I came across this ditty while looking up another quote. I include it here as it has truth as its basis.
“Jack says that of law common sense is the base,
And, doubtless, in that he is right;
Though certain I am, that in many a case
The foundation is quite out of sight.”
Of course, man is a noble creature, but he has made some 34,657,983 laws and hasn’t yet improved on the Ten Commandments.
One Christmas, Phil and Will decided to build a skating rink in the middle of a pasture. A shepherd leading his flock decides to take a shortcut across the rink. The sheep, however, were afraid of the ice and wouldn’t cross it. Despearate, the shepherd begins tugging the sheep to the other side.
“Look at that,” remarks Phil to Will, “that guy is trying to pull the wool over our ice!”
Thinking about it, that word “Jolly” doesn’t seem to be used much anymore—at least not in general conversation. The Thesaurus gives such similar words as cheerful, happy, good-humored, jovial, merry, sunny, joyful, joyous, light-hearted, in high spirits, bubbly, exuberant, ebullient, gleeful, mirthful, genial, affable, fun-loving, and even chirpy!
That seems to me to be saying a lot with just one old word. Perhaps it would be good for us to use that word even more. Look at all you say with it! And they’re all good meanings and connotations.
People were beginning to talk about the Colonies becoming independent from Great Britain. Unfair treatment of the colonists without giving them any representation in the British body which deliberated the laws, caused many to rebel, rise up, take to the streets, and, yes revolt.
The colonies sent leaders to represent them in a Continental Congress at Philadelphia. At the 2nd Continental Congress the representatives decided to put independence to a vote. A committee was formed to draft a Declaration of Independence should one be necessary. That committee was Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and a young lawyer named Thomas Jefferson, who was chosen to write the first draft of such a document.
The other day I received a card wishing me Holiday Greetings. That caused me to think about some of the words we ordinarily use during the Christmas season. Think of Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for example.
Happy is defined as pleasant, pleased, and gratified. Holiday is a day commemorated with festivities and is a day on which one is exempted from work. Does that still work?
Greetings are simply “salutations.” So Holiday greetings are salutations sent for the day you are exempted from work!
A few years ago I sent a Christmas card to my children and spouse. It was a homemade card. Yes, I drew it myself. I drew a Christmas wreath and laying inside the circle of the wreath was Snoopy—with apologies to Charles Schultz.
The words on the card said: “Merry Christmas—it’s as simple as that!”
Then I explained some of the symbolism of the card. Snoopy represents “everyman”. He’s a cool dude. He is snuggled in the wreath meaning he has accepted Christ as his Savior and is “resting” in the arms of the Lord. I told the readers to notice how rested Snoopy looked.
As you know, James Madison is known as “The Father of the Constitution.” He was very knowledgeable and astute when it came to governments. He also had an idea about what to look for in your government leaders. This is how he described his philosophy:
“The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and . . . to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.”
When I was in college, my girlfriend (now my wife) and I went to an open-air concert. It was presented by the late music composer and singer, John Hartford. It was a great concert!
One of his songs stuck with me and has had a real meaning in my life. The lyrics occasionally come into my mind with several experiences. I guess because I have been in the right place at the right time for special events in my life to occur.
It’s a fun song and the lyrics go like this:
“I would not be here if I hadn’t been there,
and I wouldn’t ‘a been there if I hadn’t just turned
on Wednesday the third in the late afternoon
got to talking with George who works out in the back
and only because he was getting off early
to go see a man at a Baker Street bookstore
with a rare first edition of Steamboats and Cotton
a book he would never have sought in the first place
had he not been inspired by a fifth grade replacement
school teacher in Kirkwood who was just picked at random . . . “
When George Washington was a young lad, his father, Augustine, wanted to make sure George learned good penmanship. He hired a tutor to help with this challenge. The tutor taught George writing by having George mark down some sentences in his best script while the tutor recited several directions he referred to as “The 110 Rules of Civility and Conversation in Company and Conversation.”
So what do you know, but George also learned how to act properly among his friends and neighbors at an early age. All while he learned good penmanship skills. He not only had very good handwriting all of his life, but he had people skills which endeared him to his soldiers, neighbors, and fellow countrymen.
I have a Juris Doctor degree from Arizona State University College of Law. I am an author and have written five books. I’m currently working on a sixth. I was brought up in a home with a mother who was an English Major at the University. So I have a pretty good grasp of the English language!
Most are familiar with Thomas Jefferson’s writing at least in the Declaration of Independence. It is a masterful piece of written language! Tom was also a lawyer, a scientist, a linguist and a writer. Nowhere in the Declaration is the word “whom” used. But he could have used the word. It was in use in his time. But then he also powdered his hair on occasion, and wore a tri-cornered hat!