Enjoy The Ride

I do not believe in right angled turning points.

Timothy West
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Hello Bruce
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"Watchman, tell us of the night."
"Whadya wanna know?"
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There is no such thing as an "about face." The face must make a 180 degree turn to get to the opposite side. One can't go from wrong to right, or from evil to good or from fat to slender in an instant. There is always a transition curve.

I used to conduct a seminar in public speaking and one of the things I told the participants was that if you were trying to sell a commodity or an idea to a roomful of people you will probably be facing three types of listeners: those who agree with you, those who disagree with you and those who aren't sure. A good public speaker, while entertaining those who agree with him, will be convincing those who aren't sure and turning those who disagree into to those who aren't sure.

We are so much in rapture over the instantaneous these days. We want everything NOW: instant communication with far off places on the Internet, Instant Messaging. instant breakfast. But imagine trying to instantly learn a foreign language or to play a trombone.

I remember a conversation I had with a young fellow who had just purchased a guitar and was immediately trying to sound like his favorite guitarist. I suggested that he buy a book of guitar fingering and exercises and really learn how to play the instrument, maybe even study with a teacher. He had no interest in that. He wanted to be a rock star, instantly.

A few days later I happened to read in the New York Daily News an interview with one of the leading rock musicians of the day in which he told about the hours he spent with scales and finger exercises, learning all the mysteries of the guitar. I sent the interview off to my young friend.

"There is more to life than increasing its speed," wrote Gandhi. Indeed during that 180 degree turn there are mysteries to behold and much of life to be enjoyed. You may wish to go from north to east in a flash, but don't miss north north east, north east, east north east, and so on. Life has curves. Enjoy the ride.

DB - The Vagabond
Never give up.
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