The Dolphin

 

Your Monthly Magazine from Living Happy Center

June 2012   

 

Carole Kane, Editor-in-Chief

 

Living Happy Center Writers Group:

 

Frank Clark, Maryann Hall, Glynis Hedley,  

Helene Herman, Dr. Brad Holway,   

Rev. Victor Langhorne, Dr. Arthur Lewin,

Joyce Magnavito, Josephine Pico, 

Debra Sanchez,Dimitra Savvidou, Don Seiler, Jr. 

 

www.livinghappycenter.com  

 

 

 

in this issue
In Fountain Court - Arthur Symons
Ring of Fire - Dr. Brad Holway
Seeking The Dream Job - by Carole Kane
Dimitra and Alexander - By Dr. Arthur Lewin
About Life - By Regina Brett
The Converter Gets Converted - by Rev. Victor Langhorne
Article Headline
 

Dear Friends,

 

Welcome to the June 2012 issue of The Dolphin, featuring longer articles from the Living Happy Center Writers Group. Just as a reminder, you will receive The Dolphin  once each month.  During the rest of the month you will continue to receive your weekly Living Happy newsletter.

 

This issue brings you fiction and non-fiction, true experiences and speculation to get you thinking, wondering, and laughing.  There's a beautiful poem about June,  an article about the recent annular eclipse of the sun, a book excerpt about job-hunting in the 1970's, some speculation about Alexander The Great, 45 wonderful life lessons, and an article about one missionary's experiences in Africa.  And there's also a "Last Laugh" department to leave you groaning!

 

Happy reading!

 

- - Carole - -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


In Fountain Court

  by Arthur Symons
2/28/1865-1/22/1945 

The fountain murmuring of sleep,
A drowsy tune;
The flickering green of leaves that keep
The light of June;
Peace, through a slumbering afternoon,
The peace of June.   

Fountain Court, Wales
Fountain Court, Wales
austenonly.com 

A waiting ghost, in the blue sky,
The white curved moon;
June, hushed and breathless, waits, and I
Wait too, with June;
Come, through the lingering afternoon,
Soon, love, come soon.   

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ring of Fire       

 

 

  By Dr. Brad Holway                                               

  

When I heard that a full annular eclipse of the sun would be occurring in the American southwest this May 20th, I was thrilled.  A map showed that Albuquerque would be in the center of the eclipse's path.  Though I had witnessed a partial solar eclipse as a teenager in New York, I had never seen a "full annular".  On the spur of the moment, I called some friends in Albuquerque and began packing.

A solar eclipse occurs when our moon's orbit takes it directly between our planet and our parent star and it blocks the sun's light.  As opposed to a "total" eclipse, when the entire solar disk is covered by the moon, annular eclipses happen when the moon is at a far point in its orbit; thus, the moon does not bulk quite as large in the sky and leaves a "ring of fire" surrounding it. 

It was a pleasant day in Albuquerque, mild with clear skies.  The hour of the eclipse approached; my friends' garden was dappled with shadows cast by the golden light of the westering sun.  Film strips in hand, we took off for some open ground to watch the rare event.  The celestial bodies began to lurch into position.  Slowly, almost inexorably, the dark moon, its far side lit, began to obscure the solar disk.  When about half the incandescent solar face was covered, the light began to dim and the air grew cooler.  We observed the progress of the event as the moon's interposition between the two larger bodies left a thin, glowing crescent hanging eerily in the heavens.   

eclipse annular from roswell nm
Annular eclipse of the sun
Photo:  Joel Dykstra
Roswell, NM May 20, 2012

Before long, the moment was upon us.  We observed the Ring of Fire, glowing like a blazing wheel in the sky.  It seemed suspended in motion like a flaming hoop tossed by some madcap circus juggler to his partner.  Its glow, almost baleful, reminded me of Sauron's Ring of Power in the Tolkien cycle.

 
We marvelled at the sight.

After a couple of minutes that seemed much longer, the moon moved off-center and soon began to leave the sun's face.  The spectacle was ending.  Now that I have seen the "Ring of Fire", I fervently hope to witness a total eclipse while I am still corporeal.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       

Seeking The Dream Job    

                                               

Carole Kane 

 

 By Carole Kane      

 

 

"Secretary/Girl Friday for Lawyer

                          Good Appearance. Returnee Considered."

 

Patria sat in the outer office of Nicholas Liquori, Esquire, nervously shredding the clipping as she waited for her interview. Eight weeks at Hawthorne and Becker was enough for any human being to bear. She was slowly dying of boredom there.

 

She glanced around the hospital-clean room as she waited, noting the several diplomas in stark black frames on the plain walls. The brown rug, one wall of knotty pine paneling, and the straight-lined modern chairs and desk just didn't go together right. Even the elephant-ear plant in the corner seemed out of place. Now, if she had her way, she'd change the drapes...  she stopped mid-thought. "There I go again," she muttered to herself. "The housewife in me just won't be still."

 

A deep voice interrupted her musings. "Mrs. Cole?"

 

Nicholas Liquori, well dressed, about fifty, she guessed, had opened the door from his inner office and was reaching his hand toward her. She shook it as she went into the other room.

 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Liquori." She felt the adrenaline shooting. How she hated these interviews! Never could be relaxed during one, and the hot blush on her cheeks always embarrassed her.

 

He gestured toward an uncomfortable, orange free-form chair.   "Please sit down," he said, smiling only with his lips. His eyes were busy scanning her, head to toe.

 

Liquori was rather small-built, and he had a great shock of salt-and-pepper hair surrounding a u-shaped bald spot. His wrinkled, health spa tanned face reminded her of the Pillsbury doughboy, and he smelled slightly of some cologne - she couldn't think of the name of it offhand.

 

Remembering the "good appearance" his ad had mentioned, she self-consciously smoothed out her wool skirt and hoped she passed his scrutiny.

 

"Have you had lunch yet?" he asked, surprising her. She had been expecting a typing or steno test.

 

"Actually, I'm on my lunch hour right now," she said. "I thought I'd just skip eating today."

 

His face relaxed, and this time when he smiled at her, the rest of his face smiled, too. "How about joining me for a bite?" he said comfortably. "I could go for a nice steak or something, and it would save us both time. Would you mind?"

 

Patria could hardly believe it.  She smiled back at him.   "What a nice idea."  

 

Ten minutes later they were ushered to a little, blue-checked table in the candle-lit Maison Robert. She sipped her drink and idly watched a man at the next table who seemed to be enjoying his lunch immensely.

 

"I hope you like French food," Liquori said, gesturing for the waiter to bring more drinks.

 

"Of course I do. It's my favorite!" So she lied. How would he know she had never seen the inside of a French restaurant before? Why look dumb?

 couple in restaurant

They chatted through two more drinks, but Patria only sipped hers and returned them when the new ones were brought. She wanted a clear head for the interview. And, she had to go back to work this afternoon. When he signaled for a fourth round, she began to get impatient. Her lunch hour was almost over and they hadn't even ordered their food yet.

 

"Why don't you tell me a little about the job," she said finally.

 

He lifted his drink and downed it in one long gulp.  "After lunch I'll take you back to my office and show you around," he said. "Right now, relax. Enjoy yourself. There's plenty of time to talk business."

 

He was staring at her breasts. The damned blush stained her cheeks again.

 

"When can you start?" he asked suddenly.  

"You mean you'd hire me without even a test?"  

"Can you type?"  

"Of course."  

"You're hired."

 

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Just like that?"

 

His face twisted into a doughy frown. "Look, don't give me a hard time. I'll make it worth your while."

 

He motioned for the check as he talked, evidently forgetting they had come here to eat. "How much are you making now?"

 

"A hundred thirty-five dollars," she said, immediately sorry she hadn't said it was more. He'd probably offer her a hundred forty, now.

 

"I'll give you two hundred." He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "My office is very comfortable, if you know what I mean."

 

He was leering at her, his words slurring. He handed the silent waiter a credit card, and continued, "I have a couple of bottles in the office at all times. We're going to have a great relationship."

 

He took her hand and kissed it sloppily. It was revolting! Of all the ads in the paper, she had to pick this one! She had heard about situations like this, but never really believed it before.

 

He was still babbling. "I think sex three times a week is enough, don't you?"

 

She'd go to the Ladies Room, grab her coat on the way, and sneak out. He was really getting sickening! And now she could feel his hand crawling up her thigh.

 

"Well, what do you think?" he slurred.

 

"Oh - uh - yes. Three time is great." The old geezer - trying to impress her! Three times! He'd probably cripple himself! She stubbed out her cigarette and smiled sweetly at him.

 

"Would you mind waiting just a couple of minutes? I'd like to freshen up."

 

"Sure, sure. But hurry back," he chuckled, patting her behind as she stood up. She was mortified - everybody was staring!

 

"This ish my lucky day!" he said happily. "And you can type, too!"

 

Her last view of him was as he picked up her drink and started to drain it while he waited for her. She walked slowly towards the Ladies Room, then quietly got her coat from the coat check room and slipped out into the bustling crowd on Seventh Avenue. On the way back to H&B she bought a New York Times. Tomorrow she'd try again.   

 

Dream of Roman Candles Cover

From "A Dream of Roman Candles" by Carole Kane

    

Click here to see the book:

A Dream of Roman Candles by Carole Kane 

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dimitra and Alexander

      

 

 By Dr. Arthur Lewin  

 

Dimitra (Savvidou), in the last Dolphin, noted that Alexander banished fear and accomplished great, great things. Thanks to his supreme fearlessness he lives still in our heads due to the bold path he trod across the pages of history. Nonetheless, a case can be made that his full significance has been obscured by the legends of Jesus the Christ and the philosopher Aristotle.

Aristotle is said to have written, literally written, hundreds of books without benefit of a word processor or even a typewriter. In fact, he is seen as so influential that it's been said that all of Biology, all of Philosophy, and other subjects, "is but footnote to Aristotle." And he's said to have written his several hundred books in a span of about a dozen years. 

 

Alexander The Great
Alexander the Great
Crystalinks.com 

Note that this period is right after Alexander conquered Egypt in 333 BCE. And Alexander just so happens to have been Aristotle's most famous student. As ruler of Egypt, the Pharaoh, he had access to all the knowledge that the Egyptians possessed. It is not far fetched to believe, as has been claimed, that Aristotle did not write all those books, instead they were copied by his assistants and translated into Greek from myriad ancient Egyptian texts.

 

Have Western historians preferred to credit the foundation of Western civilization to the mind of Aristotle rather than to the sword, and the heart, of Alexander?

Also, many have speculated that the tale of the Christ may be but a retelling of Alexander's life in a different idiom and medium. Both are said to have died in their thirty-third year, and both claimed to not have been fathered by the man married to their mother, but by a god. Both were hailed as "King of Kings. One was called "Jesus," and the other's most famous Battle was "Issus," the same word in different languages.

 

Alexander and his father united all of Greece under the banner of the rude, vigorous, semi-barbarian Macedonia, and then penetrated Mother Africa to ultimately sire the world we live in today. And by the way, do you recall what Alexander's ultimate goal was? To create a New World Order.

 

                                                                          Dr.  Lewin teaches  
  at Bernard M. Baruch College, New York 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

About Life
Regina Brett  Cleveland Plain Dealer

by Regina Brett 

NOT Age 90

Columnist for the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

reprinted from    http://www.reginabrett.com/about.php

 

 

"You don't look 90." People constantly tell me that. Why? Someone keeps sending out an email announcing that I'm 90. For the record: I'm only in my 50's.

   

The day before I turned 45, I wrote a column of the 45 Lessons Life Taught Me The lessons reflect what I learned from life. And they reflect what I've learned from readers in my 30+ years as a journalist. Here they are again...

 

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

 

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

 

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

 

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

 

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

 

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

 

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

 

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

 

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

 

 this article was suggested by Josephine Pico

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Converter Gets ConvertedVictor Langhorne 

 

 

By Rev. Victor Langhorne   

 

When I first travelled to West Africa many years ago, my agenda  was to convert non-Christian West Africans to Christianity, my own faith.  I spent the semester leading up to the trip at Queens College, taking a course in West African history. A small number of the students from the class, if selected, would be able to follow up the course with six weeks of field study in Liberia and Ghana.  Somehow I made the cut. I had already been a bible school student and summer travelling evangelist for several years. From what I had learned from my research, West Africans really needed conversion from their indigenous "animism" and "pantheism."  I thought that the harvest was ripe and plentiful; only the laborers were few.

 

The summer program began with a series of lectures by African professors at the University of Liberia.  I was left nearly speechless from the contrast between the descriptions and explanations that I had encountered in class, and the sophistication and elucidation of the indigenous African philosophical and spiritual understanding.

 

My numerous queries were answered so definitively that I lost any opportunity to testify about my faith in response or rebuttal. Literally dazed, I trudged on to the University of Ghana, only to encounter more of the same.  Afterwards, however, I finally got to preach the messages of my Christian faith to the African masses.

 

Despite significant responses to my appeal to come and embrace the faith I had proclaimed, I was emotionally overwhelmed.  What I learned from the lectures and discussions about African religious thought had been framed far more rational, credible, and far-sighted than I had anticipated.   For example, the lecturers related the animism of indigenous West African cultural beliefs to the dynamism of atoms in elements and molecular compounds, more than to purely superstitious concepts.

 

On the flight back home, I penned my reflections, to the effect that I had gone to Africa with an agenda "to convert" Africans to Christianity, and found that I, too, had been converted to a new perception of the world and all that it contains.


reprinted from Living Happy Vol. 1 Number 14  

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Last Laugh Department

Mama's Bible

joke contributed by Josephine Pico  

 

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors

and lawyers.

 

One evening, after having dinner together, they discussed the 95th birthday gifts they were able to give their mother, who had moved to Florida .

 

The first said, "You know I had a big house built for Mama."

 

The second said, "And I had a large theater built in the house."

 

The third said, "And I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."

 

The fourth said, "You know how Mama loved reading the Bible, and you know she can't read anymore because she can't see very well. I met this preacher who told me about a parrot who could recite the entire Bible. It took ten preachers almost 8 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $50,000 a year for five years to the church, but it was worth it.  Mama only has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot will recite it."

 

The other brothers were impressed. After the celebration Mama sent out her thank-you notes.   She wrote:

 

"Milton , the house you built is so huge!  I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. But thanks anyway."

 

"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home; I have my groceries delivered, so I never use the Mercedes. But the thought was good. Thanks."

 

"Michael, you gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound and it can hold 50 people, but all of my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing, and I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it.  But thank you for the gesture just the same."

 

"Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you so much."

 

smiley with teeth smile

Love, Mama

 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

See You Next Month!

 

We hope you've enjoyed our stories.

 

 Stay happy,  Walk in the sunshine!  

Love your pets, and talk to your plants 

Revel in your family!  Treasure your friends!

  Splash in puddles!!

And always, always give thanks !

 

 

 

The Living Happy Writers Group

 


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