January 28, 2025

On The Upside with Marley

Are your principals flexible or rigid?

Standing up for your principles while remaining open-minded enough to refine them is one of the most powerful forms of personal strength. Principles are the backbone of character. They are the lines we draw when compromise is tempting, the compass that guides us when pressure pushes us to conform, and the foundation that allows us to look in the mirror and recognize ourselves. Without them, we become fluid in the worst way—shaped by convenience, fear, and the loudest voice in the room.

Yet principles lose their power when they harden into unexamined certainty. The world is vast, layered, and constantly changing. Growth demands the courage to admit that what we know today may be incomplete tomorrow. Open-mindedness is not the absence of conviction; it is the discipline to test our beliefs against new information, lived experience, and the perspectives of others. It is the humility to say, “I may be wrong,” without surrendering who we are.

The true strength lies in holding both at once. To stand firm without listening is to become brittle and defensive. To be endlessly flexible without a core is to drift, unanchored and undefined. But when conviction is paired with curiosity, something rare emerges: a person who is grounded yet evolving, steady yet capable of transformation.

This balance creates leaders instead of zealots, thinkers instead of followers, and builders instead of destroyers. It allows you to defend what matters without becoming hostile, to change your mind without losing your spine, and to grow without erasing your identity. In a world addicted to extremes, the ability to stand your ground while remaining open to growth is not just wisdom…. it is quiet, unshakable power.

Have the courage of your convictions but open your mind for revision!

Kids Say The Darnedest Things!

Parent: “Your shoes are on the wrong feet.”
Child: “I don’t have any other feet.”

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Teacher: “What is your favorite food?”
Student (excitedly): “My favorite food is ice cream, but I didn’t get to have much ice cream this summer because Mommy’s boyfriend used to take us for ice cream a lot…”
Me (curious but cautious): “Oh?”
Student (continuing to ramble): “…but Mommy got real mad at him. I don’t understand why she was mad. He was just wrestling with my aunt in the living room.”

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Child: “Mom, watch me jump my bike on this ramp.”
Mom: “Don’t you think you’re flirting with danger?”
Child: “Flirting, Mom? I’m dating it.”

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A mailman was delivering the mail one day, and a little girl came to the door. She looked up at him with a big smile and said, “Thank you, whaleman!”

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A little girl asked her friend, “Does your mom have a baby in her belly?”
The kid replied, “Oh, there’s every possible thing in there.”

My Friends The Penguins

A police officer pulls over a semi truck. He gets the usual license and registration, but hears strange noises coming from the trailer, so he decides to investigate. Inside, he finds 50 penguins.

“Sir, why do you have 50 penguins in your truck?” The officer asks the driver
“Well, they’re my friends, and we like to go on journeys together in my truck” the man replies
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t just own 50 penguins. I’m afraid you’re going to have to take them to the zoo.”

The man agrees and drives off. The next day, the same cop pulls the truck over and once again hears strange noises in the trailer. He goes to check and finds the same 50 penguins.
“I thought I told you to take these penguins to the zoo yesterday!” The cop angrily tells the driver
“I did take them to the zoo! They loved it! Today we’re going to the beach.”

Editors Quote Book

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

—Dr Martin Luther King Jr

Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

A Trip Through The Welland Canal

The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that runs 42 km (27.0 miles) from Port Colborne, Ontario on Lake Erie to Port Weller, Ontario on Lake Ontario. As part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the canal allows ships to traverse the Niagara Escarpment and avoid Niagara Falls.

Marital Bliss

Every morning I like to remind my wife who’s in charge by holding a mirror up to her face.

I asked my wife which she liked better, my face or my body?
She said, “Your sense of humor.”

Arguing with your partner is like trying to read the “Terms of Use” on the internet.
Eventually, you just give up and say, “I Agree.”

A man approaches a very beautiful woman in the supermarket and says, “You know, I’ve lost my wife here in the supermarket. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?”
“Why?” asked the beautiful woman.
To which the man replied, “Because every time I talk to a beautiful woman my wife appears out of nowhere.”

Ugly Baby

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: “Ugh, that’s the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen!” The woman walks to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: “The driver just insulted me!” The man says: “You go up there and tell him off. Go on, I’ll hold your monkey for you.”

Help Me Doc

Doc, I can’t stop singing the ‘Green Green Grass of Home’. He said: “That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome.” “Is it common?” I asked.  “It’s not unusual” he replied.

Winter Yuk Yuk

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. “But why?” they asked, as they moved off. “because,” he said “I can’t stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.”

The Last Word

Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction!