Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. -- 2 Corinthians 3:2
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Have you ever thought about the word, "crackpot"? Usually, one would hear this derogative term used for someone else who is a little odd, crazy, a curmudgeon, etc. I looked up the word on Google and found about 10+ pages on "CRACKPOT" ... WOW! Most entries seem to be names of restaurants or relating to books and so forth but, I was just curious to see what I could find on the word. Now, you might be thinking, "What does this have to do with flowers or flours?" Well ... you'll see! Anyway, here are my two favorite: a definition and a description follow:
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From Wikipedia, the Free Dictionary:
Crackpot most generally means a capriciously eccentric person.
In various other uses, the term can mean:
Pejoratively, the term Crackpot is used against a person, subjectively also called a crank, who writes or speaks in an authoritative fashion about a particular subject, often in science or mathematics, but is alleged to have false or even ludicrous beliefs.
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From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia:
Crackpot is a village in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the Old English kraka (a crow) and the Viking word pot (usually a cavity or deep hole often in the bed of a river, but in Crackpot's case it refers to a rift in the limestone). Crackpot cave contains a fine example of a column - where a stalactite has joined up with its stalagmite. To get to it you have to pass along the aptly named knee-wrecker passage.
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Now, let's go on to a nice little story about, what else, "crackpots"! This may be a familiar story, but it's something to always keep in mind ...
THE CRACKPOTS!
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."
The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."
"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
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Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
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SO, you see, my dear crackpots, "FLOWERS" did get into my message, afterall!
Enjoy this beautiful day and don't forget to stop and smell the flowers on your side of the fence!
* * * * *
Have you ever thought about the word, "crackpot"? Usually, one would hear this derogative term used for someone else who is a little odd, crazy, a curmudgeon, etc. I looked up the word on Google and found about 10+ pages on "CRACKPOT" ... WOW! Most entries seem to be names of restaurants or relating to books and so forth but, I was just curious to see what I could find on the word. Now, you might be thinking, "What does this have to do with flowers or flours?" Well ... you'll see! Anyway, here are my two favorite: a definition and a description follow:
* * * * *
From Wikipedia, the Free Dictionary:
Crackpot most generally means a capriciously eccentric person.
In various other uses, the term can mean:
Pejoratively, the term Crackpot is used against a person, subjectively also called a crank, who writes or speaks in an authoritative fashion about a particular subject, often in science or mathematics, but is alleged to have false or even ludicrous beliefs.
* * *
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia:
Crackpot is a village in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the Old English kraka (a crow) and the Viking word pot (usually a cavity or deep hole often in the bed of a river, but in Crackpot's case it refers to a rift in the limestone). Crackpot cave contains a fine example of a column - where a stalactite has joined up with its stalagmite. To get to it you have to pass along the aptly named knee-wrecker passage.
* * * * *
Now, let's go on to a nice little story about, what else, "crackpots"! This may be a familiar story, but it's something to always keep in mind ...
THE CRACKPOTS!
An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."
The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"
"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."
"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
* * *
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
* * *
SO, you see, my dear crackpots, "FLOWERS" did get into my message, afterall!
Enjoy this beautiful day and don't forget to stop and smell the flowers on your side of the fence!
1 comment:
Nice floral graphics! And the cracked pot story is a great one...
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