THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Friday 13 October 2023

HELEN KELLER and the FLOOR MAID

"HELEN KELLER and the FLOOR MAID"
(author unknown)

Dr. Frank Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute when, on his way out, he accidentally collided with an elderly floor maid. To cover the awkward moment Dr. May field started asking questions.

"How long have you worked here?"

"I've worked here almost since the place opened," the maid replied.

"What can you tell me about the history of this place?" he asked.

"I don't think I can tell you anything, but I could show you something."

With that, she took his hand and led him down to the basement under the oldest section of the building. She pointed to one of what looked like small prison cells, their iron bars rusted with age, and said, "That's the cage where they used to keep Annie Sullivan."

"Who's Annie?" the doctor asked.

Annie was a young girl who was brought in here because she was incorrigible—nobody could do anything with her. She'd bite and scream and throw her food at people. The doctors and nurses couldn't even examine her or anything. I'd see them trying with her spitting and scratching at them.

"I was only a few years younger than her myself and I used to think, 'I sure would hate to be locked up in a cage like that.' I wanted to help her, but I didn't have any idea what I could do. I mean, if the doctors and nurses couldn't help her, what could someone like me do?

"I didn't know what else to do, so I just baked her some brownies one night after work. The next day I brought them in. I walked carefully to her cage and said, 'Annie, I baked these brownies just for you. I'll put them right here on the floor and you can come and get them if you want.'

"Then I got out of there just as fast as I could because I was afraid she might throw them at me. But she didn't. She actually took the brownies and ate them. After that, she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was around. And sometimes I'd talk to her. Once, I even got her laughing.

One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor. They asked me if I'd help them with Annie. I said I would if I could. So that's how it came about that. Every time they wanted to see Annie or examine her, I went into the cage first and explained and calmed her down and held her hand.

This is how they discovered that Annie was almost blind."

After they'd been working with her for about a year—and it was tough sledding with Annie—the Perkins institute for the Blind opened its doors. They were able to help her and she went on to study and she became a teacher herself.

Annie came back to the Tewksbury Institute to visit, and to see what she could do to help out. At first, the Director didn't say anything and then he thought about a letter he'd just received. A man had written to him about his daughter. She was absolutely unruly—almost like an animal. She was blind and deaf as well as 'deranged.'

He was at his wit's end, but he didn't want to put her in an asylum. So he wrote the Institute to ask if they knew of anyone who would come to his house and work with his daughter.

And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong companion of Helen Keller.

When Helen Keller was nominated for the Nobel Prize, she was asked who had the greatest impact on her life and she said, "Annie Sullivan."

But Annie said, "No Helen. The woman who had the greatest influence on both our lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury Institute."

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A Lost Hope

“A Lost Hope” (author unknown)

A lost hope is following the horizon

Where lost souls gather for the night

What can they feel after all these years

When everything is buried beneath the light?

So many years of begging for expectations

Fate and fortune leave hope at the door

Over the years the dreams have dried up

Keeping failure to the breast of destiny once more

Hope can be paralyzing when the wants are too great

Especially when selfishness corrupts the need

“I hope I get a new pony” I’m hoping for a new car”

A lost hope feeds on them, then the tears begin to bleed

For the rare soul who’s not the selfish kind

“I hope our little girl didn’t see death walk by”

Miracles do appear but time is more real

“For tomorrow, our little will die”

Lost souls are breathing dust from fresh graves

For all those who fed off of Hope's twin side

False sides of smiles team up with death

Life of hope? once again a false hope has lied

Hope is called upon when the want of life disappears

For when the rabbit hole has lost its appeal

Hoping to die every day and die every night

More than not, the deed is self-done in life real

To run out of hope or when hope has failed

Darkness smiles and invites all souls deeper inside

The journey begins, leaving all hope behind

Darkness and despair are now forever their guide

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The Enchanted Forest

"The Enchanted Forest" (author unknown)

Once upon a time, in a quiet village, there was a young girl named Lily. Lily was known for her adventurous spirit and her love for exploring. She often heard stories about a magical place called the Enchanted Forest.

One bright morning, Lily decided to set off on an adventure to find this mysterious forest. She packed a small bag with some snacks, a map, and a compass. With a determined heart, she walked through the meadows and into the tall trees.

As Lily ventured deeper, she noticed something extraordinary. The leaves seemed to sparkle like emeralds, and the flowers sang sweet tunes. Birds with vibrant feathers flew around, creating a symphony of colours and melodies. She knew she had found the Enchanted Forest.

Lily's eyes widened with wonder. She followed a winding path that led her to a clearing, where a wise old owl named Oliver sat perched on a branch. Oliver had seen many travellers over the years and welcomed Lily warmly.

"You're a brave young explorer to find your way here," hooted Oliver.

Lily smiled and replied, "I've always dreamed of visiting this magical place."

Oliver shared stories of the forest's wonders - of trees that whispered ancient tales and creatures that could talk. Lily's heart danced with joy as she listened, for this was more enchanting than any story she'd ever heard.

As the day passed, Lily and Oliver became fast friends. They strolled through fields of luminescent mushrooms and crossed bridges made of rainbows. They even met a mischievous squirrel named Sammy who loved to play games.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow through the trees, Lily knew it was time to go back home. She thanked Oliver for his kindness and promised to return soon.

From that day on, Lily visited the Enchanted Forest whenever she could. Each time, she discovered something new and made more friends - from chatty butterflies to gentle deer. The forest became a second home, a place of magic and laughter.

Word spread of Lily's adventures, and soon other children from the village joined her on her quests. Together, they explored the wonders of the Enchanted Forest, leaving behind laughter and footprints of joy.

And so, the Enchanted Forest, once a hidden gem, became a place of shared dreams and endless enchantment, all thanks to a curious girl named Lily, who dared to believe in the magic that waited just beyond the trees.

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My character belongs to me and me alone

"My character belongs to me and me alone" (author unknown)

I think one of the hardest things, at least for me, is to allow someone to have a bad opinion of me. I want to defend myself. I want to explain why they’re wrong. I want to convince them that I’m a decent person and I am worth liking.

I don’t want my reputation left in their hands, because their hands are fickle.

But the truth is. The very, very hard-to-swallow truth is that I’m not in control of their opinions about me. I’m not in control of the view they have of me, the light they choose to see me through and unfortunately, even what they say about me to others.

Peace is letting go.

Peace is accepting that they’re entitled to their feelings about me.

They have every right to not like me. They have every right to not choose me, to not invite me or to label me as the villain, the bad guy, or whatever else they want. They don’t have to forgive me, give me grace or even attempt to understand my point of view.

But at the end of the day, the thing is, my reputation is who they think I am—whatever version of me they have created in their mind. It may be about me. It may involve me, but it’s not really mine to hold.

My character, however, is who I actually am.

My character belongs to me and me alone, and I take it seriously, so I guess they can have their perceptions and they can have their own ideas about who I am and why I do what I do. I release their opinions about me, but I hold tight to my peace.

We all have take responsibility for the words we write. That’s on us, but we don’t have to exhaust ourselves trying to be responsible for the way people choose to read them. That’s on them.

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COLLECTING MOMENTS by J.Boyle

"COLLECTING MOMENTS"
(by J.Boyle)

Today I collected happiness

and put it in my pocket.

I then collected hope

and put it in my locket.

I chose a moment for a blessing

to pass on to another.

A gift of ever after

from a Sister to her Brother.

I picked a time of forgiveness

in case It's something that I need.

I held on to generosity

to overcome my own greed.

I planted future moments

like flowers that will grow.

I'll dig them out some time

when the seeds do sew.

I'll give a moment to my friend

and hope it makes her smile.

A one she will look back on

every once in a while.

I'll wrap some up in love

and give them as a gift.

To be unwrapped at any time

when spirits need a lift.

I'll give moments to my family,

enough for them to measure

the value of our memories

is a priceless treasure.

My moments are my riches

they are all I have to give,

and I shall treasure each one

for as long as I shall live.

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THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Robert Frost

"THE ROAD NOT TAKEN"
(by Robert Frost)

“The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

● Short Analysis:

"The Road Not Taken" is one of Frost's most popular works. Yet, it is a frequently misunderstood poem, often read simply as a poem that champions the idea of "following your own path". Actually, it expresses some irony regarding such an idea. A critique in the Paris Review by David Orr described the misunderstanding this way:

"The poem's speaker tells us he "shall be telling", at some point in the future, of how he took the road less travelled … yet he has already admitted that the two paths "equally lay / In leaves" and "the passing there / Had worn them really about the same." So the road he will later call less travelled is actually the road equally travelled. The two roads are interchangeable."

Frost wrote the poem as a joke for his friend Edward Thomas, who was often indecisive about which route to take when the two went walking.

A New York Times book review on Brian Hall's 2008 biography Fall of Frost states: "Whichever way they go, they're sure to miss something good on the other path." Regarding the "sigh" that is mentioned in the last stanza, it may be seen as an expression of regret or of satisfaction. However, there is significance in the difference between what the speaker has just said of the two roads, and what he will say in the future. According to Lawrence Thompson, Frost's biographer, as Frost was once about to read the poem, he commented to his audience, "You have to be careful of that one; it's a tricky poem—very tricky", perhaps intending to suggest the poem's ironic possibilities.

Thompson suggests that the poem's narrator is "one who habitually wastes energy in regretting any choice made: belatedly but wistfully he sighs over the attractive alternative rejected." Thompson also says that when introducing the poem in readings, Frost would say that the speaker was based on his friend Thomas. In Frost's words, Thomas was "a person who, whichever road he went, would be sorry he didn't go the other. He was hard on himself that way."

__________________________________________

(Poetry Book: https://amzn.to/3ZJqZCj

✓ The Poetry Collection of Robert Frost)

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Thursday 12 October 2023

MY WORLD by Partha Pratim Dey

"MY WORLD"
by Partha Pratim Dey

In the depths of my heart, a river flows,

Misty and grey, over stones it goes.

I sit and watch, as the shadows fade,

And the sun ascends, a fiery blade.

Beyond the veil of death I see,

Life's vibrant dance, wild and free.

All bathed in white, under the sun,

My world, ever-changing, yet always one.

On weary feet, I return once more,

To my solitude, where songs of sorrow pour.

In the endless flames, my sleepless eyes burn,

My conscience scorched, beneath the sun's stern turn.

But beyond the veil of death I see,

Life's vibrant dance, wild and free.

All bathed in white, under the sun,

My world, ever-changing, yet always one.

My world, my strange and wondrous world,

Where joy and pain, in endless dance are twirled.

My world, my fragile, precious world,

Where life's sweet symphony, is forever unfurled.

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WHY DO PEOPLE PAY FOR PIANO LESSONS?

"WHY DO PEOPLE PAY FOR PIANO LESSONS?"
(author unknown)

So why do people actually pay for piano lessons?

The answer is….they don’t pay for piano lessons. They pay for so much more.

- They pay for their child to learn what it takes to commit to something meaningful;

- They pay so that their child can learn the magic of creation, of forming something beautiful using their hands;

- They pay so that their child recognises the power of discipline, of working at something consistently, at least five days per week, honing their skills and building their fluency;

- They pay so that their child understands not to quit when the novelty has worn off and the work must set in;

- They pay so their child learns that they must still put in the work, even when tired and grumpy, not just giving up and spending hours on TikTok;

- They pay so that they can learn the joy of creating music with others: listening intently, and learning to chop, change and compromise;

- They pay so that they realise that it’s not just “enjoying themselves” but working meticulously on small details;

- They pay so that they DO enjoy themselves;

- They pay so that their child creates neural pathways that impact every single area of the curriculum;

- They pay so that their child develops the most incredible fine motor skills;

- They pay so that their child sees that art can be transcendent, and can accompany us through our darkest times;

- They pay because music puts us in touch with something that can’t be otherwise expressed.

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Tuesday 10 October 2023

6 KEYS TO A GREAT RELATIONSHIP

"6 KEYS TO A GREAT RELATIONSHIP" (author unknown)

1. FRIENDSHIP:

Try to be your spouse best friend. No matter what happens, be a friend first, and a lover later.

2. TRUST:

The key element to any relationship is trust, so before starting this beautiful journey with your spouse, learn to trust in all circumstances.

3. UNDERSTANDING:

Try to figure out each other and work out on your differences. There are going to be many differences, but it’s mutual compromise and sacrifice which makes this relationship beautiful.

4. COMMUNICATION:

Try to talk and convey your message to your spouse. Let your spouse know about how good/bad your day was along with reminding them how you feel for them.

5. HONESTY:

Always speak the truth, never lie or hide things in fear that your spouse won’t understand. Give your spouse a chance to understand you.

6. FREEDOM:

Give your spouse space and freedom to decide for themselves. Don’t take away the personal time of your spouse.

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TWO WOMEN ON A TRAIN by Chima Dickson

"TWO WOMEN ON A TRAIN"

by Chima Dickson

Two middle-aged women sat next to each other on a train. One was in a very good mood, but the other was sad and depressed. The cheerful woman who was having fun reading a book, started laughing as she read something amusing.

Meanwhile, the sad woman became filled with envy seeing how cheerful the other woman was. She said to her.

"You seem to be having such a great time... How I wish I could be happy as you are. But sadly, life isn't fair to everyone"

The cheerful woman closed her book and spoke very gently.

"I'm terribly sorry for what you're going through right now. If you need to talk about it, I'm here for you"

At that moment, the sad woman heaved a sigh, then opened up to her.

"I have a child with a disability. It's so difficult to deal with the feelings of shame, guilt, hopelessness and depression. I wish I could change everything. It just hurts a lot"

When the cheerful woman saw that the sad woman had started crying, she consoled her.

"This must be so hard for you. But it always helps to look on the bright side of life. It's a choice you'll never regret"

Then the sad woman said.

"Unless you are raising a child with a disability, you don't understand the pain I go through everyday. The pain of loosing all hopes and dreams you have for your child. You don't understand because you're such a lucky woman"

The cheerful woman became quiet afterwards. Shortly, she reached her destination and got off the train. A few moments after she had left, the sad woman noticed a piece of paper carefully placed beside her. She read it.

"From the cheerful lady seated next to you. I just want you to know that I have three disabled children, and I understand three times the pain you feel. The only difference between the two of us is that I have accepted my reality".

Many of us are still sad and depressed because we avoid facing facts and refuse to accept reality. We always want to change our current situation and in that way, we get consumed by negative emotions- such as; guilt, shame, bitterness, frustration, hopelessness, irritations, etc. The truth is that, we can't change everything in our lives, no matter how hard we try. And the moment we realize that certain things will remain the way they are and should be accepted, we will be happy humans in the world. Learn to accept your own reality and see the big difference it would make in your life.

Author: Chima_Dickson Official

I let my stories teach the life lessons.

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