Dear Friends,
2012 is just around the corner.
This is the perfect time to reflect on the years behind us and consider those ahead. You know, try to learn from the stupid things we (and others) did last year or the year before, or the year before that…
So, in the spirit of learning from mistakes, we invite you to participate in PenTales **If Only I’d Have Known** Story Project. The goal is to collect stories that have life lessons for all of us. For example, we recently interviewed a New Yorker shopkeeper who had a great tale about his 95 year-old immigrant dad, an amateur boxer in the 1930s. Among many things, we took away that it takes grit and smarts to survive the robberies, rising rents, and changing times. He sums it up with: [“You never know how you’ll handle yourself in a time of war.”](http://pentales.com/category/life-lessons/)
We’re particularly excited about **nuggets of wisdom** from those people who have been around a lot longer than us. We believe that those are the stories that are the most valuable to preserve, learn from, and share. So, if you’re headed home for Thanksgiving, we’ve got an assignment for you: interview your great uncle and ask him what he’d wish he’d known. **As always, we’re open to all sorts of media (whatever tells your story best).** +Video Interview (2 min or less) +Audio Interview (2min or less) +Image and caption (30 words or less) +Text (500 words of less) We’re hoping we’ll have at least 31 Life Lessons by January 1, 2012, so we can share one with you every day for the first month of the year. That way, we’re sure to be off to a good and enriching start. Love, Stephanie, Saskia, Ezra, Olivia, Louisa, Aswini, Maham and the rest of the wonderful PenTales crew from all around the world.
PS: Need a hobby? Shoot an email to writepentales@gmail.com and we’ll loop you in!
at 20:43
Greetings Stephanie! Thanks for your invitation to share, what I wished I had known in my younger years.I wondered “IF” I could have done it different.
So full of “if”‘s the Path of Life,
What influenced our choices?
Did we miss opportunities, following our inner voices. I feel there is a master-plan imprinted on each soul. Each journey is unique and grand, expressing Love’s our goal.
We chose this earth to be our school; compassion is our quest. Our reasoning mind can’t comprehend this Spirit-given test.
A pattern guides each human heart; ignoring it draws pain. In poverty or squand’ring wealth, the ego fights in vain. When we claim what’s not meant for us, determined, using force.
We know not that our needs are met, when we trust SPIRIT-SOURCE.
It matters not where we were born , regardless of location; each soul must learn to trust the Heart, embrace each situation.
A timid soul shuns the UNKNOWN, sheer panic makes it cling , to limits that the senses set, but fearful hearts can’t sing.
No other way could we have come, each pain was meant to be; to forge the Heart, expand our mind, to set our Spirit free.
Whatever path we chose to take, t’was just a stepping stone.In this great cosmic school we are—-UNIQUE–but not alone.
(c) Annemarie Timmons
at 16:05
When you get to my age, you’ve had so many life lessons they become innumerable, but four stand out in my mind.
1. Never leave home without a sweater or jacket.
2. Never trust people who don’t allow pets in their house.
3. Mules teach patience and humility like no one else.
4. Never doubt it: ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Or, as Henry Ford so nicely put it: Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right!
Becky Coffield, Publisher/Author/Mule Owner