Go get some marbles - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 08-10-2003, 03:10 PM

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems
to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business himself.

He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "James." I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say.

"Well, James, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job." "I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your Family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something James, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."

And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years."

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me James, I'm getting to the important part."

"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy."

"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to roundup 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in
my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away." !

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has
blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones......

"It was nice to talk to you James, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to
the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special," I said. " It has just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out?! I need to buy some
marbles."

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL AND MAY YOU HAVE MANY HAPPY YEARS AFTER YOU LOSE ALL YOUR MARBLES!!!

xp190 · #2 08-10-2003, 06:27 PM

Boy this is a real good story I have to tell you. I happen to know a gentleman who sounds very similar to the gentleman who told the story on the radio, he gave me very similar advice.

What really bothers me is that I'm a student, and I have not had a weekend to myself for the past five years because I have spent them working in order to make some money to better my future, whos arrival I am still waiting for.

I'm actually scared to do the math here, but 5 x 52 is 260, add a bit to that since I'm close to working like this almost six years now.

But I guess that for a 23 y/o who drives his own benz and is a year away from finishing his first degree, maybe that is not so bad, but a story like that sure puts things in a different perspective.

All I can say is *ouch*, I wish I had my weekends back.

xp

The Warden · #3 08-10-2003, 06:57 PM

Very touching story...thanks! I just forwarded that on...

sfloriII · #4 08-11-2003, 01:17 AM

Thanks for that post!! I read that story a few months back, and it was just as good the second time around.

XP:

I finished college ten years ago. Judge Renquist was the presenter at my graduation.

His message pretty much mirrored the moral of this story: Don't work so hard in life that you forget to spend time with your loved ones and yourself. Let some things slide a little because the time lost with those you love can never be gotten back. What are a few extra dollars worth against that??

I wonder how many people remember what was said by the presenter at their graduation. I didn't think I'd remember Judge Renquist's remarks, but they actually stuck...

rickg · #5 08-11-2003, 10:25 AM

Wonderful story!
A quote I heard years ago:
"No other success can compensate for failure in the home."
I did the 60 to 80 hour work week alot when my kids were young. My poor wife had to pretty much raise the kids on her own. I can't get that back now. You young guys need to think about what's REALLY important.