To dedicate is to
devote oneself to a cause or course of action.
To dedicate is also
to give, as time for a sense of achievement.
“Beyond the Call of
Duty”
is accomplishing much
more than should be expected.
In most professions, there are
always those whose performances are outstanding! What quality is it, these
persons possess? Sincerity and Confidence in their Knowledge…Desire to Achieve to Best
of their Ability...Constant Strive for
Excellence! These combinations equal
Dedication.
We have heroes among us (many
“unsung”) ~ who unexpectedly go “beyond the call of duty”: e.g.
medical personnel, the police, the firemen, the military, the “average
Joe” (man or woman), etc. to save a
life. In most cases, it is super
adrenaline that kicks into overdrive forcing individuals to perform deeds
(usually exceeding his/her known ability).
With these heroes, there is inbred…Dedication
to Care...Dedication to Help…Dedication to Act!
Unlike Pope,
no “cheerio” likely
from Queen
(Excerpts from
Hamilton Spectator, published February 23, 2013)
Pope Benedict XVI has done
it. Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands has done it. Will Britain's Queen Elizabeth II step aside
from her 61-year-reign and let the light of a new generation in?
A representative from the palace
told USA Today that everything the Queen, 86, wishes to say on the matter of
going or staying has already, in fact been said ~ on her 21st
birthday in 1947. The palace was
referring to a speech the Queen made in Cape Town, South Africa, where she was
visiting with her parents and younger sister ~ and had yet to receive her royal
promotion. She was still known as
Princess Elizabeth.
I declare
before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short
shall be devoted to your service and the
service of our great imperial family
to which
we all belong.
We must
give nothing less than the whole of ourselves.
There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors ~
a noble motto, “I Serve.”
There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors ~
a noble motto, “I Serve.”
So, she's staying, you would have
to wager. And life, for the Queen means
life.
In this country, any resignation
from a royal role is associated with the constitutional crisis of the
1930's (when Edward VIII abdicated and
married the American socialite Simpson).
We don't know yet why, precisely
the Pope has decided to resign. In the
case of Beatrix, she had been talking about leaving for some time. I think it highly unlikely Queen Elizabeth II
will abdicate.
Plus, in a speech to mark her 60
years on the throne last year, the Queen effectively put a halt to any idle
talk of cashing out in favour of putting her feet up.
With the
support of my family, I rededicate myself to the service
of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.
of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.
Dr. Maya Angelou
Born April 4, 1928, a black
American author and poet has published 6 autobiographies, 5 books of essays,
several books of poetry and is credited with a list of plays, movies and
television shows spanning 50 years. She
is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is heralded as one of the great voices of
contemporary literature. On her 70th
birthday, interviewed by Oprah Winfrey recently, she quoted many lessons she
has learned:
I've learned
that people will forget what you said.
I've
learned that people will forget what you did.
I've
learned that people will never forget how you made them feel.
I've
learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles
these 3
things: a rainy day, lost luggage and
tangled Christmas tree lights.
Stompin' Tom
Connors
The Canadian country-folk-legend
known for...The Hockey Song, Bud the Spud, Canada Day, Up Canada Way,
Sudbury Saturday Night...died on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at age 77. A few days earlier, the musician penned a
letter to fans that he wanted published after his death. Here it is:
Hello Friends, I want all my
fans past, present or future to know that without you there would have not been
any Stompin' Tom.
It was a long, hard bumpy
road, but this great country kept me inspired with its beauty, character and
spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and
places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.
I must now pass the torch to
all of you to help keep the Maple Leaf flying high and be the Patriot Canada
needs now and in the future.
I humbly thank you all one
last time for allowing me in your homes.
I hope I continue to bring a little bit of cheer into your lives from
the work I have done.
Sincerely,
Your Friend always,
Stompin' Tom Connors
Connors garnered a devoted
following through country folk tunes that drew inspiration from his extensive
travels and focused on the everyman. The musician, rarely seen without his
signature black cowboy hat, stompin' leather boots and guitar, was devoted to
sing about Canada's people. He was dubbed Stompin'
Tom for his propensity to pound the floor with his left foot during
performances. His music came to be
regarded as veritable national anthems, thanks to their unabashed embrace of all things Canadian.
In a rare one-on-one interview at
his home in Halton
Hills, he stated, “It just amazes me that I've been going so long,
I would think that somebody would have picked up the torch a long time ago and
started writing tons of songs about this
country...the most underwritten country
in the world as far as songs are concerned.
We starve; the people in this country are starving for songs about their
homeland.”
Connors was born in Saint John, New
Brunswick on Feb. 9, 1936 to an unwed teenage mother. According to his autobiography, he often
lived hand-to-mouth as a youngster, hitchhiking with his mother from the age of
three, begging on the street by the age of four. At age eight, he was placed in the care of
Children's Aid and adopted a year later by a family in Skinner's Pond, Prince
Edward Island.
He ran away four years later to
hitchhike across the country.
He bought his first guitar at age
14 and picked up odd jobs as he wandered from town to town...at times working
on fishing boats, as a grave digger, tobacco picker and fry cook. Legend has it, that Connors began his musical
career when he found himself a nickel short of a beer at the Maple Leaf Hotel
in Timmins, Ontario in 1964 at age 28.
The bartender agreed to give him a drink if he would play a few songs,
but that turned into a 14-month contract to play at the hotel. Three years
later, Connors made his first hit in 1970 with Bud The Spud!
“It's not what you
Gather...but what you Scatter
that tells the
world...what kind of life you have lived!”
(Author unknown)
Dedication of
Parents: Is Your Child Caring?
If so, you've done
your job.
In an article to The
Spectator on February 19, 2013, Gary Direnfeld wrote:
On January 31, around 2 pm, I
was stopped at the intersection of Dundurn and King Streets in Hamilton. There,
standing on the sidewalk at the corner was a small elderly woman clinging to a
post. It was a blustery day. Two young women, late teens or young adults,
crossing the intersection came upon
her. In my next glance, these two young
women were walking this elderly woman, flanking her side-by-side across the
intersection. As I passed them, looking
in my rear view mirror, I could see
those young women helping the elderly lady safely on her way.
We know we have done a good
job as parents when our children can act benevolently; when our children can be
aware of the needs of others and advance their needs over their own.
Good parenting is more than
grades at school, ability to earn a living, keeping out of trouble. If your child says “Please” and “Thank You”,
shares his or her toys, and helps others, then you've done a good job as a
parent, assuming no particular disability on the part of the child that would
preclude these skills.
The
parents of the young women previously mentioned may never know
of their
children's good deed, but their children will
likely exude a kind
and
caring disposition. Hopefully, your
children will, too.
Then, you
will know!
Lesson from Dr.
Maya Angelou
“I've learned that
every day, you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a kind
deed, a warm hug or just a friendly pat
on the back.”
Larry Carlton’s Exhortation
(an American
guitarist legend ~
one of the most respected and sought after musicians in the world)
I always tell my students to
practise what they must…practise everything your teacher and college demands…go
practise it! BUT then go out and play
what you like. Learn whatever techniques
that you can put together that help you express yourself deeply. Result? Unexpected positive results!
Advice from Ludwig van Beethoven
Don’t only practise your art,
but force your way into its secrets
for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.
Crafted by Merle
Baird-Kerr March 7, 2013
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