<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Happy Birthday to you, dear Dick!<div><br></div><div>Thank you so much for these pearls.</div><div><br></div><div>I will reflect on each one- even as you are doing for your own Celebration .</div><div><br></div><div>' We celebrate your being, with Being itself in History…'</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Fond memories,</div><div><br></div><div>Isobel in Australia. xx<br><div><div>On 17/12/2015, at 9:57 AM, Richard via OE <<a href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">
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<div id="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-size: 12pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Better to be an Asshole than a Chicken Shit</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Today is my birthday and I still believe, as told directly by Terry Bergdall, that you do a witness on this particular day.</span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span>I had considered on my last two birthdays to use the quotes collected over the year in my monthly planner as my witness. So I am not going to be a chicken shit and just do it.</span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">The title is taken from a famous dance instructor who was known for driving her dancers to greatness or to move on.</span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span><span style="">
</span></span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Terry Bergdall (again) had me read
<b style="">Saul Alinisky’s</b> book <b style=""><i style="">Rebe</i></b><i style="">l</i>: Alinsky liked St Paul:
<u>“ Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life- fighting antiquated paternalism, plantation mentality”</u></span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span>
</span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Naomi Klein (This Changes Everything)</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">:
<u>History Knocked on your door, did you answer?</u></span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span>
</span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Herman Hesse</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">: (<b style="">Journey to the East)</b>:<u> What life is, when it is beautiful and happy, a game</u>. Just started coaching a church softball
team- people do better together with a common goal and they know it is just a game.</span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span>
</span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Nikos Kazantzakis</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">, St Francis forward, Epitaph on his tombstone:
<u>I hope for nothing, I fear nothing. I am free”.. human existence is a struggle to discover and nurture the spirit against its many enemies..Life is a crusade in the service of God.. to free God buried in matter and in our souls. The essence of God is this
unceasing struggle which rages within man</u></span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span>
</span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Vincent Van Gogh</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">:
<u>when I have a terrible need of, dare I say, religion!?- then I go outside and paint the stars.</u></span></p><div><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><span style=""> </span>
</span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">bell hooks</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">:
<u>Humor is essential to the integrative balance that we need to deal with diversity and difference and the building of community...I consider it a high holy calling that we can be humorous together.</u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt">
</span></b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt"></span></u></p><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Dick Alton, Long time volunteer with ICA celebrating 74 years of life </span></p><p><br>
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<div id="Signature">Richard H.T. Alton 166 N. Humphrey Ave, Apt, 1N Oak Park, IL 60302 T:1.773.344.7172 <a href="mailto:richard.alton@gmail.com">richard.alton@gmail.com</a> Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back Babe Ruth</div>
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