May 07, 2025

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BG’s Positively Speaking

Should I Or Shouldn’t I?

These are probably the questions people face most often in their lives. The everyday equivalent of Hamlet’s contemplative question, “To be or not to be?”

Every time we have to make a decision in life the questions will be asked. “Should I”; “Ask her for a date?”, “Apply for that job?”, “Take that trip?”, “Start that business?”, or “Should I not?”. Every time we have to take a risk, no matter how small or large, we will hesitate and ask ourselves these two questions.

In his book “Take The Risk” Dr. Ben Carson tells us to ask four questions in deciding our risk factors. When I was contemplating starting ‘the Perkolator’ I asked myself the four questions he suggested:

1. What is the best I can expect if I do?
2. What is the best I can expect if I don’t?
3. What is the worst I can expect if I do?
4. What is the worst I can expect if I don’t?

When I had answered these questions I was able to determine the degree of risk involved and the potential outcomes. Then I was able to decide on how much, if any, risk I wished to take. I decided to go ahead with my project. Those who achieve in life are often the ones who are willing to take the risk, “The greater the risk, the greater the potential reward.” Risk is a part of our lives and is tied closely to our dreams and goals.

Belief in those dreams and goals, will ultimately determine the amount of risk we take in trying to achieve them, how far out of our comfort zone we are willing to go and how much we are determined to “push the envelope.”

Now, Will You or Won’t You?

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Editors Quote Book

“I have nothing to say, and I’ll only say it once.”

—Floyd Smith (Buffalo Sabres Coach)

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Have You Heard…..?

Chasing the almighty dollar: In March, an unnamed man was rescued by bystanders who heard screaming from a maze-like storm drain, which runs 12 feet below the street in Lawton, Okla. The man had accidentally dropped a $20 bill through a grate and climbed in after it, wandering underground for two days searching for his way out. (He never found the $20.)

Would You Really Take His Advice?: Jason Bourcier, 33, reached a deal with the Virginia Department of Transportation to eventually pay down the $200,000 in highway tolls he had ignored for more than three years. He told a judge that, originally, a friend had told him that traveling the Dulles Toll Road to Washington, D.C., was free if the toll collectors had gone home for the evening (not true). (Bourcier told the judge he is now working as a ‘financial consultant’.)

“Zero Tolerance” Stupidity: Yet another questionable school suspension was handed down in March, in Virginia Beach, Va., when the sixth-grader who had prevented a classmate from intentionally harming himself was punished for her altruism. Adrionna Harris had convinced a boy to hand over the razor blade he was threatening himself with, and she immediately discarded it. According to the principal, that transaction meant Harris “possessed” a “dangerous weapon,” albeit for a brief time, and she was suspended for 10 days, according to school policy. (After WAVY-TV’s “On Your Side” reporters got involved, the school relented, and Harris returned to class.)

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Payback

“You mean to tell me it cost you $5000 to have your family tree looked up?” Bill said. “No,” replied Ben, “It cost $1500 to look it up and $3500 to hush it up.”

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Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

 

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Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

Aries March 21 – April 19: Use your free time this week to catch up on neglected responsibilities and bring your finances under control.

Taurus April 20 – May 20: Someone is trying to tell you something. Are you really listening or just paying lip service? Be attentive.

Gemini May 21 – June 20: Prioritize your priorities. Delegate things that are not urgent and allow others to shine. Take some time for yourself.

Cancer June 21 – July 22: A new romantic relationship needs nurturing; keeping it alive will require more effort. A good week is ahead.

Leo July 23 – August 22: A call to action requires some bold moves. Be ready to answer the call and put yourself in the spotlight.

Virgo: August 23 – September 22: Summer is upon us, but you need to clean up the tasks that have not yet been completed. Then, partake of summer’s bounty.

Libra September 23 – October 22: Things are not always what they seem to be. Avoid being disappointed by taking some extra precautions this week.

Scorpio October 23- November 21: Don’t be so much of a pessimist. Allow life’s pleasures to overtake you for a while. You’ll be glad you did.

Sagittarius: November 22- December 21: Secure a commitment from another person before leaping into a new venture. Avoid going it alone.

Capricorn: Dec.22 – January 19: An unexpected delivery could disrupt Your home life. You will need to reach a compromise with your partner.

Aquarius January 20 – February 18: It will be a “should I” or “shouldn’t I” kind of week. You could have more choices than you thought.

Pisces: February 19- March 20: Develop some new strategies. Take off the blindfold and look at the whole picture. It’s a good time to experiment.

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Did You Know?

• A bird ‘chews’ with its stomach.
• A car operates at maximum economy, gas-wise, at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour.
• A cesium atom in an atomic clock beats over nine billion times a second.
• A violin contains about 70 separate pieces of wood!
• Actor John Wayne made more than 200 movies.
• Actress Elizabeth Taylor wrote the children’s book ‘Nibbles & Me’.
• An airplane mechanic invented Slinky while he was playing with engine parts and realized the possible secondary use for the springs.
• An ounce of platinum can be stretched 10,000 feet.
• The average person falls asleep in 7 minutes.
• An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

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A Wife’s Dying Confession

A couple married for over sixty years shared everything—stories, meals, cold feet in bed. No secrets between them… well, except for one: a mysterious shoebox the wife kept tucked away in her cupboard. She told her husband never to open it. Naturally, this drove him slightly insane for decades.

He’d eye that box like it was a treasure chest or a portal to Narnia. But he respected her wishes—barely.

One day, the wife fell seriously ill and decided it was finally time to come clean. She called her husband over and said, “Honey, get the box.”

He sprinted to the cupboard like a kid on Christmas morning, heart racing, mind swirling with possibilities: secret family jewels? A love letter from Elvis? Coupons from the 1950s?

He opened the box and found two crocheted dolls and a fat stack of cash—$95,000 worth.

Baffled, he asked, “What’s all this?”

She smiled weakly and said, “Well, when we got married, my grandmother told me the secret to a happy marriage: never argue. If I ever got angry with you, I should just stay quiet and crochet a doll.”

The husband teared up. “Only two dolls? That means you were only mad at me twice in 60 years! That’s amazing!”

He paused. “But… what about the money?”

“Oh,” she said with a sly grin, “That’s from selling all the other dolls.”

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Marriage Seminar

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication,  Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor, “It is essential that husbands and wives know each other’s likes and dislikes.” He addressed the man, “Can you name your wife’s favorite flower?”

Tom leaned over, touched his wife’s arm gently and *whispered, “It’s Pillsbury, isn’t it?

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Speaking Of Marriage

Here’s a fun married couple that has the internet all a storm on their marriage pranks.  They have some harmless fun by filling balloons with shaving cream and then prank each other.  This is their way to keep things fun and have a little competition in the process.  I don’t know about you, but I would be constantly on my guard walking in my own home!

 

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The Last Word

A computer program will always do what you tell it to do,
but rarely what you want to do.

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