band and the Jack Daniel’s Drinking School, the company will offer concertgoers the opportunity to register for free designated driver rides to and from select Zac Brown Band concerts in cities across the U.S. through BeMyDD. You can figure out what the letters stand for.
Give me a break. How many people do you suspect will register, in advance, for a free designated driver before the concert? We have a saying here in my neck of the woods that pretty well sums up this charming lady’s presentation, and why she was on our television station -- “That Dog Won’t Hunt.”
We all know that thousands and thousands of people drink and drive every day. Personally, I don’t want to be in the same car, or on the same highway, with someone drinking beer much less a graduate of the Jack Daniel’s Drinking School. From my perspective, this whole affair is just an attempt to take us further down the slippery slope that kills thousands of people in our country each year through alcohol-related traffic accidents.
Recently I read an article printed in The Huffington Post titled, “Alcohol-Related Deaths Kill More Than AIDS, TB or Violence,” according to the World Health Organization. Because we now live in a global society, please allow me to give you some statistics from this highly respected organization. Approximately 2.5 million people die each year from alcohol-related causes. You know, that’s about the population of my home state of Arkansas. In my mind I could see myself driving more than 300 miles from one end of our state to the other without seeing another human being. In some way, they had all been killed because of alcohol consumption. The harmful use of alcohol is especially fatal for younger age groups, and alcohol is the world’s leading risk factor for death among males aged 15-59, the report found.
We live in a free country and we can make our own choices. The thing that annoyed me is that interviews of this type only give one side of the issue and seldom, if ever, give the other side, and certainly not the consequences. Helping people live a successful and fulfilled life is what I’m all about and this means making good and wise choices, even if pointing things out like my topic today may be misconstrued. There are times in each of our lives when we just need to say, “That Dog Won’t Hunt.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 863

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

KATIE’S KROPS!

If you are a strong believer in the “Power of One,” you will really appreciate, and may even benefit from, a true story that I want to share with you today. A while back a friend sent me an e-mail about a unique project called “Katie’s Krops” started by a remarkable young lady in South Carolina. After reading about this project, I went to the Internet and checked it out. As I began to read more about this project, I could not believe the story that was unfolding for all to see. After you learn more, I believe you will be as impressed as I was.
The idea for Katie’s Krops began with a 9-year-old girl and a 40-pound cabbage. In 2008, Katie brought a tiny cabbage seedling home from school as part of the Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage program. She tended to her cabbage and cared for it until it grew to an amazing 40 pounds. With the knowledge that her cabbage was special, she donated it to a soup kitchen where it helped to feed more than 275 people. Moved by the experience of seeing how many people could benefit from the donation of fresh produce to soup kitchens, Katie decided to start vegetable gardens and donate the harvest to help feed people in need.
Now, please fast-forward with me to meet this soon-to-be national role model. Her name is Katie Stagliano and she is now 13 years of age. Her mission has become to start and maintain vegetable gardens of all sizes and donate the harvest to help feed people in need, as well as to assist and inspire others to do the same. When I wrote to her to ask permission to write this column, I loved the way she signed her e-mail: Katie Stagliano, Chief Executive Gardener and Founder. From time to time she is also able to offer grants to kids ages 9 to 16 to start vegetable gardens where the bounty is donated to individuals in need.
Here is the part of the program that I really like. Katie’s Krops gardens provide a sustainable solution to hunger while teaching kids an understanding of agriculture and the environment, nutrition, responsibility and compassion. Wouldn’t it be great if more inner-city kids could have this same experience? There is much more I could say, but none more effective than this child’s own words: “My dream was born when I brought my cabbage to Tri-County Family Ministries. When I walked in I saw a huge line of people waiting for what might be the only meal they would have for that day. The people who worked there and the people who were eating there were so friendly and nice.
“As I served my cabbage to the guests and they thanked me for helping to feed them, I knew I could and I should do more to help. That day at Tri-County Family Ministries my dream was born. My dream is that there are no hungry people. I found help with my dream, first from Amazing-Kids.org. They held a Launch-My-Dream T-Shirt contest. I entered and out of hundreds of entries I won. But I did not stop there. I asked my school to help and they donated a huge plot of land for a garden.
“The whole school -- kindergarten to 12th grade -- is helping and the harvest is donated to feed hungry people. But I did not stop there either. I contacted Fields to Families and asked them if they could help. The board of directors said ‘yes’ and I now have a Master Gardener, Ms. Lisa, to work with. But I am not stopping there and on she goes.”
To learn more visit her website: www.katiesKrops.com. You will be impressed just like I am. The “Power of One” spirit lives on.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 865

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE TURN AROUND OF NEW ORLEANS SCHOOLS!

Over the past few years, there is a story that has been unfolding down on the Gulf Coast that all Americans need to hear or read about. It is the story of the turnaround of the New Orleans Schools. This major city school system has gone from being one of the worst in the nation to one of the best. It is important to understand that we are talking major city schools here, not all schools, and there is a huge difference. Traditionally, smaller schools across the country have performed much better than schools in major metropolitan cities.
As a starting point, let’s remember the sad state of affairs in the New Orleans Schools back in 2003 before Hurricane Katrina came along. The dropout rate hovered around 70 percent by one count, 64 percent of public schools were deemed “academically unacceptable” (compared to just 8 percent for the rest of the state) and buildings were crumbling. Gross mismanagement (missing resources, deceased people on the payroll) led to the state starting to take control of a handful of the city’s schools, folding the management of these schools into its existing Louisiana Recovery School District.
Then a week after school started in 2005, Katrina came. Five of the city’s roughly 105 schools were in the recovery district before Katrina, and nine were separately run charters. Today, the recovery district, led by Superintendent Paul Vallas, has 70 schools, with 47 of those being charters.
Here it might be good, if you are a layman like me, to define Charter Schools. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Charter Schools are “primary or secondary schools that receive public money (and like other schools, may also receive private donations) but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results which are set forth in each school’s charter.”
Here is the key, and part of the reason for their success, Charter Schools are opened and attended by choice. But let’s return to New Orleans. While the city shares some similarities for reform with schools nationwide, there are many more differences between New Orleans schools and those elsewhere in the country. Not only do charters dominate the education landscape, but also nearly every attendance zone has been eliminated, making school choice almost universal. None of the schools, from charters to regular public schools, are bound by a collective bargaining agreement. In other words, they have no unions they have to deal with.
With the fifth anniversary of the flood in August 2010, there has been renewed national focus on New Orleans schools and its students’ progress. The school system has slowly ramped up the number of students served. In 2005, just before Katrina, it had 65,000 students; the next year it was down to 25,600. Enrollment has now climbed to 38,000. The demographics are still daunting: 95 percent of students are minorities and 83 percent are eligible for free or reduced lunches. Last year, 61 percent went to charter schools (a number that will increase this school year), by far the largest percentage of children in an urban area attending charters in the county.
And the students have made progress. In 2002, only 31 percent of fourth graders were deemed at or above basic in English/language arts. By 2009, that number had swelled to 59 percent. Eighth graders have more than doubled the percentage at or above basic in the same time frame, in both English and math. Sounds like there is reason for optimism for the future.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 867

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

MAKING SENSE OF THE NEWS!

One of the greatest challenges I face each day, as I try to stay reasonably well informed is making sense of the news. “News,” according to the dictionary, is “New information about anything; information regarding unknown and recent happenings, especially those broadcast over the electronic and technical media, and those printed in newspapers.”
The battle here for me is that I see things happening more and more that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. I am appalled as I watch the local and national news each day and see the tragic events that are taking place that make it painfully obvious there is little or no love for others in our society. People who have love for their fellow human beings do not do the things to others that are now commonplace in the news every day.
As I have thought about this a great deal, I have come up with what I believe is a good part of the answer. First, the “news” can be broken down into three broad categories. First, there is reporting on natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires started by lightning strikes. Then there is a great part of the news devoted to covering accidents of various kinds, and most of these can be attributed to human error. However, most of the news is made by one or more persons who made a conscious choice to steal, rob, rape, murder or cause mental or physical harm to other human beings. Of course, a good part of the news is also to report on those individuals who made good choices, resulting in receiving recognition or winning some contest or event.
Now back to my earlier comment about making sense of the news. While I may be considered old-fashioned, I believe the only way you can make sense of the news is to relate and compare what is happening today to the Word of God. In the book of Matthew 22:37- 40, a lawyer asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Jesus went on to say, “This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love thy neighbor as thyself.” What Jesus was actually doing was quoting two verses from the Old Testament -- Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5 -- two verses that are part of Jewish Law written by Moses.
Now, it’s easy to see that the focus of both commandments is love. My friend, that is the key to understanding what is happening in the news today. When you have people with love for their fellow human beings in their heart, you will not have the total lack of respect and the kind of crude language, inhumane treatment, bloodshed and carnage that is reported in the news every single day. While it used to be that this was happening to someone else who lived somewhere else, it is now happening right here in our hometown, to us or someone we know. When I was growing up, we did not have the kind of things happening that have become commonplace, so much so that we have become desensitized.
Now, please understand. I did not say that I had the answer. But what I have just shared does help me understand more of what is happening in the news and the more understanding that God gives me, the more I may be able to help bring about change that will provide a better nation for our children and grandchildren. America is still the best place on earth but we must return to God and obey His laws if we want Him to bless us again. A good place to start is to call Sin what it is … Sin, and let the chips fall where they may.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 869

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

BAD CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES!

Can you wrap your arms, and also your mind, around the figure of $1,995,000? Written out like you would on a check, that is one million, nine hundred ninety five thousand and 00/100 dollars. This was the amount of the initial asking price for Coach Bobby Petrino’s six-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bath, 8,741-square-foot house in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after he had been fired as coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Now, based on when you read this, it may be old news, but what I am going to say from the point forward may surprise you. If you are not a sports fan you won’t feel as passionate about this as those of us who are. However, the real principle involved works just the same, regardless of what area of life you apply it.
I have never been one to kick someone else when they are down. Coach Petrino has enough problems already dealing with the bad choices he has made, but the saddest thing of all, at least for me, is the lives of others he has affected, and the list is long. I don’t wish to rehash them here. We all make bad choices to one degree or another, but in most cases they don’t make the national or international news.
If you want other examples just talk with Coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints, who tried to cover up bounty money for his players to hurt some on opposing teams; or Tiger Woods and his sexual problems; or former presidential candidate John Edwards, who went from a $500 haircut to one that cost $12.95; or the Secret Service agents involved in a sex scandal who resigned or were fired. In the case of Tiger Woods he may come back, but he will always live with the bad choices he has made.
In each case, when we hear of people’s lives being disrupted because of bad choices, the question that always comes to mind is why? Why would someone throw a whole lifetime of making good choices away for a few destructive choices that would change their lives forever? This is the area where I believe we can spend some productive time by examining the reasons why in the hopes that it will help others avoid the same fate.
First, let’s realize that each of us is different. We bring our values to the table based on a great number of factors: parents, teachers, pastors, the media, role models and others who influence us all along the road of life. On balance, if most of these influences have been positive, our chances are good that we will become a well-adjusted and responsible person. Let’s understand right here that a person can develop a great skill and talent and have bad or poor character and still fail as a human being.
This last point holds the key as to why some people make bad choices. They succeeded in some areas but failed in others. Sometimes fame causes a person to lose touch with reality, as they don’t think the rules apply to them. This is crucial when they learned what is truly right from wrong. Here I am going to make a statement that you may not agree with. I believe the Holy Bible contains the road map to success because it is the basis for truth and for understanding what is right and what is wrong. This is quite possibly where some of the people in my earlier example may have gone wrong. They never studied or don’t really know the Bible.
While I have made a lot of bad choices in my life, about 26 years ago I made the decision to read the Bible all the way through each year. I did this for 25 straight years. Now, every decision or choice I make has a filter it must pass through. I know what is right and what is wrong, according to the Word of God. Regardless of our station in life, skin color, status, or fame, BAD CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 871

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SOMETIMES NEGATIVE IS POSITIVE!

Over the past several months I have noticed a new trend in my writing. If you are a faithful reader of this column, perhaps you have noticed it, too. Lately the basic theme of more of my columns has been negative. I just want you to know that I am aware of this and it is not totally without purpose. When I see vast numbers of my fellow Americans hurting, this affects me deeply and I hurt, too. When I hear on the news that more than half of the graduates coming out of college can’t find a job and are saddled with massive debt for student loans, I know that a lot of these young people are hurting. As a result, most of them have to take a low-paying job, and there is no money left to pay off their loans.
Another sad statistic I hear is that 53 percent of all Americans are on some form of government assistance, and we all know that this cannot be sustained over time. In terms of being negative, I am reminded of what a former secretary told me one time. She went to the doctor and, after a few minutes, told him, “Look, doctor, I don’t want you to pat me on the knee and say, honey everything’s rosy. I have a mother. I want you to tell me the truth about my health and that way I can deal with it.” This is what I think most Americans want in terms of what is happening in our country and what we can do to correct it for a better life for ourselves and future generations.
In terms of our nation’s future, every once in a while I catch myself saying, “Thank God for the Heartland.” This is the central part of our nation, with mostly an agricultural economy. This area is sometimes called “America’s Bread Basket” because these states produce a large portion of our food. While there are a number of “fringe” states, we usually think of states like Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota as being the heartland. This column has run in all these states and I have had speaking engagements in all but one of them. So, I have been there in person and have a good feel for what I am saying. I can tell you this for sure: most of the people from these states are good, honest, hard-working people, and they have a set of values that we would all do well to emulate.
I have thought about this a good deal and I believe the reason this is true is because of the agricultural make-up of their economy. This is farming country and farmers face an element of risk each year that most others do not face. Unlike any other vocation, they must depend on the weather in terms of whether it’s a good year or a bad year. You see, they must rely on God for their very existence. It’s not only the crops but also the production of milk, beef, hogs, poultry, eggs and other foodstuffs that help one develop an appreciation for nature and what God can supply.
Again, you may disagree, but I believe this is the reason American’s Heartland produces people with outstanding character who are honest, work hard, treat others with respect and have a real understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule here but generally speaking this is true. The reason I am sharing this is because going forward we are going to need heartland values in our leaders at every level of government in our nation. In the final analysis, it all comes down to each individual person and what we believe and what we put into practice. Are you this type of person? I hope so. We have the greatest country in the world, but we must right the ship if we are to survive. If we tell the truth, sometimes negative is positive!
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 873

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

IT ALL BEGINS WITH LITERACY!

Have you ever heard of some person being spoon fed? Well, most of us have because this is how we feed a baby, and we often spoon feed invalids who can no longer feed themselves. Of course, for adults, the extreme of this example eventually is through a feeding tube.
Did you know that a whole community can be spoon fed? This is to say, the people living and working there can be spoon fed economically. Today I want to use this example to talk with you about the importance of literacy. When you get right down to it, economic or financial success begins with literacy. Here is the real question: When a community is spoon fed, what happens when you remove the spoon? The answer is they suffer the loss of jobs and income.
This is what happened to Blytheville, Arkansas, back in 1992 when the federal government closed Eaker Air Force Base, which was a big part of the economic lifeline for this Northeast Arkansas community. A friend who once lived there told me that every two weeks the checks came and everyone was happy. As a result of the air base closing, over time this community lost about half of its commerce and also half of its population. I can remember a time along about 1970 when Blytheville and Jonesboro, neighboring communities, were about the same size. Now Jonesboro has a population of more than 68,000 and Blytheville has a population of a little more than 16,000. These are general statistics, but you get the point.
There were two main factors at work here. First, Jonesboro is the home of Arkansas State University, and the number of literate, educated graduates they turn out year after year enables this community to develop a wide and diverse economy. They did not have all their eggs in one basket, as did Blytheville. When a plant closed in Jonesboro, or a downturn in the economy came along, they did not suffer the same fate. This is why every community should strive for diversity and a wide range of business and industry employers that provide good jobs.
Here is the reason I am sharing this with you, because it may have a bearing on the future of your own community. In addition to the closing of the air base, there are a number of other factors involved. In doing some research I learned that the literacy rate in Mississippi County, where Blytheville is located, is 27 percent. In other words, one out of every four adults in this county is functionally illiterate. The simple truth is that you cannot have a diverse economy unless you have a labor pool of highly educated and literate workers to work in the jobs that follow. Please hear me loud and clear -- it really does begin with literacy.
While it is certainly a long-term proposition, every community needs a Bookcase for Every Child project to focus on reading and literacy. Our goal is to reach children being reared in low-income families who have few, if any, books in the home for their children to read. We had our eighth annual Awards Ceremony back in April, and I want to share some comments from a prominent citizen who was there. Debbie says, “A young daughter of a family that I have known for many years was one of those receiving a bookcase and a starter set of books. Ruth, the mother, did not have a car and asked if I would take her to the ceremony.
“After the ceremony, on the way home, as Sarah went through the starter set books that came with the personalized oak bookcase, she had shouts of excitement and kissed two of the books as she recognized the titles. I have since learned that Ruth is now reading to Sarah on a regular basis. I know you don’t hear this often enough but you are making a difference.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 875

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE SPOTLIGHT ON MARILYN REED!

On March 14, 1981, the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, was filled to capacity when the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team took on the defending national champion Louisville Cardinals in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Most of the people in attendance thought that Louisville would have a fairly easy time of disposing of the pesky Hogs and advance to the next round. However, with only five seconds to go and Louisville leading by one point, the Hogs had possession, and the ball was inbounded to Razorback player U.S. Reed. He heaved the ball from beyond the center line and it went in, and Louisville’s dreams of another national championship came crashing down.
This 49-foot prayer became known as “The Shot,” and U.S. Reed’s name would forever be etched in the annuals of NCAA college basketball history. While I was watching the game that night on television, I had never met U.S. Reed personally. A few months ago he came to our community to address the Arkansas Sports Club at one of our monthly meetings. I was most impressed with his speaking ability, his articulate use of the language and his ability to express himself in a most effective way.
U.S. Reed is from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and still lives there. Since I have had a strong desire to begin a Bookcase for Every Child project in his hometown, I felt he might be willing to help us organize a Pine Bluff Bookcase Project Committee. In the course of visiting with him, by telephone and e-mail over the coming weeks, I also got to know his wife Marilyn. She is an ordained minister and truly a gifted speaker and writer. Marilyn is truly “anointed,” and that is really what this column is about. While U.S. Reed achieved fame as a basketball player, it did not take long for me to realize that Marilyn is really the gifted one in the Reed home today.
She has written a book titled “Heaven’s Oil: Enemies of The Anointing.” Reading it has blessed me tremendously. If you are not familiar with the word “anointing”, in the spiritual context, let me quote Marilyn from her first chapter: “The anointing can be defined in a myriad of ways. The one most pertinent to this book is that it is supernatural or heavenly enablement. It is the manifested power and presence of the Holy Spirit operating in the life of a person to bring to pass the works of Jesus Christ. It is the power and presence of the Holy Spirit enabling a person to perform a task or function he or she is called and appointed to do.”
After telling Marilyn about my wife Viola’s Parkinson’s and the fact she is in Hospice, she asked me to let her pray for Viola over the phone. While I don’t consider myself to be anointed, and know very few people who truly are, her prayer was one of the most touching and uplifting that I have ever heard. It was one of those, as they say, that got past the ceiling. With no reservations, I am honored to recommend her book to anyone who would like a very special blessing. Marilyn has the rare ability to take deep theological concepts and spiritual principles and express them in a clear, concise and understandable way.
Here are the four enemies of the anointing that she discusses in her book: 1. Pride. 2. Cold Love. 3. Grieving the Holy Spirit. 4. A Religious Spirit. The cost is $17, including postage, and can be purchased from Amazon.com or if you would like a personally signed copy drop her a note at P.O. Box 6422, Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71611. I know U.S. would be pleased for me to say that today the spotlight is on Marilyn.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 877

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

LIFE IN A 70-SQUARE-FOOT CONDO!

Here is a switch. A while back I got a letter from a young man incarcerated in a California prison, saying he is praying for me and my wife every day. Usually, it’s the other way around. Over the past several years, I have received a great number of letters from inmates in various prisons all across the nation. Unfortunately, most contain the same self-serving words from misguided thinking that landed them in prison in the first place. However, the letter I just referred to was different. This young man gave me permission to use his name but I won’t because it may incriminate some people who had nothing to do with his being there.
This man -- I will call him Matt -- is in the Wasco State Prison located in Wasco, California, but he has an aunt who reads my column in the Sturgis Journal, published in Sturgis, Michigan. She clips it out every week and sends it to him. For any person, young or old, who is traveling down the wrong road, what he has to say may make a real difference. Rather than just generalizing, I want to share some of his own words that are direct from the horse’s mouth.
He says, “I am incarcerated after a long history of drug addiction and a vast amount of stupid decisions. I read in a recent column about your project on literacy. I think you are doing great things because I see what you are talking about first hand on a daily basis.
“I have recently started writing a memoir about trying to get sober and putting my life back together, piece by piece, in a maximum security prison. It’s one thing to get sober and get help when you have a maximum amount of resources and support out on the streets, but it is a completely different story doing it on your own in a 70-square-foot condo. I have written several short essays that I am trying to get published in order to help kids realize how serious drug addiction is, even just marijuana. I hope one day to be able to inspire kids to stay away from drugs and get their educations.
“Your columns are a non-stop source of motivation and reassurance that there are still people out there who believe people can change. I am enclosing a bit of my writing that my aunt types up for me (God bless her) and I was wondering if you could give me your honest opinion.”
After reading his article titled, “To the teenager who knows it all,” I decided to send him a personally signed copy of the first edition of “Learning, Earning & Giving Back.” This book has 49 of my columns selected by a panel of journalists and they contain a lot of life-changing principles. As a result of the book, Matt wrote me another three-and-a-half-page letter.
He says, “It took me a week to finish your book because almost every chapter made me stop and write a letter to someone in my family who was either struggling with that topic or could use a little bit of extra encouragement in their life.” He went on to say that he likes my style of writing because, as a Christian, you do not mention God every other word and use Him as a crutch. “The way you foreshadow your beliefs on all of the every day examples and sayings is very clear and unique. It’s almost like the reader is constantly learning Christian beliefs and values without even knowing it.”
I can only say, “To God Be the Glory,” and it made me very humble to read what he had to say. It very much sounds like Matt is on the right road in his 70-square-foot condo. Thanks to an aunt who loves him and shares my columns, I pray that all of us, mostly his family, can help him stay on the right road.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 879

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A WINNING FORMULA FOR LITERACY!

Some time back I received a terrific article by e-mail from one of my readers, written by Justin Minkel, who teaches second and third grades at Jones Elementary School in northwest Arkansas. Justin is an award-winning teacher, as he was named the 2007 Arkansas Teacher of The Year. In his article, he talked about a highly successful literacy project that he has developed in conjunction with Scholastic Books. It is called “The 1,000 Book Project,” where he provides 25 students with 40 books each during the time they are in his second- and third-grade classes.
Here are his words, “The project was simple to launch. Scholastic donated 20 books per child, and I purchased the other 20 through a combination of my own funds and help from others in the community. The kids received three types of books each month: copies of class read-alouds, guided reading books, and individual choices from Scholastic’s website. Working with family members, each child chose a space to become a home library, ranging from a cardboard box decorated with stickers to a wooden bookcase. Through class discussions and our class blog, the students talked about everything from how they organized their libraries to their favorite reading buddy at home.
“These 25 students made more progress in their reading than I have experienced with any other class. By the end of the project’s second year, they had exceeded the district expectation for growth by an average of nine levels on the DRA and five points on the computerized Measures of Academic Progress reading test. The home libraries have also had a tremendous impact on each child’s love of reading, which has ignited that same love of books in their parents, siblings, cousins and friends. I watched child after child become a different kind of writer, thinker and human being because of his or her growth as a reader.” It is obvious that the home library has had much to do with the project’s success.
As I read this article, I realized that here was a winning formula for literacy. The formula contains three major factors that insure success.
These are: No. 1, THE AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS. This is why a home library is crucial to each student’s success, and this is especially true for children in low-income families.
No. 2, THE BOOKS WERE SCHEDULED, TO ARRIVE AT REGULAR INTERVALS. These books started with a low reading level and advanced to a higher level as time went by. This way his students had time to read the books over and over again to grasp the story or concept without feeling swamped.
No. 3, THE PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP, which is a big deal for children who have few, if any, books in their home. I heard about an elementary student who cried when she had to return books to the school library.
This is the same formula our copyrighted Bookcase for Every Child project is based on. However, we work with pre-school students to provide them with a personalized, oak bookcase. We also have an annual Bookcase Literacy Banquet to raise funds and an annual Awards Ceremony. We also generate lots of community involvement to include an ever-increasing number of our local citizens in the war against illiteracy. Our goal is to encourage parents, grandparents and others to give these disadvantaged children good books at special times during the year to build their very own library.
In praise of Justin’s good work, we should never minimize the power of a wise and gifted teacher. We need more great teachers like him, all across our nation.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 881

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HOW OUR TAX SYSTEM WORKS!

Did you hear about the man who tossed and turned and did not sleep a wink all night? It finally dawned on him.
This is what I am hoping will happen for some people who will read this column. A friend sent me an article recently that is most revealing. It has been around for some time but contains information that every American should know and understand. It is about “How Our Tax System Works.”
It begins, “Suppose that every day 10 men go out for a beer and the bill for all 10 comes to $100. If they pay the bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this.
“The first four (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1.00. The sixth would pay $3.00. The seventh would pay $7.00. The eighth would pay $12.00. The ninth would pay $18.00. The 10th man (the richest) would pay $59.00. So that is what they decided to do. The men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with this arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. ‘Since all of you are such good customers’, he said, ‘I am going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.00’. Drinks for the men now cost just $80.00.
“The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men, the paying customers? How could they divide the $20.00 windfall so that everyone would get their share?” They realized that $20.00 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each wind up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay!
“The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100 percent savings). The sixth now paid $2.00 instead of $3.00 (33 percent savings). The seventh now paid $5.00 instead of $7.00 (28 percent savings). The eighth now paid $9.00 instead of $12.00 (25 percent savings). The ninth now paid $14.00 instead of $18.00 (22 percent savings). The 10th now paid $49.00 instead of $59.00 (16 percent savings).
“This way each of the six was better off than before, and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. ‘I only got a dollar out of the $20.00,’ declared the sixth man. He pointed to the 10th man, ‘but he got $10.00.’ ‘Yeah that’s right,’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $10.00 back when I got only $2.00? The wealthy get all the breaks!’ ‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor.’ The nine men surrounded the 10th and beat him up.
“The next night the 10th man did not show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They did not have enough money between all of them to pay for even half of the bill. And that boys and girls, journalists and college professors is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just might not show up anymore.”
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible. You know, it’s good to have this in print so we can go back and study it from time to time.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 883

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

READING: THE REST OF THE STORY!

While I did not know it at the time, there was a stretch of several years in my life when I was much younger that would make all the difference in the world. This was back in the early 1970s when I was selling attitude motivation programs written and produced by the late Earl Nightingale. Earl was known as the Dean of Personal Motivation, and his daily radio program “Our Changing World” was carried by more than 1,000 radio stations. These programs were produced on cassette tape and, because I was calling on schools across the state and spending a lot of time in my car, I had a cassette player installed where I could listen on a repetitive basis as I traveled from school to school, and usually back home the same day.
To be honest, I was as green-as-a-gourd and had not yet learned about the importance of repetition in the learning process. Because I listened so many times to the same messages, I still recall many, including “The Magic Word,” “Greener Pastures,” “Man on the White Horse” and the all-time best seller, “The Strangest Secret.” I must have listened to each message several hundred times over the period of several years. Little did I know that I was seeding my mind with success principles that have been around for centuries, and every one can be traced back to the Bible. Later, I would read the Bible all the way through 25 times, so I had a pretty good foundation.
The truths and principles I learned would serve me well as I stood up to speak, write 1,400 daily radio programs, 900 weekly newspaper columns and four books. Please don’t misunderstand this last thought, as I can only say, “To God be The Glory.” To be sure, I have shared these things for a reason. As individuals we learn in different ways. Some people learn better and faster by listening, others by reading. But when we listen and read at the same time we have what is called a dual sensory input, or using two of our senses at the same time. Now that I am older and spend very little time in my car, I have learned the value of reading to supply me with a good mental diet.
While reading takes more effort than listening to a cassette, it has several advantages, being able to read during “scrap” time being among them. Because I am older and not as high-tech as the younger generation, I have not taken advantage of audio books, Kindle and all the other devices that aid in the transfer of information. Some say that “hard copy” books will someday be a thing of the past, but I don’t think it will be during my lifetime.
I just love the feel of having a book or a newspaper in my hands, as this is what I grew up with. I have said all this to make one valid point that I hope you will seriously consider: while it is vital in today’s times to be able to read, and read well, there is sadly another part of the equation that is missing in the lives of far too many people, and that is being selective in what we read and permit to enter our marvelous human mind.
From my perspective, putting trash and junk into our mind is the best way on earth to fail, or at least not amount to much. The government gives us a safety net if that is all we want. In my latest book I have a list of books that I recommend for anyone who is serious about achieving true success. If you would like to have the list, send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope and I will be happy to send it to you. As the late Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 886

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

I PRAY YOU ENOUGH!

One of my good friends whom I deeply respect is former Hendrix College basketball coach Cliff Garrison, who lives here in Conway, Arkansas. Over the years we have exchanged many excellent e-mails that have served to lift our spirits. In these days of “hard times” for millions of Americans, we all need to be reminded on a regular basis of just how blessed we truly are. Some time ago, Cliff sent me an e-mail titled “I pray you enough” that is excellent and I wanted to share it with you. Hope it blesses you as it has me.
The story by an unknown author begins, “Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, ‘I love you and I pray you enough.’ The daughter replied, ‘Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom.’ They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, ‘Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?’
“Yes, I have, I replied. ‘Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?’ ‘Well, I am not as young as I once was. She lives so far away and has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral,’ she said. ‘When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, ‘I pray you enough.’ May I ask what that means?’ She began to smile. ‘That is a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.’ She paused for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. ‘When we said, ‘I pray you enough,’ we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.’
“Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. ‘I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright, no matter how gray the day may appear. I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. I pray you enough gain to satisfy all your wanting. I pray you enough loss of appetite to appreciate all that you possess. I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.’ Then she began to cry and walked away.”
They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire life to forget them. Now, here is a choice that you and you alone will have to make. If you pray, share this with many of the people you will never forget, and remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you. If you don’t send it to anyone, it may mean that you are in such a hurry that you have forgotten your friends. Take time to live, because I pray you enough.
When I finished this piece that Cliff sent me, what came to mind was the young man in a California prison that I have told you about. While I don’t know him at all in a personal way, I care and “I pray him enough” faith to depend on God and His Holy Spirit to see him through the long days ahead and that he will truly make something of his life.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 888

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE WORLD’S LARGEST ARMY!

Back in my younger days, I used to live from one deer season to the next. This is back when my home state only had two one-week seasons, plus a special “Thanksgiving” hunt when students were out of school and could participate. Not only did I love to hunt but I also enjoyed having venison as table fare. In later years when I would kill a deer or someone would give us one, we would have it all ground into hamburger, or deer burger, and Viola would make excellent chili, and also use it for spaghetti and tacos. She had that special touch for seasoning that made it delicious.
Harry Allard, a faithful reader from the great state of Illinois, sent me something the other day that I had never thought about before. The article pointed out that America’s deer hunters constitute the largest army in the world. Of course this is allegorically speaking, as deer hunters are not an army at all, but most do possess firearms. But here is the reality of what I am saying. While bow hunting has made real progress in terms of numbers in recent years, the vast percentage of deer hunters, plus all the other hunters, use modern firearms (rifles or shotguns).
Before I received this article, I had never thought about the actual numbers involved, but the numbers of hunting licenses sold, state-by-state as given on the Internet, is staggering. I might add that most deer hunters I know have several weapons or guns and the same is true for those who hunt ducks, small game and other species. The Game & Fish Commission in my home state of Arkansas reports that more than 490,000 licenses, tags, permits and stamps are sold each year. For Texas it’s more than 1,500,000, and when you add up all the states it is a staggering 31,000,000.
But back to the article Mr. Allard sent to me. In just one state, the state of Wisconsin, the 600,000 hunters with firearms constitutes the eighth largest army in the world. More men and women are armed than in Iran and more than France and Germany combined. And as the article pointed out, these hunters (mostly men) deployed to the woods of a single American state to hunt with firearms, and no one was killed. I might add here that young hunters who are granted a hunting license are required to first take a hunter safety and education course.
The point is that America will forever be safe from foreign invasion with that kind of homegrown firepower. Now, I am well aware of the tremendous firepower and bombs, including nuclear, that other nations possess but it still comes down to boots-on-the ground in any military conflict. There are those in our country, and also the United Nations, who would like to have strict gun control, but I stand with those who believe our forefathers had it right when they added the Second Amendment to our Constitution: “A well-regulated militia, being necessary of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
I am deeply concerned about crime in America and guns of various kinds that are used to commit crimes to kill other human beings, but I would be willing to wager you my last dollar that hunters are among the most law-abiding citizens in our country. Sure we have a few bad eggs, but most are good, decent, honest and hard-working men and women. I would never use a firearm to commit a crime or injure or kill another human being but I would defend myself if someone broke into my home to do me harm.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 890

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

BECOME A “SEIZE-THE-MOMENT” PERSON!

It has been said that the American people only have two speeds -- panic and apathy. Most of us are either going at break-neck speed or wasting time on activities that don’t amount to a hill of beans.
A good analogy is the man or women who passes you on the highway, breaking the speed limit, and you see them an hour later sitting around doing absolutely nothing. It is in this context that I would like to share a few thoughts that could help you use your time in a more productive and satisfying way. If you are not already, I would like to suggest that you become a seize-the-moment person.
In the past I have certainly been guilty, but I suspect that most of us are so set in our routines that we develop blinders. As a result, we miss many opportunities that could enhance the quality of our lives and certainly the quality of those who are important to us. Over the past several years I can think of many times when a friend or family member has said, “Let’s go camping this weekend, go fishing, play golf, or go to a ball game,” things I enjoy doing. In most cases, while it was spur of the moment, I said “yes” and had a great time. While planning and having a schedule is important, we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities when they come along.
I have a good friend here in Conway by the name of Leo Treat, and we share e-mails on a regular basis. Most are really good, positive and often funny, and we have a special bond that brings me a great deal of happiness. Recently he sent me an e-mail that contained this well-known saying, “Never put off until tomorrow, what you can do today.” This saying ties in with what I have been sharing with you. Regardless of where you live in this great country and read my column, I hope you have one or more Leo Treats in your life.
See if any of the following thoughts apply to you and then give them a little reflection. Some of these may cause you to change your priorities. “Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they are too rigid to depart from their routine. How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched ‘Jeopardy’ on television? I cannot count the times I have called my sister and said, ‘How about going to lunch in a half hour?’ She would gas up and stammer, ‘I can’t. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain. And my personal favorite: It’s Monday.’ She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.”
Because most people cram so much into their lives, they tend to schedule their headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves, when all the conditions are perfect. We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Tommy toilet-trained. We’ll entertain when we replace the living room carpet. We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. And here are a couple of thoughts that capture the essence of what this article is really about, and something we would each be better off for doing.
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, “We’ll do it tomorrow,” and in your haste, not see her sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say hi? If any of these things apply to you, here is what I encourage you to do, and don’t put it off. Share this with everyone you consider to be a friend and become more of a seize-the-moment person.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 893

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

COULD HE BE RIGHT?

Here is a question that I would like for you to think with me about for a few minutes today. I might add that this question has far reaching consequences for our nation in the years to come.
Here is the question – “Could he be right?” In this case, the “he” is Albert Einstein, the German-born physicist who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. Dr. Einstein developed the theory of relativity and is considered the most influential physicist of the 20th century. He became a United States citizen in 1940 and died on April 18, 1955, in Princeton, N.J. He is quoted as saying, which meant it had to be before 1955, and we had limited technology, “I fear the day that technology overlaps with our humanity. The world will have a generation of idiots.”
Again my question, “Could he be right?” If Albert Einstein were alive today, I wonder if he would say that day has come. If he could see the massive advertising, and billions of dollars spent, for all the high-tech products that have been developed in recent years, and the complete lunacy that takes place on Black Friday, I believe he would say that day has come. From a personal standpoint, I never like to refer to other human beings as idiots, but I believe a high percentage of Americans are not using their minds in this regard in a positive way. Further, and you can write this down somewhere, there is going to be a backlash when the American people finally wake up to what the tech companies and retailers are doing to them.
Now, please do not misunderstand what I am saying. I don’t blame the tech companies and the retailers for flooding the market with irresistible products, because they are in business to earn a profit. It really comes down to the individual consumer, who is free to make his or her own choices in the marketplace. It is a slippery slope, and when the consumer crosses the line they are not only doing themselves a disservice but our nation as well. It’s really a matter of whether we are using high-tech products for our own benefit or allowing the tech companies and retailers to use us. The real question is, how much is enough?
Here are just a few of the things we are losing and giving up. 1. Quality conversation and family time. Families, especially young children, suffer when everyone is sitting around texting someone else who will not be there for them when there is a crisis. A recent survey revealed that most people would give up most anything before being willing to give up their cell phone. 2. The use of our language. We are losing the ability to write, to spell, to think critically, and to learn important information that will help us become successful and productive. Reading skills and comprehension are also causalities in this area. Make no mistake, our children will suffer in the years to come because they are consumed by things that are high tech.
3. Another important consideration is the financial costs of having to always have the latest in an industry that makes the latest happen two or three times a year. It is hard to go in debt and save for the future at the same time. Fortunately, I still have my money because I have not fallen victim to the technology revolution. All I have, in addition to a computer, fax and telephone, is a plain cell-phone so I can stay in touch with my wife when I am away from home.
While it’s an individual choice that quote by Albert Einstein should give all of us something to think about: “I fear the day that technology overlaps with our humanity. The world will have a generation of idiots.”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 895

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

MOST OF US ARE SLOW LEARNERS!
There is an old joke that most educators have heard about Johnny bringing home a lot of homework. One evening after school, a neighbor girl was over visiting one of his siblings and she observed all the papers that he was reading. When she learned that it was homework she said, “Why don’t they put him in the slow group?”
Well, to be honest I have been in the slow group for most of my life and, after reading something my friend J.L. Abbott sent me a while back, I could better understand why. After you read what I am going to share today, perhaps you will have a better understanding of which group you are in.
I might add that I had never heard or seen this information before. To really grasp its meaning you will have to apply the process of visualization and see it in your minds-eye. The article begins, “It’s been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish, all before making a human. He made and provided what we need before we were born. The following vegetables are best and more powerful when eaten raw.” And here is the reason for my title. We are such slow learners.
Again, see these vegetables in your minds-eye as I describe each one and the medical benefits they each contain. “No. 1: A sliced carrot looks like a human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye, and yes science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. No. 2: A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure hearted blood food. No. 3: Grapes hang in a cluster and have the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
“No. 4: A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function. No. 5: Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like human kidneys. No. 6: Celery, Bok, Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23 percent sodium and these foods are 23 percent sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. (I didn’t know that, did you?) These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
“No. 7: Avocados, eggplant and pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them.) No. 8: Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility. No. 9: Sweet potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.”
Well, how did you do? Are you slow or fast? Welcome to the club.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 897

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A TRAGIC MIX-UP IN PRIORITIES!

Did you hear about the new game we have here in America? It’s the old game we used to call football but it has now become “Fill the stands on Saturday.”
While they still play the game, filling the stands is what it’s all about. The logical question then becomes: “How do you fill the stands on Saturday?” The answer, while complicated, is still very simple. The team has to win all or most of its games, be a conference or national champion and go to a bowl game.
To be sure the stands are half empty when the team’s record is 2 and 8 or some other similar won and loss record. Winning is what it’s all about as this is what produces the revenue to pay big-time coaches the kind of salaries they are now receiving, as well as paying for huge building programs that so many major universities are now doing.
The net result of this all-out attempt to win has produced a bidding war for college coaches with a winning record. In November 2012, USA Today Sports ran an article titled “College football coaches continue to see salary explosion.” The highest salary for any college coach, at the time of this writing, was Nick Saban, coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The amount of his total package was $5.5 million. The article also stated that six years ago, 42 major college football coaches make at least $1 million. Today, 42 make at least $2 million. Now that is pretty good money if you can get it.
Here is the line that rubbed me the wrong way and perhaps will you as well. The pay for football coaches has escalated even as schools face cuts in instructional spending. What we have here is a tragic mix-up in priorities and it has to change for the sake of America’s standing in the world and also our national security. When responsible citizens in our country can step back from all the hype, here is what we all need to understand. When a major university is looking for a new coach, finally Mr. Right is located, hired and moves to town, with his family, if he has one.
This coach is new to the community and had nothing to do with building the stadium and all the other athletic facilities. For public universities, this was done by taxpayers, along with students and their parents who paid tuition all the way back to when the university was founded or at least started their football program. We should never forget the purpose of colleges and universities in the first place, and that is to educate people to be able to work in a job or career and become responsible, productive, tax-paying citizens. That’s it. Everything else is window dressing. Athletics does provide some wonderful benefits to players and I am not opposed to athletics at all. I am just opposed to paying football coaches 10 times what they are worth as it relates to salary.
From my perspective, no football coach is worth more than a million dollars. Here is a suggestion that I hope decision makers, especially with the NCAA, might consider. Universities negotiate with a coaching candidate for the best possible salary. The coach then gets up to a million dollars, plus a bonus of $100,000 for every game his team wins. The rest will be split between the athletic department for future building programs and the other to the academic side of the university. This would foster a great relationship between athletics and academics and certainly the coach would still have plenty to live on. His assistants should also be paid an adequate salary while they are waiting their turn.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 898

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

HOW TO START A FIGHT!

The Bible says there will always be wars and rumors of wars. This means that at some time, in some way, someone had to start a fight, often with devastating consequences. To be sure, as human beings we are each unique with our own distinct personalities. Some individuals like to fight while others don’t. Personally, I detest controversy and I hate violence, but there comes a time in most of our lives when we have to take a stand, and this might even include being involved in a fight -- if not actual fisticuffs, at least a verbal fight.
The other day a friend e-mailed me an article titled “How to Start A Fight” that was very humorous. I believe and I hope you will agree, in today’s times most of us are so stressed out, just tying to keep our heads above water, that we welcome a little comic relief from time to time.
Some of the following short-stories are a little off-color and I have cleaned them up a bit, while others I have just discarded. Hopefully as I share these you will smile a little, if not crack-up laughing. Here we go and most will end with the words, “And that’s how the fight started.”
No. 1: One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift. The next year I did not buy her a gift. When she asked me why, I replied. “Well, you still have not used the gift I bought you last year.” And that’s when the fight started.
No. 2: When our lawnmower broke and wouldn’t run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed. But somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the shed, the boat, making homemade wine … always something more important to me. Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again I handed her a toothbrush. I said, “When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway.” The doctors say I will walk again but will always have a limp.
No. 3: My wife said down next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, “What’s on TV?” I said, “Dust.” And then the fight started.
No. 4: My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, “I want something that goes from 0 to 150 in about three seconds.” I bought her a bathroom scale. And then the fight started.
No. 5: (And this may hit close to home) My wife and I were sitting at a table at her school reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table. I asked her, “Do you know him?” “Yes,” she sighed. “He’s my old boyfriend. I understand he took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he hasn’t been sober since.” “My gosh!” I said, ‘Who would think, a person could go on celebrating that long?” And then the fight started.
No. 6: My wife was standing with no clothes on, looking in the bathroom mirror. She was not happy with what she saw and said to me, “I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.” I replied, “Look on the bright side, your eyesight is almost perfect.” And then the fight started.
That’s all folks. Hope you have cracked a smile or two. This column reminded me of a fight that broke out in a nearby school a few weeks ago between parents at a basketball game. When I read about this, the following question came to me, “What did they learn when they were in school?”
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 900

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE BAILOUT THAT REALLY HURTS!

Dr. Charlotte Rainey Green is an educator who lives here in our community and works for our local school system. She is a friend of mine and is a clear voice for common sense and reason when it comes to presenting an important issue that is impacting all of our society, not only here but across the United States of America.
She chronicles this issue in her new book titled “Parent Bailout: The Bailout That is Really Crippling America.” Unlike bailouts that have been in the news in recent months that have cost American taxpayers billions of dollars, this one flies beneath the radar and is seldom talked about or addressed in a critical or analytical way.
In a very real sense, the bailout she addresses is costing our society much more than those that have been in the news, because they are more or less “one time” bailouts. The parent bailout, however, is so pervasive that it goes on year after year. Dr. Green begins her discussion by dedicating her book to her parents, Carl and Icy Rainey, and then tells the reader why they were so special. She is one of 15 children and they are all productive citizens in our society. Her parents understood that although they had many responsibilities in life, none were greater than the responsibility of parenting.
Here are some qualities that are missing in many homes today. Her parents were able to instruct because they were at home, listening, feeding, teaching and giving their children what they needed emotionally so they did not need to get their physical and emotional needs met elsewhere. Many parents are feeding and clothing but not instructing. In addition to a hot breakfast, her parents made sure their children had what they needed before they went to school every morning. “My siblings and I were blessed; I was taught that your actions follow your beliefs.”
Then she makes a statement that I wish every parent in America could make: “Thank you Mom and Dad for not just talking about what you believe. Thank you for living what you believe and honoring your responsibilities as parents. Your life serves as a model to your children and others, and the term ‘parent bailout’ would not exist if all parents were like you.”
From this point forward, in the following 57 pages she really “cuts to the chase” and lays out the massive problem of too many parents depending on our schools to provide for the needs of their children rather than meeting their own responsibilities.
Today’s school systems are required to implement various family programs to address issues that were once the responsibility of the family. Schools assist with children’s personal care, meals, emotional support and supplies necessary for school. Here is the real rub. School systems are not designed to handle the responsibilities for family support systems for an extended period, as it stretches their resources. Family structures become weaker as the dependency increases on school systems to provide various family services.
Here is why this problem must be addressed in coming years. Parent bailout exhausts government and school resources and lessens the responsibility on families. Public school systems were created with the goal of educating individuals to be productive citizens and contribute to society. They can’t do that if they have to do the job of parenting, too. By all means, get Dr. Green’s book and read it. We may be able to improve our public school system.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 902

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A GREAT FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS!

Back in 2006 I wrote a column titled, “We Can’t Pick Our Kinfolks,” in which I told the story of Dr. Ben Carson, the famous Johns Hopkins Medical Center neurosurgeon who led a team of doctors to perform the first surgery to separate Siamese twins who were joined at the head where both lived. At the time I had never heard of Dr. Ben Carson, but a wonderful reader, the late Eva Easley of Bluefield, W.Va., told me about him and suggested I read his book, “Gifted Hands.” I did.
Now, please fast forward to Feb. 7, 2013, and the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., where he was a featured speaker. His remarks, with President Obama a scant five feet away, has the Washington establishment buzzing and millions more Americans now know about this truly gifted and caring American.
In next week’s column I want to elaborate on a basic concept he presented but I felt it would be helpful if you had some background information that would place what he had to say into context. Please read his story, which follows, and then join me next week, as I will talk about the simple concept of “Skin In The Game.” His presentation will make all the difference in the world in how we view things. Now, on to his story:
“Ben Carson grew up in a ghetto in Detroit, Mich. When he was 8 years of age, his mother learned that his father had ‘another’ family. After the divorce, things were really hard for Ben, his older brother and his mother, who had only a third-grade education but worked two or three jobs to provide for them. The school Ben attended in his early years was made up of mostly white students, and Ben was black. Because he was not doing well, some of the other students called him ‘dummy.’ Ben’s mother was a strong believer in the value of education, and when she learned of this she laid the law down to him.
“She said, ‘from now on, you can watch only two or three television programs a week and you must read two books. While he grumbled for a time, he followed his mother’s instructions. One of the things that motivated him was a television program called ‘College Quiz Bowl.’ Ben wanted to be on that program, but he knew he would have to have a well-rounded education to compete successfully. Soon he began to listen to classical music, go to art galleries, and attend plays and other cultural events. He also read books on everything he could find that would broaden his range of knowledge.
“While he never made it to the College Quiz Bowl, here was the payoff. In high school, many of the same students who used to call him ‘dummy’ were now coming to Ben asking him to help them with their studies. He also became involved in the ROTC program at his school and made it all the way to the rank of colonel before he graduated. As a result, Ben was offered a full scholarship to West Point, but turned it down because he had decided that he wanted to become a doctor. He was offered a full scholarship to Yale University, where he graduated and would then go on to the Michigan School of Medicine.” What a great foundation for success.
Today, Dr. Ben Carson is soon to retire as head of the pediatric neurosurgery department of Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. It was back in 1987 when he led a team of surgeons who performed successful surgery to separate Siamese twins who were joined at the head. Telling his story is always emotional for me. Next week I believe you will see why.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 904

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SYMPTOMS OF A SICK SOCIETY!

On Dec. 14, 2012, the unspeakable happened once again in our country. On this date, a young man who was armed to the teeth entered the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and opened fire on everything that moved. When it was over, 20 precious children and six faculty members were dead, and the gunman turned a gun on himself ending the rampage. These events have been documented thousands of times and the constant news coverage for the next several weeks left more questions than answers.
Like most Americans, I watched the following news accounts intently and with deep sadness like any parent or grandparent who was grateful that this did not happen to our own children. In our culture today, we realize that it could have been us. What I would like to invite you to think about today is the 24-hour comments and discussions that followed by those in the media, political leaders and all the pundits who attempted to explain why it happened, and to point fingers on those who were deemed guilty. For the gun-control advocates, this event was like throwing gas on an open fire. Others blamed Hollywood and the producers of violent video games, movies and television programs. And then there were those who pointed to mental health issues. I would add the breakdown of the family and sexual perversion, which are also a part of the problem.
From my perspective, most of those in authority missed the real reason for this tragic event and most of the other tragedies that have taken place in the past 20 to 30 years. Some nibbled around the edges but none I heard said these were only “symptoms” of a sick society, and the much deeper root problem -- the breakdown of our culture because we have removed God from the mainstream of American life. While I have said this before, I still believe it’s still true. We did not have this when I was growing up in the 1950s, when parents were still in control of their children and most took them to church and Sunday school on a regular basis.
A couple of days after the shootings, leaders in the community of Newtown held an interdenominational prayer meeting at the Newtown High School. I might add that this is a public school. To his credit, during the prayer service President Obama quoted the words of Jesus, and others read scripture from the Bible. However, this was in interdenominational prayer service and religious leaders from all faiths were part of the program, which is the way it should be.
Here is the point of my column, and you certainly have the right to disagree – Until we, as a nation, put God back on the throne in our homes and in our lives, we will continue down the same path that has brought us to this point in time. Our children deserve more.
Here is my recommendation. We took the Ten Commandments down from the walls of courthouses, schools and other public places. We took prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance from classrooms, sporting events and important meetings. We took them down -- and we can put them back. After all, WE THE PEOPLE have the power. The politicians work for us, we don’t work for them. A full 85 percent of the American people believe in God. While we should always respect the rights of other religions in our country, we must not allow them to dictate what is important to us and our values.
“If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 906

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE POWER OF LOVE!

No 906
Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE POWER OF LOVE!
At our home, I have just witnessed an amazing transformation. We have moved from a point where my wife Viola wanted to die, to a point where she now cherishes and looks forward to each new day of life. Before I proceed, a little background please, and for those of you who read my column on a regular basis, this will be an update for you. For the past 19 years my wife Viola has had Parkinson’s Disease. As you may know, there is no cure for this terrible disease and in the final stages all anyone can do for a patient, is manage the pain. However, I am told that some patients have pain while others don’t. Viola does and at times it has been horrific.
In the fall of 2011 we went to a local nursing home for some therapy, hoping this would extend the time when she could still perform basic functions. After a few weeks it was determined that she had reached the point where she was no longer making progress and we were sent home. This was the next day after Thanksgiving, and most people, including myself, did not think she would last much longer than a few weeks. When we got home it was determined by the Hospice people that she was over medicated, so we cut back on her medication and began to feed her nutritious meals, and I gave her lots of love.
It took a little while before we reached the point where we knew how to give her the right amount of medication where she slept most of the time but was alert enough to carry on short conversations and not be in pain. Too much medication (morphine) she was a zombie, not enough and she was constantly hurting. Here is the transformation that began to take place and what I hope you will seriously ponder as I share this deeply personal story. Naturally she was scared, so I continued to tell her how much I loved her and also reassure her of her great value and worth and that I would always be there for her. I did this many times each day. Often when I would leave the room and tell her, I will be right back, she would say, “You promise.”
After a few weeks we developed a routine where I would physically take her out of bed, place her in a Geri Chair and leave her for most of the day, before putting her back in bed at an early hour. Thankfully I have a wonderful lady here by the name of Cynthia Tillman who takes care of her Monday thru Friday for eight hours each day. I have her by myself for the rest of the time. When a patient stays in a Geri Chair for several hours, even with a lot of extra padding, they frequently develop “bed sores” because it’s impossible to turn them in a chair of this type.
One sore on her hip became so large that we had to keep her in bed, so we could turn her every hour, and change her large bandage on a regular basis. She had now reached a point where she is a total invalid, being able to only move her mouth for us to feed her. Of course she can still see, smell, hear and has her sense of humor, and the use of her marvelous mind. In a column several weeks ago titled “The Best Days of My Life” I shared a good deal of this information.
However, right here the focus changes. What you have just read is a column I had prepared to run here in our local newspaper on Friday, May 17, 2013 but the Lord had other plans for her. He called her home about 7:15 a.m. on the morning of May 13th and she is now safely in the arms of Jesus. This sad event will hit me hard in the days, weeks and months to come but I am extremely grateful for the 35 years we had together. She was a marvelous lady and blessed the lives of countless people across the nation. It can be truthfully said, she fought the good fight and she finished well. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com You won’t go wrong when you help a needy child.)

No. 908

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ARE YOU A REDNECK?

As I am sure you know, life is full of surprises. Some of these surprises are good and some are bad, depending on how they affect us. Here is a surprise I had just recently. If someone had asked me the question, “Are you a redneck?” I would have said, “No way.” I am much too cultured for that. I have always thought a redneck was someone who went through life with more brawn than brains. I realize here that I have to be careful because I may be getting close to offending some of my friends. However, after reading something I received by e-mail the other day, I may be a redneck after all. Please read the following and see how you feel about this question.
The article begins with an interesting observation: “If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I would choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit ... that’s what rednecks are made of. Then the author admonishes me to pass this along to my redneck friends. Then he makes a statement that may not be true: Y’all know who you are. You may not know, so that is why I made the decision to write this column.
As you read the following statements, see if your opinion changes as has mine.
“You might be a redneck if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, ‘One nation, under God.’
You still say Christmas instead of ‘winter festival.’
You bow your head when someone prays.
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have
You’ve never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You know what you believe and you aren’t afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same. Some of you are so old you don’t have elders to respect.
You’d give your last dollar to a friend.
You believe in God and Jesus, and believe that others have the right to believe in whichever God they believe in as long as their God does not tell them to kill anyone that does not believe the same as they do.”
Well, that’s the end of it but as I said earlier, after reading this article I have changed my mind about being a redneck, at least the redneck presented in this article, because I believe in each of the things it talked about. While I have no way of knowing, I suspect you believe in these things as well. The reason I can make this statement is simple, at least to me, because they are mainstream American values.
At this point I would like to share a few ideas that I hope you will think about. When I write each of my columns, while I don’t always say it, my whole philosophy is based on respect for others, their opinions, values and beliefs. I may not always agree, but I respect each person’s right to hold them and to express them, so long as they do not take away someone else’s rights. A great man once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 910

The Next Password in Grape

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A GREAT ONE-PERSON BREAKFAST!

If you live alone and have ever said, “It’s hard to cook for just one,” I have discovered a great one-person breakfast that may be of interest. I might add that this breakfast would be good for any person, any time during the day.
When it comes to eating good, nutritious food, for the past 30 plus years I have been the most blessed person on earth. That is because my wife Viola was a fantastic cook and had that special touch of knowing how to season food that made it so delicious. But lo, all good things must come to an end, and when her Parkinson’s reached the point that she could no longer perform in the kitchen, I had some choices to make.
She passed away back on May 13, 2013 and is now with the Lord, but for the past 18 months I have been all alone at breakfast time. As I have said before, I am a pretty fast learner, so I set about the task of improving my cooking skills. The first thing I did was make a list of all the foods I like to eat. Since I am type II diabetic, I watch my sugar, fat, cholesterol and salt intake like a hawk. My breakfast items included ham, sausage, bacon, eggs, pancakes, biscuits, toast, bagels, gravy, oatmeal, cereal, and fruit of various kinds, especially grapefruit. Obviously these are prepared in various combinations to make a well-balanced meal, and a number of different beverages are always on the menu.
A few years ago I used to travel with a group of guys to play golf at a course north of Greenbrier, and we would stop at the Sonic Drive-in and buy a Super-Sonic Breakfast Burrito to eat on the way to the course. They were so good. Since I already had tortillas in the house for making fajitas, I got to thinking about making a breakfast burrito. After a little trial and error, I hit on a combination that I can recommend to anyone who would enjoy this kind of food. If you are interested, I would like to give you the step-by-step procedures that I use. I could eat one every day but I rotate some of the items I mentioned earlier to provide balance.
First, you will need two skillets -- one non-stick for shredded potatoes and the other for one sausage patty. Turn on the stove to medium heat under the non-stick skillet, put in four tablespoons of canola oil and allow it to get hot. Then put in one and a half handfuls of potatoes and allow them to cook until they are golden brown. As you begin, turn the heat on under the other skillet and begin to cook the sausage patty. At this point, take a large burrito-size tortilla and spread it on a full-size plate. When the potatoes are done, take them out of the skillet and place them on a folded paper towel for the extra oil to drain.
Now, take one egg and scramble it in the same skillet as the potatoes. You can do this on the side of the skillet and allow the egg to get hard. Take the potatoes from the paper towel and mound them up across the center of the tortilla. Then take the one scrambled egg and spread it out along the top of the potatoes. At this point your sausage patty will be done so take it out and place it on the paper towel for the excess oil to drain. Your breakfast burrito is beginning to shape up. Either cut or tear the sausage into small pieces and spread along the top of the egg.
The following ingredients can be varied depending on your taste, but I take about five slices of Trappey’s Jalapeno and spread them along the top, followed by some shredded cheese and then about three to four spoonfuls of Pace picante sauce. When you fold it over tight and close one end to keep it from dripping, you have a meal. Add drink, pills, fruit or anything else you care or need to, and I hope you enjoy.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

The Next Password is Grape

No. 214

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

The famous American humorist Will Rogers once said, “All I know is what I read in the newspaper.” While I’m sure there was more truth than fiction in his statement, have you ever thought about where we, as American citizens, would be were it not for the 7000 plus newspapers across this nation? While I have never worked for a newspaper and don’t have a degree in journalism I am deeply grateful to have over 200 newspapers in 35 states who carry this column. Many of these papers have sent me a sample copy or a complimentary subscription, so I’ve had a chance to examine the content and the quality of a wide variety of papers from every area of the country.

While you may or may not have thought about the many personal benefits that come from your local newspaper, it’s something that is definitely worth a few minutes of our time. The “Newspaper In Education” program in hundreds of communities provide teachers a teaching tool for students to gain practical, useful knowledge in a wide variety of subjects. Since the newspaper cuts across all areas of society, it serves to help prepare young people for what they will face in a highly competitive adult world.

The idea for this column came to me a few weeks ago as I was reading our local newspaper, The Log Cabin Democrat (a great paper I might add.) When I picked up this particular issue the first article I saw was about one of our state senators who had pled “No Contest” to a drunk driving charge and had been fined, sentenced to community service and had his driver’s licensee suspended for 6 months. Then too, like most fast growing communities we are constantly faced with tax issues that affect our wallets. It’s good to have the pros and cons of each issue so we can be better informed.

Another valuable part of our paper is the “Letters to the editor” where local citizens are given the opportunity to share their views, complaints, appreciation and a whole hosts of other topics. The thing I really appreciate about the Community Newspaper is that they are much more responsible than other segments of the media. This is because they have a real interest in helping to make their community a better place to live. To be sure some newspapers, like most other things are better than others, but even the worst newspaper in the country is making a valuable contribution whether you realize it or not.

The people who work for newspapers are your eyes and ears and can be places where decisions are made or things are discussed that you can’t possibly be. While we have more graft and corruption in government than we need, just think of how much worse it could be were it not for the “spotlight” that newspaper reporters shine on them. Newspapers get accused of running too much negative news, but we can be grateful that what they print is still news. When murder, rape, burglary, scandals, fraud and tragic automobile accidents is so commonplace that it is no longer news, then we will be much worse off as a society than we are now.

As I said, by and large newspaper people provide a valuable service to communities all across this land. With the exception of when the state press associations hands out awards to its members, you won’t find these people tooting their own horn. For this reason I just wanted to invite you to think about what your newspaper means to the people in your community. When you have the opportunity, why not let them know you appreciate the good job they do. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 216

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DO YOU HAVE A PURPOSE IN LIFE?

This past week I got a letter from a gentleman who was very distraught about his circumstances in life. He told me that he hated his job and the only times he looked forward to were the weekends when he was off work. He was in his early forties and in the past few years had taken up the game of golf. He said he had more or less mastered the game and wanted to begin a new career, either as an instructor or somewhere else in the industry. His wife however, was dead set against it.

Im sure you can see his problem. His wife wanted the security that a good job provided and apparently he had not saved enough money for her to be supportive. I believe his story is representative of thousands, if not millions of people all across our nation who are also unhappy on their jobs. In his case, the root problem really goes back several years to when he made the decision to go to work for his employer or in his particular industry. At the time he probably gave very little thought about whether or not he would be happy down the road. In the beginning, all most people want is a job. This is especially true for those who do not have a college degree and have decided on a career.

The first consideration for this gentleman is his wife, because if he cant sell her on making a change he will never be happy, even if he goes against her wishes and does it anyway. My advice to him was to save some money over the next three to five years and then reevaluate his situation. At this point he may or may not have changed his mind about making a job or career change, but at least from a financial standpoint, he would be able to seriously consider it. With these developments his wife may have also become supportive.

But back to my reason for sharing this with you. In terms of gainful employment, the vast majority of people in America have a job, millions more have a career and a lesser number have a calling. Here, Im referring to those people who are called by God to go into full or part time ministry. There is also another term along these lines that means a lot to me and maybe to you as well. Im referring to a purpose and the dictionary defines purpose as an idea or ideal kept before the mind as an end of effect or action. Few are the individuals, even among career people, who find a real purpose in life and the satisfaction and happiness that goes along with it. Is it possible that you have a purpose in life? Do you have something to do or accomplish that is larger than yourself that you cant wait to get started on each day?

Helping people succeed has been my life for over thirty years, and just recently I discovered my purpose in life. Hundreds of readers have written or called me and they are such a blessing. Mrs. Theola Knox of Milton, Kentucky wrote and said, your column is my reason for subscribing to the Trimble - Banner. In response to my column, A Clarion Call To All Americans, Shirley & Dean Goff wrote to say, Count us in to be part of your volunteer army. If only each human being would perform one selfless act each day, to help a neighbor, this world would soon change for the better. This is so true!!

When I started writing this column I had no idea how much satisfaction and happiness it would bring to so many people. The pinnacle came a few weeks ago when Mrs. Hope McKay Rice of Enfield, Connecticut wrote a letter to our local editor. She said, My 90+ year old mother Molly Russell McKay looks forward to your paper each day and Jim Davidson is her favorite columnist. Thank you, Molly, and God bless you. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 218

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A TOUGH WAY TO SPEND THE FIRST HALF

The American author James Thurber once said, Humor is the other side of tragedy...one of our greatest and earliest national resources which must be preserved at all costs. With this in mind, please permit me to share this true story that a friend told me the other day. You may not get a charge out of it, but it was one of the funniest things Ive heard in a long time. Since this story was about his wife, youll understand why I dont plan to give you his name. If I did, he would probably be looking for a new place to stay. Im just kidding. Shes as laid back as anyone Ive ever known.

To bring you up to speed mentally so you will know where Im coming from, please permit me to give you a little background information. Back in the days before running water and indoor plumbing the general custom was to have a galvanized washtub out on the back porch for taking a bath. This made it convenient to carry water from the well to fill it. Because there was usually a good deal of water sloshing involved, the floor of the back porch was usually slanted so the water would run off.

Now fast forward about forty years and see this particular old house after it has been renovated and it now has running water, indoor plumbing and one of those big old cast iron bathtubs with bear claw feet that my wife and many others has always wanted. However, in this case they just enclosed a section of the back porch for a bathroom and you had to go outside the house and then go through a separate door to enter.

At this point, hopefully you have the picture. One Saturday afternoon in November about 2 Oclock my friends wife decided to take a bath while he was watching a football game. Soon he gets totally engrossed in the game and time passes, but in his subconscious mind, once in a while he thinks he hears something. Before long the first quarter is over and it is an exciting game. Then its half-time and he begins to feel like he needs a snack from the refrigerator, but he still cant escape the feeling that he has been hearing something.

As he gets to the kitchen the voice is a little louder and he realizes at this point that it is coming from the bathroom on the back porch. When he goes outside and opens the bathroom door, here is the scene that confronts him. The weight of that big old cast iron tub filled with water with a human being in it has fallen through the floor. Since the floor was weakest next to the wall where it had soaked for years, only the two outside feet had gone totally through which made the tub tilt up on its side.

Now, here is a scene you dont ever want to see. The plumbing has broken loose and water is squirting everywhere and my friends wife was in that tub, naked as a jay bird, and couldnt get out! When he told me this true story I quickly arrived at the conclusion that this was a tough way to spend the first half. She had been in that tub hollering for over an hour before he finally heard her and was able to get her out. And just think, all those guys playing football had no idea this was going on.

The reason I have decided to share this with you is because its real life and something that most of us can relate to. A good clean story (pun intended) like this one with no serious consequences only serves to make life interesting. To be sure I want to keep up with whats going on in the world, but I also want to have a little good natured fun. Until next time, I trust that your life is good and I sincerely hope you have a great day. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 220

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

OUR SOCIETYS FAST FOOD MENTALITY

A while back I stopped for a bite to eat at a McDonalds Restaurant in Clear Lake, Iowa and was soon standing beside a gentleman who had also placed an order. After about three minutes he turned to me in disgust and said, And they call this fast food. You see, he wanted to place his order one moment and have his food the next. This is a scene that is repeated millions of times all over the world. People who are in a hurry, but in most cases are not going anywhere special.

In reality, because we have so many things in our society today that are instant we have lost much of the joy of life when it comes to slowing down, appreciating those things of lasting quality that take time to produce and even to go out of our way to visit with an old friend. Because this attitude is so pervasive and affects so much of our daily lives, I have dubbed it a fast food mentality. In short, we dont have time because we are in a hurry. But in a hurry for what? A stroke or a heart attack?

These thoughts came to me as a result of a conversation I had with a man a few days ago who owns a restaurant where my wife and I eat from time to time. I might add, this is not a fast food restaurant. He was lamenting the fact that he was having a terrible time getting and keeping good help. He said, In todays highly competitive restaurant business, you have to have good help or you are not going to survive.

At this point he laid something on me that was hard to believe. He said, A few years ago I would have to go through about ten applicants before I could find one that was even worth interviewing, but today that number is up to twenty-five. Can you believe that? This man would have to go through twenty-five applicants (mostly young people) before he could find one that had the potential to even interview. In this case, I know this man and he was telling the truth.

He went on to say that he had just hired a 16 year old young man as a dishwasher who was so good that he gave him a dollar an hour raise after only week on the job. Now, you may not think that dollar an hour raise was any big deal, but you would if you were making minimum wage, which is where most restaurant employees begin.

The reason Im sharing this with you is because all of us who spend our money expect quality and service from those where we spend it. Thats why that man in Clear Lake, Iowa was disgruntled. For the most part we can handle the minor inconveniences we encounter each day, but the problem goes much deeper and its something we should all think about.

The restaurant owner Ive been talking about also said, Isnt it the parents responsibility to teach their children the importance of work and that they must stick with a job long enough to go up the ladder to a higher salary, management opportunity and other long term benefits? The answer to that question is yes.

Here is something else to think about. We have several generations of young people who have never had to work and those who have done poorly or dropped out of school are the ones who are left to apply for those minimum wage jobs. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but most of these young people were not going to do any better on the job than they did in school. It truly does come back to the parents and like most things of this nature, its really a matter of the individual person. If you have young people in your family, what are you teaching them about character and work? (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 222

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE MEAT OF THE COCONUT

Back in 1965, when I first started my sales career, I made a call on a very prominent businessman in our states capital city. After a few moments of small talk on my part he leaned over and tapped me on the knee and said, Son, get to the meat of the coconut. Being as perceptive as I am, it did not take me long to figure out what he had in mind. He was very busy making money and did not want me to waste any of his time. This man is dead now but before he died his large company went bankrupt, at least that is what a friend told me. In view of this personal story I want to share something with you that a reader sent me the other day. Its titled, God wont ask and I hope you will really ponder what it says. It has to do with what is important in life and and what is not and it really and truly gets to the meat of the coconut. At least it did for me.

The article contains 20 points and it begins: 1. God wont ask what social class you were in. He will ask what kind of class you displayed. 2. God wont ask the square footage of your house. He will ask how many people you helped who didnt have a house. 3. God wont ask what kind of fancy car you drove. He will ask how many people you took to church who didnt have transportation. 4. God wont ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet. He will ask how many of those clothes you gave away to the Salvation Army. 5. God wont ask how many material possessions you had. He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.

6. God wont ask what your highest salary was. He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary. 7. God wont ask how much overtime you worked. He will ask did you work overtime for your family. 8. God wont ask how many promotions you received. He will ask what you did to promote others. 9. God wont ask what your job title was. He will ask did you perform your job to the best of your ability. 10. God wont ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill. He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your familys quality of life.

11. God wont ask how many times you didnt run around on your spouse. He will ask how many times you did. 12. God wont ask how many degrees you had. He will ask how many people you thanked for helping you get those degrees. 13. God wont ask what your parents did to help you. He will ask what you did to help your parents. 14. God wont ask what you did to help yourself. He will ask what you did to help others. 15. God wont ask how many friends you had. He will ask how many people you were a friend to.

16. God wont ask what you did to protect your rights. He will ask what you did to protect the rights of others. 17. God wont ask what neighborhood you lived in. He will ask what other neighborhoods you visited. 18. God wont ask how many times you told the truth. He will ask how many times you told a lie. 19. God wont ask about the color of your skin. He will ask about the color of your heart. 20. God wont ask how many times your deeds matched your words. He will ask how many times they didnt.

My friend, you could say it in many different ways but what you have just read is really and truly the meat of the coconut. You know, all of us will stand before God someday..and everything we did, said, and thought will come to light. While its a very personal thing, in my case I have changed my priorities a lot in terms of what is important to me and what is not. In the final sweep of time for each of us I believe we should have the right answers. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 224

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN AMERICA?

My friend Nancy Ballard sent me a terrific article the other day and I would like to share it with you. It begins, I grew up in rural America in the 50s and 60s. On any given day, you could walk through the high school parking lot and observe that half the vehicles parked there were trucks with windows rolled down and doors unlocked. Most of them carried, as standard equipment, an FFA sticker and a gun rack with at least one gun, usually loaded. You could make the same observation at any of the four high school campuses in our county. Amazingly, I do not ever recall reading or hearing about mass shootings in any of those high schools. What has changed in America is not the accessibility of guns, but the character of man.

On the wall in my parents home is a plaque awarded to my father in recognition of service for 27 years on the local school board. He told me that for years, a standard requirement on every teachers contract was membership in a local church. I remember starting every school day with the pledge and a prayer.

I remember when girls who got pregnant in high school were ashamed, when abortions were illegal, when the divorce rate was not 50% because couples stayed together for the kids sake, when there were no X rated movies, when milk cartons didnt have missing kids faces on them and I didnt know anyone personally who used drugs. I remember when kids were taught respect for authority and accountability to God.

Last night I attended a high school football game that was covered by local and national news. The news coverage was not about the football teams, but about the defiance of a court order by one brave little Texas town to preserve the right to pray before a football game. The more this country struggles to free itself from religion, the more we become entangled in the consequences. It is an observable truth that the best time you will ever make on any American city freeway is on Sunday morning because there are no traffic jams getting to church.

For those who believe that separation of church and state is not enough, that the world would be better off without religion, ask yourself this question. How many hospitals, universities, orphanages, homeless and abuse shelters have been founded by the ACLU or the American Atheist Society? It is the inclusion of the word Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Christian, etc., in the name of so many of these institutions that proves by actions, not just words, who really cares for the suffering of mankind and desires to make the world better. The question that people should be asking is not Why does God allow tragedies? but When will we realize that no nation in the history of the world, has ever separated itself from God and evolved to a better society. Well, how about that? The credit line on this article was given to a young lady in Alabama but when I asked her for permission to use it, she said she was not the author and did not know who was. If you know, drop me a note and I will give credit in a future column.

I would like to ask you one simple question: What has changed in America? The real problem that is facing our nation is not guns in the hands of our citizens but the decline of ethical and moral character by millions of people in this country. If the gun control people would spend the same amount of time, energy and money removing violence from television programs and video games, over time, our nation would be far better off. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 226

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHAT MAKES FELTNERS SO SPECIAL

About thirteen hundred miles Southwest of Wall Street there is a little hamburger restaurant that has made a lasting impression on me. The name of this restaurant is Feltners Whatta Burger and its located just off I-40 in Russellville, Arkansas. While its still true today, but even more so when I used to travel more extensively, I would drive an extra 50 to 100 miles out of the way just so I could eat at this little restaurant. I know for a fact that many other people do this as well.

The main draw was the quality of the food and while its a matter of taste, I dont know of many things better than a delicious hamburger. When you take pure ground chuck, fresh lettuce, big slices of onion, pickles and home grown(in season) tomatoes and build one on an extra large steamed bun, you have a Feltners Whatta Burger. I might add, that Feltners should not be confused with the Whatta Burger chain that is found in Texas. Their attorney worked it out where they could have the rights to their name in Arkansas but not in other areas of the country.

Feltners Whatta Burger is really a David & Goliath story. A small restaurant surrounded by the major chains, both fast food and slow food, and thriving right there in the midst of them. But even more than that, the founder Bob Feltner, who passed away back in 1997, developed a unique system of getting customers in and out in a timely fashion with low overhead. If you have an interest in the restaurant business, you may want to think seriously about what I am saying.

In all my travels I have never seen a system like they have. Here is how it works. When a customer comes in the front door, they move forward to get in a single line and the narrow railing insures that customers are served in the order they came in. While standing there looking at the large menu selection board a waitress approaches to take your order. The order is written on a white paper bag and then passed along to the assembly line where individual employees select the various ingredients to fill customer orders. They have many items on the menu besides hamburgers but its the system thats unique.

While going through the line, you pass face to face with several employees performing their tasks until you get to the drink fountain and the cashier. He or she takes your drink order, fills it, takes your money, gives you your order in the white paper bag, places a bottle of catsup on the tray and you are on your way. At this point you just walk back to a booth, split the sack open, have the blessing and enjoy. When you are finished, take the tray to the trash can, empty it, and walk out the door.

If you have ever had a Feltners Whatta Burger you might like to know that this restaurant has been honored to have the best hamburger in N.W. Arkansas by the Arkansas Times Readers Choice Awards for 15 straight years. Another unique factor that is an assett is that the restaurant is located across the street from Arkansas Tech University and all the employees wear uniforms of Kelly Green and Gold, the schools colors.

Since 1997 when Bob Feltner passed away, his daughter Missy and Son-In-Law Randy Ellis have run the business. In a recent interview Missy said something every business person needs to keep in mind. She said, Dad always taught us to use good products, to put out good food and be fair to your customers and employees. In a day of corporate takeovers, we need more of these kinds of stories. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 228

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

MOM & DAD...IM COMING HOME

A friend sent me something the other day in the mail that brought back a lot of memories. It was a story about a young man who had just returned home after having fought in Vietnam. When I read this story it brought tears to my eyes and made me realize once more that my priorities and values were wrong for so many years. As a sidebar, in light of the story that I want to share with you in a moment, you may want to stop and consider where you are in terms of giving unconditional love to members of your own family.

Back in the early 1970s I had just started my speaking career and an official with the Veterans Administration asked me to speak at a Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Day Program to be held at the outdoor convention plaza in Little Rock, Arkansas. I accepted, not knowing what I was getting myself into, because like most Americans I was glad the war was over and our men and women in the Armed Services had come home.

The day dawned bright and clear and I was to follow then Governor and now former Senator Dale Bumpers on the program. Naturally, after he spoke the audience scattered like a covey of quail and instead of having the rapt attention of a large audience, I had a few veterans here and there, walking around, talking to each other, and most showed very little interest in what I had to say. As a result, I did a very poor job because I could not relate to them. In my opinion, one of the great tragedies in our nation is how we treated many of our Vietnam Veterans when they came home from this terrible war.

Now, here is that story I mentioned earlier. It happened several years ago when this Vietnam Veteran called his parents from San Francisco and said, Mom & Dad, Im coming home but I have a favor to ask. I have a friend I would like to bring with me. Sure, they replied, Wed love to meet him. There is something you should know, the son continued, He was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go and I want him to come live with us.

Im sorry to hear that son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live. No, Mom & Dad, I want him to live with us. Son, said the father, you dont know what you are asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we cant let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He will find a way to live on his own.

At this point the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told, the police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didnt know. Their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to be around, but we dont like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who arent as healthy, beautiful or smart as we are. Thankfully there is someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are. Tonight, before you tuck yourself in...say a little prayer. God is a God of the second chance. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 230

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

There is a path that many people take through life, while appearing attractive at the time, ultimately leads to nowhere. Im talking about the Path Of Least Resistance. Since making wise choices is what success is all about, it might be worth investing a little time to determine if you are on this path. In a general sense, the person who is on the Path Of Least Resistance usually looks for the easy way and if there is a short cut, they will take it. From a psychological standpoint, there is a vast difference between looking for a better way and looking for an easy way. The person who looks for a better way is constantly moving forward in his or her development and will soon be regarded as a thinker and a person of great efficiency. On the other hand, the person who is always looking for an easy way will soon be labeled as lazy and also a person of compromise.

What appears on the surface to be only a minor thing can literally mean the difference between success and failure as a person. While Ive been somewhat general here, what Im really talking about is using our sixth sense as a way to determine the best course of action in any set of circumstances. In education for example, the person who has an aptitude for math or science should not pursue a degree in psychology, social science or physical education. While this may make a person happy for the short term, in time when they come to realize what they gave up in terms of satisfaction, position and income, they will be very unhappy. Looking back, the decision to take the Path Of Least Resistance is what made the difference.

Whats even more tragic are those people who took the Path Of Least Resistance and they compromised still further by cheating. Ive heard college students say they were forced to cheat, but dont believe that for a moment. These people were influenced by someone around them or they simply made the choice to spend their time pursuing other interests until test time came and they were unprepared. Rather than taking the grade they had earned, they chose to cheat and then had to live with that knowledge for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, you are reading what I am saying here loud and clear, these people are where they are today because they chose the Path Of Least Resistance. The reason I began with education is because this is the foundation for a successful life.

Now, if I could bring what I am saying a little closer to home, just think about where you are at this time in your life. If you are a student in school or college, realize that for the most part, you will get out what you put in. In addition to their studies, even great athletes with tons of natural ability still have to pay the price in terms of time and preparation. The same is true for academics and the time and study it requires to prepare for a great career. If you are beyond this point in your life and you have a job or career, your rewards in terms of promotions, income and personal satisfaction will be in direct proportion to your commitment to be the best you can be. I can promise you that you wont get there by taking the Path Of Least Resistance.

For those of you who are retired, the principle is exactly the same. Your satisfaction and your rewards for all your activities will be determined by your contribution - your service. Here is a final word and I hope you will lodge it firmly in your subconscious mind. When it comes to making personal choices, dont always take the Path Of Least Resistance. Think about it and then do it the best way, even if it requires a little more time and work. The rewards are worth it. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 232

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

LEST WE SHOULD EVER FORGET

The German reformer Martin Luther once said, War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys religion, states, families. Any scourge is preferable to it. If Martin Luther had been around between 1918 and 1945 we could have shown him what a real war looked like. However, I dont guess the casualties were any more dead during our two world wars than they were back in his day. While I was in the Army Reserve during peace time and never had to fight for my country, I know that war is hell and I pray to God that we will never have to go to war again.

Because the majority of our nations population was not around during the big wars and even during the Korean and Vietnam wars, they must not only be reminded of what it was like, but to also honor our nations veterans who fought in these wars and preserved the freedom that we all cherish. Lest we should ever forget, I want to tell you about a very fine history teacher at the Dodge City High School in Dodge City, Kansas who is doing more than his share and I want to challenge all other history teachers in America to do the same.

This history teachers name is Bob George and he wrote to me a few years ago and this past October I had the opportunity to meet him in person and also to speak briefly to one of his classes. I was in Dodge City at the invitation of the Dodge City Daily Globe to speak at a community wide prayer breakfast (many wonderful people in this historic community) and during the time prior to the meeting I asked my host Eric Rathke if he would take me by the school. During our visit I learned that Bob George is a veteran of the Vietnam War and because of his own personal experience he feels a deep need to make sure his students understand the sacrifices our nations veterans have made for them.

Here is whats so unique and what I hope other teachers will think about doing. During the year Bob has each of his students interview a Veteran and then write a report about what they learned. Some of his students comments were printed in the Globe and I wanted to give you a brief overview of what they said. Kari A. Alexander, to all W.W.II Veterans, Before I studied W.W.II, I never really appreciated you. I thought so what, another stupid war. Now that I have studied it and interviewed a Veteran, I appreciate you much more. I appreciate the fact that you were willing to risk your lives so that everyone in this room, in this world, can be alive today.

Tiffany Williams wrote, Dear Veterans, I never really knew what you guys did when I was little. I just knew it was another holiday (Veterans Day) that my family celebrated. Even before I took American History, I knew very little about W.W.I & W.W.II. I would like to thank you for all the things you have done for our country. In my eyes, you are good role models and heroes. It just seems very sad that some people do not appreciate what has been done because they simply do not know.

And lastly, Nicole Eckert writes, After all that I have learned and studied in American History over this short time on wars and battles, I have been amazed at all the brutalities. I give a big thanks to all Veterans. I cannot imagine the hardships they have all endured. They must have great strength and an amazing capacity to keep their sanity under all conditions. I do not know how anyone got through times like that. I am writing this letter to let all Veterans know that their efforts are not unrecognized but commended.

Thanks Bob, for a job well done. I just hope many fine teachers across this land will follow suit LEST WE SHOULD EVER FORGET. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 234

The next password is grace

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

COULD THIS BE YOUR CLUB?

Do you belong to a civic or service club of some kind? Maybe you are a member of the Rotary, the Lions, the Kiwanis, the Optimist or some other club or organization with similar objectives. If you are, may I have your ear for a few minutes? One of the greatest blessings Ive ever had is my participation in our local Lions Club. I have been honored to serve as President of our club and have been named Lion Of The Year, a Melvin Jones Fellow and was recently selected by my fellow Lions to receive the prestigious Dalstrom Award.

I can promise you however, the Lions organization has done far more for me than I have ever done for them and thats really the nature of these volunteer organizations. Its the age old principle: the more we do the more we get back. If you could count up the good these organizations have done for people in the various communities across the nation and put a dollar figure on it, you would literally be amazed. This dollar figure would only be a small part as it relates to the benefits of the individual members. We have great fellowship at our meetings, outstanding educational and entertaining programs and develop a spirit of camaraderie with fellow members that makes the total experience very special.

As you may know, its only been in the past thirty years or so that women have been invited to join and participate in most civic organizations. From my perspective, this was long overdue. We have a good number of quality ladies in our club and they do a fantastic job and I would never want to be without them. They are great workers and they add a spark to our meetings that you would not believe unless you were there.

However, a while back I heard about a club that is still in the dark ages and in this particular club the male members are crude and this is very unprofessional and should not be tolerated. While what Im going to say may be unpopular, here is the reason I decided to address this issue. We had a wonderful young lady leave our community to accept a top management position with her company in another state. Since she was a member of our club, it was more or less understood that she would join another club in the community where she was moving. In a telephone conversation with her a few weeks ago, I asked about her status with a club in her new community.

She said he had joined a club, attended a few meetings, but had just recently written a letter of resignation. When I asked her why, she told me the following story. One of the projects of this club was to pick up litter along a stretch of highway just outside of town. The Saturday before her last meeting, the club was picking up litter and one of the male members found an unmentionable item (you could probably guess what it was) and at the next club meeting prior to introducing a lady speaker, this member went into great detail to describe the item and made other crude remarks about it which were out of order.

This young lady wgo was a formerly a member of our club said she just sat there and didnt look up, and the male president, who was presiding never said a word. The following week she wrote a letter of resignation and she told them why. To this day, she has not heard a word from any one in the club. As another friend told me later, this was a male dominated club and apparently what they do not realize is that they are missing a great blessing. In any worthwhile organization you must have quality leadership to be successful. Here is a final question from me. While the details and the story may be different, could this be your club? If it is, there needs to be some changes made. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next column password is: Grace

No. 210

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A LETTER FROM PRISON

If you have never been in prison, and I pray God that you haven’t, have you ever wondered what it is really like for those who are locked away from society and have very little contact with the outside world? Of course the television news magazines give us some idea and then occasionally we learn about a ‘celebrity’ prisoner who is granted interviews and other special privileges. But most of the inmates are just there and while they do get to watch television, receive mail and have visits from family and friends, it is still a very lonely life.

What reminded me of this is a letter I received from a prison inmate the other day. Over the past several months I have received several letters from inmates in Arkansas, Mississippi and Michigan. This particular letter however, gave me some real insights of what prison life is really like.

The letter begins, “Mr. Davidson,... Someone sent me one of your columns and I read it for the first time. It was about being around negative people. I am in one of the worst places for negative people. I am in prison. Most of the people in here are going nowhere and are happy that way. But don’t get me wrong. There are some very good people mixed in here. Some have improved their education with the support of their families even though the only free education is college for those under 25 years of age and vo-tech for those with less than 3 1/2 years of prison time left to do.”

He goes on to say, “along with all the others I have put myself in a bad position with many strikes against me. I am guilty of my charges and deserve the time I have. I’m not eligible for parole until 2016 and finish my sentence 2024. I have alienated most of my family and friends but still have strong support from a few. Even with the negative aspects of our situation here, there are still many things we can do besides just “doing time.” With financial support from my parents I am working on my bachelors degree by correspondence. Although it isn’t as impressive as a traditional degree, I hope it will help.” He goes on to talk about other skills he is acquiring and even personal Bible study. His final thoughts are telling. “Unfortunately, many of the negative traits are influencing my thinking. I must struggle to keep my love for my fellowman and control my anger. Even the guards here get cynical. I liked what you wrote and try to keep in mind, “life is too short to be unhappy.”

This letter from a man in prison reminded me of a phone call I got one evening a while back. A wonderful lady by the name of Madeleine Bulbulian who reads my column in the Cherokee Scout in Murphy, North Carolina called and said, “I wrote to you several months ago but today’s column was so good that I just had to call you.” After visiting a few moments about this particular column, she went on to tell me that she had been clipping out my columns and sending them to a young man in the Armed Services. Madeleine said that he was back home a few weeks ago and she could tell a tremendous difference in his attitude. He told her that he really appreciated her sending the columns.

As a suggestion, why not clip out and save some of the better columns that will be encouraging and send them to an inmate in prison. This could be a wonderful ministry and all it would cost is a little time and postage. Many inmates will be out soon and some of these ideas and concepts could make a difference in their life. (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 212

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A GREAT FISHING TRIP TO THE NORTH COUNTRY

Have you ever been “hooked” on something by watching it on television but were never able to do it in real life? The word hooked in this case has special significance because I was able to take a once in a lifetime fishing trip a few months ago. Before I tell you about it, I would just like to say that in each of my columns I try to place you in the picture because it would be an out and out bore if all I did was talk about me and all the exciting things that are happening in my life.

Hopefully, for this reason there are some goals or things of interest in your life that you would really like to do but have just never found the time or the money to do them. For the baseball fan it might be to attend the “World Series”; the basketball fan, “The Final Four”; the horse racing fan, “The Kentucky Derby”; the Nascar fan, “The Brickyard 400”; the football fan, “The Super Bowl”; the golf fan, “The Masters” and of course, the list is endless.

But back to that fishing trip. There have been many Saturday mornings over the past few years when I have watched fishing shows on television. The fish and the scenery is spectacular. One of my favorite shows is “In-Fisherman” that is based up in the North country of Minnesota. I’ve always wanted to catch some of those Northern species of fish like the Walleye, Muskie and Northern Pike but have just never taken the time or had the money to go after them.

Then my fortunes changed. Some new friends, Dale & Sue Wynkoop go to the “boundary waters” north of Ely, Minnesota each year and this past September they invited me to go along. I said to myself, “If you are ever going to do it, this is your chance and I worked hard for the next several weeks to get things in order here at the office.

It was a long, but wonderful 1000 mile trip by SUV through the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota and we stopped at “Cabela’s” in Owatonna, Minnesota, which is the world’s foremost outfitter. We arrived in Ely on a Thursday afternoon and made our way to a resort on Fall Lake, where we were met by some of their friends from Missouri: Verne, Jay and Betty Myers, Troy & Nancy Calvin, Richard Cunningham and Pat Patterson. These people were wonderful, had been there many times, and I felt at home from the very first moment.

During the next 6 days we caught lots of fish and I caught my first Walleye, hooked a Muskie and I will never forget the swirl that 6 lb. Northern Pike made when it attacked my lure. He’s in the freezer now. One thing I was warned about before I went was not to put my hands in the mouth of these fish because they have big teeth. In fact, you have to use a steel leader as they will go through nylon line in nothing flat.

I also learned the meaning of the term “Portage” as we would motor by boat a few miles, get out and put the boat on a set of wheels, with gear still in, and portage over a trail through the woods and put in another lake and do this as many times as you wanted to do it. When you get to the end of the road and hit the “Boundary Waters” on the Canadian line, you can go for miles and never see another human being. As Nancy Calvin said, “This is awesome.”

As I said, this was a once in a lifetime trip. I may never go back but I am truly glad I went and in closing I would just like to say, whatever your dreams, I hope they come true and if the opportunity comes along....GO FOR IT!! (Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 246

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

DONT LET YOUR MIND GO THERE.....

A few weeks ago I got a very unusual letter from a reader in another state. This reader, a man, began by telling me that he enjoyed reading my column in their local newspaper and he was responding to a previous column titled, How is your judgement? He stated that I had set forth a set of criteria whether a persons judgement has been good or is deceptively poor.

He went on to tell me that he had met all the criteria: Happily married 50 years, 4 good and successful children, 5 outstanding grandchildren, retired from teaching at a major university and had numerous commendations from community organizations. This all sounded good as I was reading along but then I got the shock of my life. He then stated that he had a Dr. Jekle/Mr. Hyde personality. He said he was a Recovering sexaholic and then went into language that I would never put in my column. He was honestly trying to make a case that since he was living a good and decent life for others to see and that since his escapades have been private, that he was exercising good judgement. As he said, I trust my judgement has produced positive results from age 6 through 70, despite living a dilemma, contradiction?

Now, theres a case for you to think about and unfortunately there are thousands of others across the country who are also living a double standard life. Of course Im not talking about those who live an open, blatant lifestyle like he described in the deleted part, thats a different story. When I responded to his letter the one thing I made clear is that I was not judging him. As Ive said many times, only God can do that. He did say that he was Recovering and had not been actively involved with another male since 1980 and he was trying to get his life on solid footing.

Since this man professed to be a Christian, I shared some things with him from my heart that I wanted him to think about. First, the wrongs he had committed against God, his family and those he had been involved with. He wrote me back to say that he had tried to right the wrongs he had committed wherever possible. At this point I wrote another short letter to thank him for trying to do the right thing and to encourage him to continue with the progress he had made in his life.

Not to belabor the point but this was not the end of the story. He wrote yet another letter but this time he shared some graphic details of his escapades. I wrote him a final letter back to tell him that I was not comfortable thinking about or talking about the kinds of things he was telling me and that I had many more important things to do with my time.

Here is my sole purpose for sharing this with you. When we have sexual problems or sin in our life, it all begins in the mind. When we read pornographic literature, watch movies or television programs with this kind of content, it begins to take root and our mind begins to fanaticize what it would be like if acted out in real life. This kind of thinking leads to a fatal and dead end street.

If you, or someone you love, is involved in this kind of culture, DONT LET YOUR MIND GO THERE. You can believe me, it is a tool of Satan and nothing good will come from it. Because we are human, we all have sinful thoughts but here is something to keep in mind: we may not be able to keep a bird from lighting in our hair, but we sure can keep it from building a nest. The thought we should keep in mind is that God loves us and that He was willing to give us His best. EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 248

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ARE YOUR CHILDREN TELLING ON YOU?

Someone once said that, A child is that which tells in the street what its parents say at home. A few months ago I got a letter from Mrs. Marjorie Wiessing, a teacher at the Teutopolis Grade School in Teutopolis, Illinois. She began by saying, I read your column titled, Its time for some ol fashioned manners in the Effingham Daily News last week. I definitely agree with all the points you made. As a teacher of sixth grade students, I can always tell who has been taught manners by their parents. Certainly, as a teacher I can teach more effectively if the students practice proper etiquette.

In my classes, I stress responsibility, respect, and using proper manners. When I saw your article, I almost shouted Yes. Because my classes had just begun a unit on writing business letters, I immediately decided they would write to you as one of their projects. Also, I gave each student a copy of your article. They were quite amazed to read the same ideas that they hear from me on an almost daily basis. Thank you for publicly reaffirming teachers and parents efforts.

In the same packet with her letter were 65 hand written letters from her students. As I read each one I was so very impressed with their neat handwriting and even more importantly what they had to say. This just reaffirmed for me that young people can be taught, and taught well, the really important things in life that will enable them to be successful and productive human beings.

In my mind, there is no better way to communicate what Im trying to say than to give you a few excerpts from some of the students letters. Ill confess that one of the hardest jobs Ive ever had to do was pick out a few because they were all so very good. These students are all winners. Ryan Vogt wrote: I obviously agree with you that people should use manners and respect. Manners are great because when people use them other people think that they are well-behaved. At this moment, I am in my English classroom. I also agree that manners and respect are better than any other kind of education. How extremely wonderful your article about manners was.

Here are some thoughts from Kyle Heuerman: Kids and adults should be taught manners. If everyone used proper manners, we wouldnt have arguments. In that case, there would not be any divorces. And Jeff Wessel wrote: I totally agree with you. If somebody does answer yes sir, no sir, please, thank you, and your welcome, I can understand how it makes them look more sophisticated than some country hick. If you sound more professional, people take you more for what you are, which in turn makes you look smarter, and most important of all that you have manners. Thank you for writing the article because I think it reached out to other people besides me.

And finally, here is one thats my favorite from Katie Crawford. I agree 100% on your concept. I cant tell you how many times Ive been told to say please and thank you. But dont get me wrong. I definitely received enough discipline from my parents and teachers so Im not really as disabled in proper etiquette as it may sound. I do know a couple of people who are though. The article definitely made sense and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you very much for listening to my opinion. As I bring this visit to a close I would just like to say, parents and teachers, this is so very important and I hope Mrs. Wiessings students have inspired you as much as they have me. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 250

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHEN LIFE DEALS YOU A BAD HAND

Many years ago someone invented a poker game called Seven Card Draw. One of the primary features of this game was that if you got some cards you didnt like, you could discard up to three of them and draw some more. This made the game more interesting because you had the opportunity to get a better hand, thereby increasing your chances of winning.

In view of something that has happened in our home over the past several months, I wish life were like that game but unfortunately its not. You see, when life deals you a bad hand, you just have to play it and make the most of it. As they say, thats life.

Several months ago I wrote a column titled, The Happy Loser where I talked about my wife going to the liquor store to buy some Gin to mix with white raisins. This mixture, according to Paul Harvey and others, is supposed to help cure arthritis. Well, what we thought was arthritis turned out to be Parkinsons Disease. Over this period of time it has gotten progressively worse but still a mild case, especially in relation to the ordeal that many others with this disease are coping with day after day.

It took months before we finally accepted the diagnosis and in the meantime we tried everything to get her some relief from the pain or to find out for sure what it was. I can remember many trips to the hospital, several Doctors, specialists, physical therapy, and early on we even tried a Chiropractor. All to no avail. One of the reasons that made it hard to accept for us is that most people with Parkinsons do not experience physical pain. At least to the degree that she was experiencing it.

The thing that is hardest for me is to see her suffer and not be able to do anything about it. I would take this terrible disease for her if I could, but of course I cant. All I can do is be supportive, help her as much as I can and be there for her. Here I would like to say that I dont share this to elicit sympathy because there are millions of people who have a terminal illness, handicaps and various maladies that are far worse than what we are experiencing.

These thoughts rather are more about how you play that bad hand you are dealt more than anything else. It is still true that it is far more important how you react to the things that happen to you than what happens to you. My wife Viola has always been a loving, caring and beautiful person who does more for others than anyone I know and I only learn the tip of the iceberg because someone is always telling me what she has done for them.

Even though she moves a little slower and gets tired a little quicker, she is still very active. She loves to cook, work in the garden and flower beds, keeps a spotless house, does all the grocery shopping and helps me some in the office. She spends time reading the Bible and in prayer and is a blessing to me in so many ways. The other day I asked her the question, Do you ever blame God for your condition? She said, Of course not.

Im sure you know that many people do not know or understand Gods nature. He loves us and wants the best for us. We are all going to die from something whether its an accident, a disease, a heart attack or simply wear out from old age. In reality, how we handle adversity is the true measure of our faith. Yes, when life deals us a bad hand, we just have to play it, but how we play it is what makes the difference. As the late Pearl Bailey once said, People see God everyday. They just dont recognize Him. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 252

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A REPORT CARD ON THE NURSING CARE INDUSTRY

In the event you do not already know, here is some sad news that should be of interest to you. A recent General Accounting Office report shows that one-fourth of the nations approximate 17,000 nursing facilities housing approximately 400,000 residents have deficiencies causing actual harm to residents or placing them at risk of death or serious injury.

This information was sent to me recently by Jackie Shifflet who lives in Springfield, Missouri and is a member of the National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform and the Missouri Coalition for Quality Care. This memo titled, To All Concerned was five and one-half pages of documented abuses and deficiencies by some members of the nursing home industry.

At this point I want to be crystal clear. I learned a long time ago not to paint with a broad brush and condemn everyone in any given industry because that would be dead wrong. In this case, there are thousands of nursing home owners, managers and employees who are doing an outstanding job and they are not part of what I am going to pass along.

This reason I am willing to get involved is because its something that affects all of us in one way or another, whether we are a relative, friend, or we, ourselves become dependent upon others for our care. I might add, since this memo is five and one-half pages, if you would like a copy, drop me a note and I will be happy to send it to you.

The major problem stems from those who have the philosophy to Take everything you can get and give as little in return as possible. When you have the CEOs of several major nursing home corporations getting a salary of over a half million dollars, thousands, and millions in some cases in bonuses, plus stock options or retirement perks and most of their employees being over worked, under appreciated and paid minimum wage, something is wrong. Whats wrong is greed and they wont change unless they are forced to.

Its also a matter of public record that many nursing homes have been cited for Medicare fraud and in some cases billing up to $600 per hour for therapy services because of weaknesses in Medicares payment rules and lack of guidelines. This is costing taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. State averages for physical, occupational and speech therapists salaries range from about $12 to $25 per hour.

There have been many initiatives for reform in both Congress and state legislatures. But for the most part they have been very unsuccessful. You may ask why? The industry has a number of political action committees that make regular donations to friendly legislators and statewide officials and as a result, no significant reforms have come to pass. The lawmakers could make a real difference in health care if they really wanted to.

The answers to many of the problems in the nursing home industry are not easy but they are attainable. As Ms. Shifflet says and I agree, perhaps more publicity about nursing home noncompliance might shame offenders in the industry into correcting some problems. Over the years I have found that good, decent, kind hearted people will do whats right simply because they know its the right thing to do. Others will not. The only way these people will make changes to do what is right is if they are forced to.

While Im not an authority on this subject, I do care about the thousands of older Americans who are in need of better care. Lets hope and pray that some reforms will be forthcoming that will make a difference.(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 254

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

THE STORY OF A LIVE-IN PREACHER

While I dont know how it is in your neck of the woods or part of the country, our jails and prisons here are always overcrowded. The words Early-Release are used with increasing frequency because the authorities have to let some non-violent inmates out early to make room for still others. It seems like we cant build jails fast enough to meet the need. To be sure, its a revolving door situation and the inmates as well as society are the real losers because of nonproductive lives and millions of dollars spent on incarceration.

If you have ever personally known someone who came from a fine home or was raised by Christian parents and later went to prison, and have wondered where they went wrong, I received an insight from a very fine gentleman the other day that may be at least part of the answer. A few weeks ago some friends invited my wife and me out to dinner and to meet an overnight guest in their home. This guest was Dan Johnson from Greenville, South Carolina who was on his way to Branson, Missouri for a live television interview.

Dan Johnson is the author of a little book titled, Those Who Wait on the Lord and he gave me a personally signed copy. After reading it, a few days later I called and asked him for permission to share a true story it contained that illuminates the thoughts that I shared earlier. He was so gracious and gave me permission to share it with you.

He began by saying, Several years ago, I was invited to stay with a family for a couple days before making my way further North on a short vacation. While in the home both the husband and the wife, on separate occasions, confided in me their grievous concerns for their teenage daughter. The father was rigorously faithful to his family devotions each evening and holds the children to Godly standards; but the eldest daughter would sit there with a surly look on her face registering her disgust with every sigh.

As the days had passed, the fathers frustration fluctuated between grief and anger. As I listened, it seemed to me that this dear father was making the same mistake many others had made. He was giving his daughter his standards without giving her himself. Children need and want much more than just A LIVE-IN PREACHER. They need a dad. This man had almost lost his daughters heart because the only point of meaningful contact between them was a rather cold and formal setting for family devotions.

Was he spending time with his daughter? Technically, yes, but only in the sense that they happened to occupy the same room at the same time. He was losing the battle for his daughters mind because he had all but lost the battle for her heart. So I urged him to start courting his daughter the way he had his wife. Take her to play tennis. Listen to her. Let her do the talking. No preaching. Take her out for lunch. Give yourself to her. To my great joy about six months later, this father wrote me and gave me the good news that his daughter had become a totally NEW person. Truth can bind the mind but it is love that binds the heart.

In our conversation, Dan went on to tell me that he has seen hundreds of parents who had reared their children so strict they couldnt wait to get away. When they did they literally went wild and did most of the things their parents had forbidden them to do. So many times we make the same mistakes and dont wake up until its too late. This may be the answer to that dilemma I posed earlier, Why does a person who is reared in a Christian home wind up in prison? The answer may be they had A LIVE-IN PREACHER when what they really needed was a loving and caring dad. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 256

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHEN BAD WORDS TASTED LIKE SOAP

The other day a friend sent me something titled Dirt Roads that was written by the late Paul Harvey. Ive always had a deep respect for Paul Harvey and think he was a great American. I know he wont mind if I share a portion of Dirt Roads with you as a means to introduce a subject that I believe is vital to our individual as well as our national interests.

He begins by saying, Whats mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved. Theres not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency, that wouldnt be remedied if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character. People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride. That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but its worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse or companion, happy kids and a dog.

There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals didnt walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they would be welcomed by five barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun. And there were no drive by shootings. Our values were better when our roads were worse because Dirt Roads taught patience.

At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap. Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole. At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didnt some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.

At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, when city dudes would get stuck and youd have to hitch up a team and pull them out. Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road.

Thanks, Paul, for sharing something a lot of us in this nation still believe in. While each thought is meaningful, I want to focus on one thing you said that I truly believe is vital to our individual and national interests. Its the part about bad words tasting like soap. Are you old enough to remember hearing some mother or grandmother say to her child after a curse word had slipped, Im going to wash your mouth out with soap. Well, I can and I know a few mothers and grandmothers who did. At least they made the point.

I am appalled today at the gutter language that I hear coming from young people and others in every area of society. While you may disagree, I can tell you exactly where this is leading us as a nation. A while back I saw a news report of what is happening in Great Britain, our mother country. First, church attendance is at an all time low while crime is at an all time high. And believe it or not there is a connection.

Every major category of crime was up but none more so than assault, this is to say people physically attacking other people to rob, rape or just because they disagreed with some stand or position they took. None more obvious than the riots before, during and after soccer matches, usually by drunken Brits who never lived at the end of a Dirt Road. Now, my sincere question to you is this: Is this where we want our country to go in the decades to come or do we want to teach respect for others, good manners and proper language?

The problem for them is the same problem we face. For a leader to lead he or she must have moral authority. One quick look at the Royals is all you need to understand why this nation has no moral authority and the United States is not far behind. The answer may be as simple as setting the example and teaching our children to respect themselves and others by not using gutter language. (EDITORS NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 258

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WRITE IT DOWN DOC

As a way to introduce a success principle that I believe will be of value to you, I would like to take you back to the early 1970s soon after the end of the Vietnam War. I was attending a conference in Chicago and heard the famous Texas humorist Dr. Charles Jarvis tell a story about this young man who was being drafted into the Army. Soon after he arrived at the military base, an Army Doctor gave him a routine examination to see if he was ready for basic training prior to being shipped to the front lines.

This Doctor said, Young man, are you ready to go to war and fight the enemy? This young man replied in a highly enthusiastic manner, Doc, I cant wait to get this basic training behind me. I want to go hand to hand, face to face with the Viet Cong. I want to throw my rifle, hand grenades and anything I can find at them and take out whole units at the same time. Just let me at Charlie and they will wish they had never seen me. We are going to need some little fellows like me to crawl in those underground tunnels they have dug to root them out. Just give me some gloves with wires sticking out of the fingers so I can claw their eyes out when I find them.

At this point the Doctor said, M-a-a-a-n...youre crazy! This old boy said, Write it down, Doc! We all laughed but there is a principle here that could make a real difference in your success. It has been proven over and over again that human beings are creatures of habit. For example, to achieve success, we must form success habits. If we have enough bad habits, we are just not going to make it. Its as simple as that. What really brought this principle home to me is the fact that Ive gotten more serious about my golf game. I dont gamble but I would like to play better for my own satisfaction and to keep from being embarrassed when I play with others who are much better than I am.

I have a good friend by the name of Doyle Cook who lives here now, but he used to live on the West Coast. Several years ago he shot a 78 at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course in California, so he is a pretty fair golfer. Lately, he has been giving me tips after watching the things Ive been doing wrong. Of course, when you dont play very often you forget from one round to the next, so I have written his tips down in a little book to be able to review them before each round. Now, by striking the ball properly I can expect to improve and shoot a lower score.

In a moment I want to share a few of these tips but the principle I want you to see is that the only way to get better at anything is to practice the proper way. We can continue to revert back to old habits and never get better or we can learn the proper way, practice it, and improve over time. As I say, this principle will work in any area of life. For the benefit of recreational golfers like me, I wish I had space to give them all, but if you want the rest just send me a self-addressed stamped envelope and they will soon be on their way.

Tip # 1. Approach each round with a positive attitude that I will improve if I am patient in mastering the basic fundamentals of the game. # 2. Play each shot independently and take time to concentrate. Dont try to look the ball into the hole. Make the right shot and it will hit the target. # 3. Take one or more practice swings and remember to follow through on each shot. # 4. Mentally concentrate on keeping my head down. Dont look up until the ball is on its way. Im going to have to break it off here but I have about 17 of these tips so far. Again, the point is clear. If you want to improve at anything, learn the proper technique and WRITE IT DOWN! (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 260

The next password is helen

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A FINE ROTARIAN WHO IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The vast majority of the people in this country are so busy trying to make a living, pay their bills and taxes, rear their children and enjoy the fruits of their labor that they dont have time to worry about our nations massive social and economic problems. The only time they really get concerned or involved is when it affects them personally. For example, Rachel Scotts father who tragically lost his daughter in the school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, would not have gone on a personal crusade against school violence had he not suffered the loss of a beloved member of his family.

Every responsible, freedom loving citizen of this great nation should be outraged at what is happening to our moral fabric and be committed to making a difference in the future. In this regard, a very successful South Dakota newspaper publisher shared a quote with me that I had never heard before. He didnt identify who said it but here it is, The hottest spot in hell is reserved for those people who are not willing to take a stand for their convictions. This is really something to think about in the event you are not willing to get involved.

On a more positive note, I want to tell you about a very fine Rotarian who is willing to get involved. A few months after I spoke to the Fairfield Bay Rotary Club in Fairfield Bay, Arkansas I got a letter from Larry Mozer who was in attendance that day. He was responding to my column titled, A National Call To Righteousness by telling me about a project their club has with one of the area schools.

This school has a required course for ninth grade students that uses the PEACE curriculum supplemented with other materials and activities. This course or program is called Quest and it teaches students how to control anger, handle peer pressure and other relationship issues. The course was started three years ago by a former juvenile judge who decided she could be more effective in teaching students in alternative education before they got into trouble. If you would like to know more about the Quest Course, contact Vicki Sandage, Shirley High School, Shirley, Arkansas 72153.

In his letter, Larry Mozer also told me about another new interactive movie (game) on CD designed to teach teenagers about making hard decisions and to develop strong character traits. He said, I have reviewed the game and found it to be of very high quality. In fact, Emerson Electric of St. Louis was so taken by this game that they are supplying six copies (at $40 per copy) to every school in the state of Oklahoma.

This game is called Central High. You can find more information on the Internet at: www.centralhighmovie.com The description of the game is as follows: A superintellegent alien life-force threatens Earths extinction due to corruption, greed and violence of the people. Really !!! But the alien life-force has granted one chance to prove that humans have the strengths and virtues of positive character worthy of continued existence.

Larry ends his letter by saying, You might find the game as a good starting point for your National Call To Righteousness beginning with our young people. I feel this would be of value in schools all over the nation. He was also kind enough to write my friend Bob George at the Dodge City High School in Kansas and share some great information with him. Bob is a history teacher, a Vietnam veteran and is interested in reducing violence in his school. Thanks Larry Mozer, you are a fine Rotarian who is proving that one person can truly making a difference. Hopefully, other Rotary Clubs and individual Rotarians, across the nation will also get involved. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

The next column password is: Helen

No. 236

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

SHOW HIM YOUR CARD!

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution is known as the Bill Of Rights. One of these rights that we all cherish is the right to private ownership. It was the genius of our forefathers to permit every citizen to hold ownership in a home, a farm, a business or other forms of tangible wealth. Article five states in part, Nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation. The term private property is what I want to focus on for our visit today.

I was visiting with one of our neighbors the other day and he told me that he was down on the backside of his property the day before and someone had built a fence right across the corner of his property. Since he owned it and was paying taxes on it, naturally it did not sit well with him. It turned out that a man had bought a piece of property adjacent to his and without having it surveyed, he just put up a fence where he thought his line was.

It took a little doing to get it straightened out and for this man to move his fence but here was a clear case where a property owners rights had been violated. Sadly enough, the disputes over property lines have caused a lot of conflicts and hurt feelings and sometimes with tragic consequences. When it comes to our rights, especially our property, it does not take most of us long to swing into action.

As I was thinking about this I was reminded of a story my friend Bob Murphy told several years ago. It seems a government agent with the U.S. Department of Agriculture came by to see this farmer one day. He walked up on the porch and knocked on the front door and the farmer came out. The government agent said, Ive come by to inspect your grain program, your livestock, to check to see if you have any soil erosion and to make sure you are complying with mandate No. 428 with regards to building a pond on your land.

The farmer, being a little miffed, said, I dont have time to do all these things so get off my property. At this point the government agent pulled out his card and said, I represent the United States Government and I have a right to check on your grain program, I have a right to check on your livestock, I have a right to see if you have any soil erosion and I have a right to see if your are complying with mandate No. 428 with regards to the construction of your pond. The farmer said, Well, do all those things you have a right to do then get off my property.

After this exchange, the government agent walked out to a little trap, which is a holding pen for loading cattle to ship to the sale barn, and crawled over the fence. What he didnt see around the corner was a very big bull. When the bull saw this man, he taken to him and the closest thing to him was a small tree with some low hanging branches. This government agent barely made it to this tree and grabbed on a bottom limb and pulled himself up just barely out of reach of the bull that, by now, was hooking the air just below the seat of his pants. After a bit he started to slip, as Bob said, he had been with the government for some time and then he started to holler, Come get this bull!

He kept on hollering until finally he roused the farmer from inside the house and he came out on the porch. It didnt take him long to size up the situation and the government agent kept hollering, Come get this bull! At this point the farmer cupped his hands so he would be sure and hear him and he hollered, Show him your card. My friend Bob Murphy just has a way of telling a story but there is a real message here. While most of us respect the rights of others, some people and most bulls dont. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 238

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

IS YOUR CHILD OUT OF CONTROL?

The German educator Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852), a famous proponent of the kindergarten once said, A child is an ever bubbling fountain in the world of humanity. Of all the gifts that God has given us humans, a child is by far the most precious for a multitude of reasons. We see in our children an image of ourselves and during our lifetime they can bring us great joy and satisfaction or they can bring us disappointment, despair and sadness.

While child rearing is not an exact science, there are certain parenting skills that if learned and applied properly can make a childs future so much brighter. In the news almost every day we see and hear tragic stories of child abuse, neglect and even death that is brought about by one or both parents who never learned the love, discipline and skills necessary to rear a happy, responsible and well adjusted child. Many times those responsible for such callous and cruel acts were themselves a product of homes where they were allowed to be totally out of control.

Do you know children who fit this description? If you do, then Im sure you are as sad as I am when we both think of what unpleasant events could be in this childs future. My prayer as I share the following true story about a young two year old child who is totally out of control is that parents throughout the land will take a serious look as to whether or not they are actually contributing to a future juvenile, and God forbid, an even more tragic life as an adult. The good news for the very young, and many others as well, is that there is still time to take corrective action because as the twig is bent, so grows the tree.

A young mother who has a precious young son who gets love, care and discipline was telling me about another couples son in the toddler department who is not only out of control but he is destructive. One day, Larry (not his real name) came up behind her son and hit him in the back of the head so hard that it caused great pain and it disrupted the whole department. Another young girl in this class has beautiful long hair and Larry came up behind her and pulled her hair so hard that it yanked her all the way to the floor. When his mother was told about it, she remarked, Well, he has always been fascinated by long hair.

If you have ever been in a setting where 10-15 children were in a daycare, birthday party or childrens department at church and they were all playing and getting along great and along comes one child who is totally out of control and ruins the whole experience, then you are getting the picture. At this point, its time to set the record straight. The problem is not the child, its the childs parents. Almost from the time a child is born, he begins to look for boundaries to be set for his behavior. If those boundaries are not firmly established, the child will just keep expanding those boundaries until he is like Larry.

I was telling this story to a man a few days ago and he said when he was growing up his daddy gave him a spanking and later a whipping when he needed it, but with a slightly different wrinkle. He said he could get in trouble on Monday and his daddy would say, Son, Thursday afternoon at 3 Oclock Im going to give you a whipping. This way he got to think about it for a few days. Here is the clincher. His daddy never forgot. Now, I know that many people disagree with the Biblical admonition of spare the rod and spoil the child but regardless of what method Larrys parents are using, it Aint working. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 240

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

ARE YOU BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION?

The other day I ran across a statement written by the English novelist James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) that really gave me something to think about. He said, The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.

In my earlier years I spent a good deal of time as a businessman working with students in our nations public schools. It was my privilege to be an invited guest who attempted to share with them what life would be like when they left the structured environment of school and a classroom.

This turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life as I had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of countless young people. With few exceptions, I saw in the eyes and faces of these young people the hopes and expectations of a great life and a great career. As you may know however, in the past couple of decades many things have changed in our schools because of drugs, guns, violence, the decline in morality and the lack of respect for authority. Please dont misunderstand me, as Ive said before, I dont believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water because there are still, as I call them, Islands of Hope where schools and teachers are doing an outstanding job.

In fact, I just received a whole package of letters from 6th grade students in the mail yesterday and if I can secure the teachers permission, Im going to do a column about what they said in the near future. As I think about James Barries statement, I feel that what he said was true for most people but it does not have to be for those of us who are willing to build our life on a solid foundation. You may be familiar with the story in the Bible about two men who built a house. One man built his house on a solid foundation and when the rains and the flood came, and the wind blew, afterwards it was still standing. The other man built his house on sand and when the rains and the flood came, and the wind blew..and as the Bible says, great was the fall of it.

As a Christian, I am not ashamed to say that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For most of my life I was building on Sand and was like a reed blowing in the wind, but when I began to build on truth, honesty, decency, respect for others and hard work, things got much better for me. I still have problems but I am now better equipped to deal with them.

What I have just shared is very personal and its something that we must each decide for ourselves. I will never attempt to tell you what to think or what to believe because those are your decisions to make in life. However, I feel honored to be able to share with you what has worked best for me. One thing for sure: it is important what kind of foundation we build our life on. Will it be the solid rock of truth or will it be sand?

On an unrelated matter, if you will indulge me, I would like to take a moment to tie up a couple of loose ends before I leave you. First, I would like to apologize to the reader who was upset with me about a previous column where I referred to a former pastor as an accident waiting to happen. I meant no disrespect and was simply using his tragedy as a way to introduce a story. In retrospect, I should not have done it, I was wrong and Im truly sorry. Next, an apology to Shirley Goff for getting her name wrong in a previous column. She and her husband Dean are faithful readers of the Hot Springs Sentinel Record. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 242

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A DIFFERENT VIEW OF MT. EVEREST

Its been said that Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law. Most people like Surprises, especially if they turn out to be good, like a surprise birthday party, an unexpected vacation trip given by an organization or another person, an investment that turns out to be a windfall and other things of this nature. As a kid I always loved to get a box of Cracker Jacks because I wanted to see the surprise that was also in the box.

Several weeks ago I attended our state Press Associations annual convention and we had a great luncheon speaker. His name is Larry Kryske, President of Homeport Training & Development based in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Larry was a wonderful speaker and his presentation contained a number of Surprises that captured not only the attention, but also the imaginations of those in the audience. In a moment I want to share one of those Surprises that contains a very profound concept but first this admonition.

Because this is the way Larry Kryske earns his living, his brochure contains this statement. He says, PLEASE NOTE: There were several visual surprises in the Rediscover The Masterpiece In You presentation. Please keep the secret. Dont ruin the effect for future audiences. Thank You. While the odds are not good that you will be in attendance at any of his future presentations, if you are, please dont share the Surprises with others as it will ruin the experience and the thrill of a surprise for them. Again, Thank You.

What made Larrys presentation Rediscover The Masterpiece In You so effective is that he is also an artist. He had a large blank canvas set up on an easel and as he began to speak, from time to time he would go over to the canvas and brush a few strokes of various colors. We didnt know where he was going but I tell you, he almost wore that brush out for about 40 minutes. It was not until the tail end of his presentation that the picture became clear, and thus his message, became obvious to all of us.

Before I share it with you, let me say that Larry Kryske has become somewhat of an authority on Winston Churchill that famous British statesman who may have saved the free world with his courage, leadership and superior oratory skills. Who can forget his famous speech when he said, We will never, never, never give up that came during the darkest hours of the war. Larrys real talent as a speaker came through when he was able to weave various aspects of Churchills life and career in a way that created suspense and left you hanging on the edge of your seat. Some of his comments were: Do it now and dont look back, Courage...the more you use it, the stronger youll be, perfection will paralyze your performance, changing perspective means changing your viewpoint. Just some nuggets of truth that you may want to think about.

The focal point of Larrys painting was Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world and it was painted to loom in the distance as an imposing figure. Then he changed the color of his paint to a skin tone and painted just the bottom part of a persons legs to give the perception of a human being 10 times as large as the mountain. What we didnt know is that all the rest of the time he had been painting the shoes. It was easy to visualize that this person could step over this great mountain with a single step.

The real message was to help us realize that as human beings we can accomplish almost anything if we keep perspective. We have been endowed by a living God with talents and abilities unlike any other creature on earth. In the vast majority of cases, to become a great success, all we have to do is use them. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 244

Jim Davidson...NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A STRANGER MOVED IN WITH US!

The other day a lady sent me something in the mail that had such a deep and profound message that I want to share it with you. She begins by saying, A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. Mom taught me to love the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our entire family spellbound for hours each evening. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars.

The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didnt seem to mind, but sometimes Mom would quietly get up--while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places--go to her room, read her prayer book and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But the stranger never felt the obligation to honor them.

Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house--not from us, not from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My Dad was a teetotaler who didnt permit alcohol in his home, not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often.

He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (too much, too often) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man/woman relationship were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I believe it was by the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more.

Time after time he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. But if I were to walk into my parents den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His Name?____ We always just called him T.V.!!.

In my own life, I can still remember when we first got a T.V. as well. Shows like Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, Happy Days, Ozzie & Harriet and even Roy Rogers and Gene Autry movies were good wholesome entertainment. Along the way, since those days, something happened and our whole culture changed. Dont misunderstand, Im not saying that all T.V. is bad because that would be wrong, but I am saying that we should be very selective in what we watch and what we permit our children to watch. It may be a cheap babysitter in the beginning but in the end the cost may be more than we are willing to pay. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a motivational speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)

No. 918

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A POSITIVE NOTE ON BEING THANKFUL!

Every so often I have some person ask me this question: “Is your glass half empty or half full?” This is just another way of asking if you are basically a positive person or a negative person.
I always answer half full, because in the vast majority of cases I try to see the positive or the good in people, or the various circumstances where I have to make choices. These thoughts came to mind when I read a very thought-provoking article a reader sent me a while back. This article clearly demonstrated the positive attitude and choices “half full” people make on a regular basis. I might add, it’s a great way to live. Please allow me to share these with you, and as we move along try to place yourself in the picture. Some won’t apply but many will.
Each set of circumstances begins with the words, “I AM THANKFUL.” The article begins, “I am thankful for the wife who says it will be hot dogs tonight because she is at home with me and not out with someone else.” This really hit home with me because I lost my wife of 35 years several weeks ago, and what I would not give to have a hot dog with her tonight.
To continue, and remember each circumstance begins with: “I AM THANKFUL … for the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato because he is home with me and not out at the bar. For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes because it means she is at home and not on the streets. For the taxes I pay because it means I am employed.
“For the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends. For the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat. For my shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine. For the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home. For all the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech. For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.
“For my huge heating bill because it means I am warm. For the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear. For the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear. For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of working hard. For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive. And finally, for too many e-mails (you know who you are) because it means I have friends who are thinking of me. And here is one that is very important that I just carried out. Share this with someone you care about. I just did.”
That was the end of the article and, if I may, I would like to add one more that is very important to me. Each year our Conway Lions Club has an annual golf tournament to raise money to help the blind and visually impaired. We have had 15 in all, and I have played in every one of them. However, for the past few years I have not had the opportunity to play much at all, in fact the last time was during our tournament last year.
This year you can bet I was very rusty. Going to the driving range a few times before the tournament helped a little, and the main reason I went was to keep from being embarrassed. Soon after we started our round I hit one of those shots that barely got off the tee box. It was not pretty. Here is the point of my sharing this with you. With God’s help I have learned to control my tongue. I am thankful that all during the round, I did not use profanity or say anything that would indicate that I am anything less than one whose glass is half full. I am thankful for a multitude of things.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 920

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
A PLETHORA OF GREAT TIPS!

About 20 years ago, my late wife Viola and I moved from Mayflower to Conway and built a new home. It is a most unusual home because we built it using landscape timbers. A part of the move involved building me a home office, where I could record my daily radio program and where I later began this newspaper column. A part of the design was building the office above the garage, and this meant having outside steps because Viola made it clear that she did not want the office in the house. Not being too smart back in those day (I’m still not), we did not cover the steps that we have to use going back and forth several times a day. They look good and they work well during fair weather, but during those few times when we have snow and ice, well, that is another story.
If you have ever felt like you were taking your life in your own hands, you can picture me going up and coming down those steps, hanging on to the rail, trying to keep from breaking my neck and wishing I had bought some salt pellets to put on the steps before the ice came. This past year I tried to find some salt at Walmart to put on the steps in the event ice came, but they had sold out. These past events flooded my mind when a friend sent me a whole plethora of great tips that can come in handy in all sorts of ways.
Here is the very first tip and you will see why I have taken the long way around. “For Icy Door Steps in Freezing Temperatures: Get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t refreeze.” I do take some comfort here because I am not the only one who didn’t know this tip. The person who offered this tip said, “Wish I had known this for the past 40 years.”
Without further comment here are some of these tips:
Crayon Marks on Walls: Take a damp rag dipped in baking soda and they will come off with little effort. Blood Stains on Clothes: Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a sweet-smelling scent when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least three hours prior to burning.
To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting it in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks. To get rid of the itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief. When you get a splinter, reach for the cellophane tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the tape over the splinter and then pull it off. Cellophane tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill it with water and drop in two effervescent cold tablets. To polish jewelry, drop two cold tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
To clean a Thermos bottle: Fill the bottle with water, drop in four tablets and let soak for an hour, or longer if necessary. To unclog a drain, clear the sink drain by dropping three tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes and then turn on the hot water. And here is the author’s final thought: Makes you wonder about ingesting those effervescent cold tablets, doesn’t it?
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 922

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
A MOST UNUSUAL FOOTBALL GAME!

Did I ever tell you about my football-playing days when I was in high school? We did well until the last game of the season when the decision was made to let the coach go. He had a 5-5 record. He lost five at home and he lost five on the road. In all seriousness, I would like to tell you about the most unusual football game I have ever heard about in my life. The most significant thing that came from this was not so much about the game itself, but the inescapable messages it sent to everyone who has ever heard about it. This experience came to me in an e-mail from Ned Wilford. The game was played in 2008 and was reported by Rick Reilly of ESPN Television.
The game took place in Grapevine, Texas, and was between Grapevine Faith Academy and Gainesville State School. Faith is a Christian school and Gainesville State School is located within a maximum correction facility. Gainesville State School had 14 players. They played every game on the road. Their record was 0-8 (I know the feeling.) Up to this point they had only scored twice. Their 14 players were teenagers who had been convicted of crimes ranging from drugs to assault to robbery. Most had families who had disowned them. They wore outdated, used shoulder pads and helmets. Faith Academy was 7-2. They had 70 players, 11 coaches and the latest equipment.
Kris Hogan, the head coach of Faith Academy, knew the Gainesville team would have no fans and it would be no contest, so he thought, “What if half our fans and half our cheerleaders, for one night only, cheered for the other team?” He sent out an e-mail to the faithful asking them to do just that.
“Here is the message I want you to send,” Hogan wrote, “You are just as valuable as any other person on the planet.” Some folks were confused and thought he was nuts. One player said, “Coach why are we doing this?” Hogan said, “Imagine you don’t have a home life, no one to love you, no one pulling for you; imagine that everyone pretty much had given up on you. Now imagine what it would feel like and mean to you for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you.”
The idea took root. On the night of the game, imagine the surprise of those 14 players when they took the field and there was a banner the cheerleaders had made for them to crash through. The visitor’s stands were full. The cheerleaders were leading cheers for them. The fans were calling them by their names. Isaiah, the quarterback/middle linebacker, said, “I never in my life thought I would hear parents cheering to tackle and hit their kid. Most of the time when we come out, people are afraid of us. You can see it in their eyes, but these people are yelling for us. They knew our names.”
Faith won the game, and after the game the teams gathered at the 50-yard line to pray. That’s when Isaiah, the teenage convict-quarterback, surprised everybody and asked if he could pray. He said, “Lord, I don’t know what just happened so I don’t know how or who to say thank you to, but I never knew there were so many people in the world that cared about us.” On the way back to the bus, under guard, each one of the players was handed a burger, fries, candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from one of the players from Faith Academy.
To be sure, there is a lot I could add here, space permitting, but if you were not touched by these acts of Godly kindness, nothing I could say would make a difference. I just wonder how many of these young men would be in prison if they had received this kind of love when they were in their formative years. When possible, let’s give it to them. Always remember, God is love.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 924

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A VERY GRATEFUL AMERICAN!

Early one morning a few weeks after my wife passed away, I was all alone sitting in my easy chair and got to thinking about the future and the days that lie ahead. All of a sudden the emotion came over me of being so grateful for all the good things I had going for me. First, I was grateful for the extra months the Lord gave me with Viola before He called her home and the joy of taking care of her, as I am sure she would have done for me. In case you may not know, she had Parkinson’s for almost 20 years and passed away May 13, 2013.
Then I was, and still am, grateful for so many personal friends, my children, church family, members of my Lions Club that I have served with for so many years, my great friends who read my column and listen to my daily radio program, and relatively speaking for good health. I am also grateful that I am a positive person and have a real vision and hope for the future. In spite of our nation’s many challenges, I just believe our best days are ahead and there are millions of Americans who feel the same way. Our freedom was not won by cowards, but by millions of our citizens whose blood, sweat and tears made us the land of the free and the home of the brave.
For the past several years my passion has been literacy, and specifically the Bookcase for Every Child project I was privileged to be a part of that was started here in Conway in 2005. I don’t know of a cause where there is a greater need, where I could spend the rest of my life, than trying to help children being reared in low-income families have a brighter future. My wife Viola was also a big part of this, as she supported and inspired me in so many ways that it would be impossible to list them all. One thing most of my readers have never heard is that she recorded radio commercials for more than a hundred of our “How to Plan Your Life” radio sponsors.
Sometime back I saw the results of a survey that revealed that woman mature at a much earlier age than men. The age for most women is around 32 years of age, while for most men it’s around 43 years of age. I personally know this is true. While only a few months separated our chronological age, in the early days of our marriage she was much more mature than I was. She also possessed outstanding character, and there were many times when she pulled my bacon out of the fire by providing insights and counsel that money could not buy.
The more I thought about this, the more I came to realize what a fitting tribute it would be to dedicate to her memory the bookcase project that I founded. When I die, my daily radio program and syndicated column will basically be over, but this is not the case with the Bookcase for Every Child project. Literacy is a generational thing, and to teach a young child to read who would not otherwise achieve fluent literacy may impact his own family and even generations yet unborn. Therefore, I am appealing to every American to help spread this literacy project to every hamlet, city and town that we can possibly reach.
With God’s help, your help, and the help of thousands of others, I would like to see at least one Bookcase for Every Child project developed in every state in the nation. Thanks to a wonderful feature article in the American Profile magazine back in August 2011, we are now in five states. Except for in the case of local efforts, Viola’s condition created a delay in spreading the project. Taking care of her was my number one priority and I know you understand this. However, I am excited about the future and I hope you are as well. Thank you for allowing me to share this with you.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 926

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

U.S. MARSHALS MUSEUM!

The city of Fort Smith, Arkansas, is now the second largest city in our state and is unique for many reasons. Back in the early days of our nation’s history, this scrappy border town grew up around the area’s first frontier fort established in 1817 to promote peace between the warring Indian tribes of the Osage and Cherokee.
Remains of the first fort lie within the Fort Smith National Historic Site perched on a bluff overlooking the Arkansas River. At this site you can stop and learn about the history of the Trail of Tears and find out about the Civil War in Arkansas. On the grounds nearby is a replica of the famed Fort Smith gallows where 80 men were ordered hanged by Judge Parker, who came to be known as the famous Hanging Judge.
We can add to this rich history the soon-to-be U.S. Marshals Museum. Several months ago, Jessica Hayes, vice president of museum operations, drove the 100-plus miles to our community to speak to our Lions Club about the museum. Jessica made a most interesting and informative presentation, and she really got my attention when she said the total cost would be in excess of $50 million. I knew then she was not talking about renovating a vacant warehouse. After she spoke, I was ready to go see the museum the next day, but it won’t be open until 2016. I am definitely planning to go see it when it does open.
When I saw the architect’s rendering, with its forward looking design on a point overlooking the river, the building reminded me of the famous Opera House in Sydney, Australia, while certainly not as elaborate. Here are some of the highlights of what the museum is designed to accomplish: Honor the past and future service of the U.S. Marshals; celebrate George Washington’s vision of the U.S. Marshals Service; create a national museum where visitors explore our nation’s history through the lens of the U.S. Marshals Service; engage visitors with interactive experiences throughout the three galleries; serve as a springboard for conversations relevant to our nation today; inspire visitors to live their lives with justice, integrity and service; recognize the more than 225 Marshals killed in the line of duty; and form educational partnerships with local, regional and national institutions.
As previously stated, the museum will consist of three main galleries: a Changing Nation Gallery, a Frontier Marshals Gallery, and a Marshals Today Gallery. The Changing Nation Gallery will show how and why the U.S. Marshals are intricately linked to the Constitution. Here visitors will learn there are often two sides to every issue. It will highlight four critical areas of American history – Slavery and the legacy of inequality, 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, labor strikes, and the enforcement of court orders in the Civil Rights era.
The Frontier Marshals Gallery will show the U.S. Marshals and Deputies as the lawmen of our country’s frontiers. Here it will show New Frontiers 1789, the American West, Alaska Territory, and New Frontiers and Beyond.
The Marshals Today Gallery depicts the era where we are today – Fugitive apprehension, protection of the Federal Courts, witness security program, transportation of federal prisoners and assets forfeiture.
In summary, the mission of the U.S. Marshals Museum is to form a national center of heritage and legacy, disseminate knowledge and inspire appreciation for the accomplishments of the U.S. Marshals Service. Should you travel Interstate 40, the third longest East to West highway in America, why not stop in Fort Smith and see this great attraction when it opens.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 928

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

WHY CIVIC CLUBS ARE DECLINING!

In a June 2013 article in the Wall Street Journal, Niall Ferguson addresses the decline of American associational life. He quotes from a 1995 essay by Robert Pittman titled “Bowling Alone,” which documents the exodus of Americans from bowling leagues, Rotary Clubs and the like.
Since then, the downward trend in “social capital” has only continued. According to the 2006 World Values Survey, active membership even in religious associations has declined from just over half the population to a little more than a third. Here is what he gives as the major reason: Instead of joining together to get things done, Americans have increasingly become more dependent upon Washington. Ferguson states in another article that this decline is due mainly to the strangling of private initiative by the ever-encroaching state.
With your permission, I would like to leave this national perspective and address this issue from my own personal experience here in my community as a member of our local Lions Club. Since I joined our club in 1994, I have gone through all the chairs, served a year as president and received every award and honor that is given to our members at our annual Installation Banquet. And this grew from a point that I told my sponsor, the late Paul Anthes, that I would attend the meetings but would not serve in any leadership positions.
Before I share what I believe to be the major reasons why civic clubs are declining, I would like to say that the Lions Club has done far more for me than I have ever done for them. You should also know that my perspective comes from serving as our Membership Chair for the past several years. Now, why are civic clubs declining? First, let me say there are always exceptions to the rule. While I may say they are declining, you may show me the many clubs, such as our own Kiwanis Club here in Conway, who are growing and doing a great job to meet many needs in their community.
Like most organizations, the key to success for a civic club is leadership. When you have great leaders, you will most likely have a great club. Civic clubs change leadership at the top year after year. This is both good and bad. When you have a great president or leader, unless they are asked to stay on they move to ‘has been’ after a year and a new leader takes his or her place. This is also good, because when you have a poor leader it only lasts for a year. The tragedy comes when you have two, three or four poor leaders in a row. Then there is also the challenge of finding a good location to hold meetings, in terms of food, cost and accessible location, with plenty of parking. We are creatures of habit, and sometimes bi-weekly or monthly meetings have poor attendance because a lot of members have a short-term memory.
A successful civic club will also have a clearly defined purpose or cause that motivates members to stay involved. Our motto is “We Serve” and we help the blind and visually impaired. Today, people are busier than ever before and civic clubs are competing for the ever-shrinking amount of time that potential members can devote to being a member. Because of inflation and the economy, cost can also be a legitimate reason why some people will not join a civic club. While it may be hard because many in the younger generation don’t share the values of older adults, we must sign up young people to serve. If you go to a church or civic club and all you see are “old people” they are headed for trouble and decline. My advice: Join and you will be blessed.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)

No. 930

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

MAKING A CASE FOR LITERACY!

There is a verse in the Bible that I have come to appreciate more and more as time goes by. In Proverbs 3:27 it says, “Withhold not good to them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.”
With this in mind I would like to tell you about one of the greatest needs we have in our nation today, and that is fighting the battle of illiteracy. In our modern technological society, a person does not have a prayer if he or she cannot read. Yet we have more than 42 million adults who cannot read at the fifth-grade level, and the loss of productivity and providing a safety net for most of these people is costing us billions of dollars each and every year. I dare say most of us who can read do not get too concerned for those who can’t, which is just human nature. People in high-crime areas are really paying a price for illiteracy.
With this in mind, today I would like to invite you to join me as I do my best to make a case for literacy, and I realize in many cases I am preaching to the choir. Every year here in our community and several other communities, we build 50 quality, personalized, oak bookcases and give them to pre-school children who are being reared in low-income families. After a team of volunteer craftsmen builds the bookcases, we have an awards ceremony and present the bookcases to the children and their parents. This past April we had our ninth annual Awards Ceremony, and this brought the total to 450 bookcases with an accompanying starter set of books since we started in 2005.
During this ceremony we have many community leaders come to help us celebrate this special time. This year A.J. Gary, Conway Chief of Police, gave our “welcome.” Here is what he told us: “Researchers estimate that every dollar invested in early education provides up to $16 in economic benefits, primarily from reduced crime and welfare expenditures. One long-term study of Michigan’s Perry Preschool followed two groups of at-risk, low-income 3- and 4-year olds. By age 40, the kids who did not attend Perry Preschool were four times more likely to be arrested for drug felonies, and twice as likely to be arrested for violent crimes when compared to those who participated.” Chief Gary had many other facts and statistics that space does not permit me to share with you, but you see where he was coming from.
Another important participant that day was our keynote speaker, Kathy Powers. Kathy was our 2011 Arkansas Teacher of the Year and she did an outstanding job relating to the children. She has been flown all over the nation to help implement the Common Core Standards now being used in our public schools. Here is just some of what she shared with us: Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year. (Anderson, Wilson & Fielding, 1988) Children who read well do better in all aspects of school and beyond.
Reading skills correspond directly to one’s ability to be an informed citizen, communicate effectively, earn a higher salary, succeed in one’s chosen career, and achieve personal fulfillment. Later in life they also participate more in the community in terms of service and giving back. It is estimated that the cost of illiteracy to business and the taxpayer is $20 billion per year.
If you see the urgency of what I have been saying, I want to invite you to help get a “Bookcase for Every Child” project started in your community. Just go to our website: www.bookcaseforeverychild.com and it will give you all the information you will need.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)