Keeping the motor idling

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KEEPING THE MOTOR IDLING

I relate well to the comment made by Barbara Johnson: "Patience
is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping
your gears." I know that if I can keep the motor idling, it will
be ready to go when I need it.

A kindergarten teacher practiced keeping her motor idling. A
story has it that she was helping one of her students put his
snow boots on. He asked for help and she could see why. With her
pulling and him pushing, they finally succeeded and she had by
now worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy
said, "They're on the wrong feet."

She looked and, sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier
pulling the boots off, and then she had to wrestle the stubborn
boots on again.

Just as she finished lacing them he announced, "These aren't my
boots." She bit her tongue to keep from screaming, "Why didn't
you say so?"

Once again she struggled to pull off the ill-fitting boots. He
then calmly added, "They're my brother's boots. My mom made me
wear them." She began to realize how close she was to stripping
her gears as she struggled with the boots yet again.

When they were finally laced, she said, "Now, where are your
mittens?"

"I stuffed them in the toes of my boots," he said.

She may have been the same teacher who once commented about a
particularly difficult child in her class, "Not only is he my
worst behaved child this year, but he also has a perfect
attendance record.

A Dutch proverb observes, "A handful of patience is worth more
than a bushel of brains." I may never have to worry about having
a bushel of brains, but I can sometimes muster a handful of
patience. And that should be enough.

-- Steve Goodier