The Wooden Bowl (Author Unknown)

Sometimes it is just too hard for me not to share.....

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There! Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two; his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food!

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they are gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life...”

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn!

I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did.

I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found it believable -- angels have walked beside me all my life--and they still do.

酒後胡言篇之“女人，也是人”

前言：

早前劣作刋出後，有讀者留言提及應為女性出頭。苦思如何起筆之際，公仔箱傳來梁偉文學長的一段話：『創作人應該有雙性思維，從兩性角度分別出發以作出持平論調。』程某斗胆從另一角度出發.......

“不要把我和其他亞洲地區的女性作比較，我清楚明白也知道我們這群土生土長的一群並沒有日本女孩婚前的可愛或婚後的千依百順，因我沒有要求你老闆每月把你的薪水自動轉賬給我；我也沒有韓國女孩般輪廓鮮明樣子嬌俏，因我爸不會容許我高中畢業後立刻去花錢整容，亦不會如李英愛大長今般任勞任怨，因這只是编劇筆下的神話；而我也要外出工作賺錢買名牌包包和化粧品；我也沒有如台灣女孩般嬌嗲和柔情似水，因為我自出娘胎便要在這個鳥獸都市中長大，地鐵巴士內周圍都充斥着各式各樣色迷迷的眼光，所以上班我會棄極其女人味的連身羅傘裙子而選套裝加長衭；就算穿裙子也會如周麗淇般加一條四個骨窄身衭；大熱天也要在上衫外加件冷氣褸。更不要把我和北地姑娘並排比較，我不像她們懂家頭細務做飯煲湯揍小朋友，我才不會跟她們一般見識以相夫教子為终生職業，做個家庭主婦總不需大學學歷吧。而我自小有菲傭嫲嫲外婆替我打点一切，我是爸媽眼中的掌上明珠心肝寶貝，家頭細務也不是我杯茶。我是被寵的一個，我亦樂於成為被寵的一個。

我們基本上也是喜歡做運動的，拿着重典典的購物袋由中環行到銅鑼灣應該可以減到不少卡路里。星期天是唯一一天可以以睡眠去補充皮膚失去水份的機會，所以千萬不要安排任何上午的活動。要不然皮膚保養不好要花錢護膚請勿投訴。女為悅己者容，我們花那麼多時間和精神去美容漂白減肥，目的亦只不過想你們臭男人的眼睛好過一點。吾媽子教誨人善被人欺，所以千萬不要投訴我粗聲粗氣對待外人；我在事業上努力跟男仕們一起打拚，因我媽常說男人都靠不住；我也要替往後的日子作最壞的打算。

色戒中王佳芝和易先生的一夜纏綿是多麽的令人响往，只因現實生活中居住的地方實在異常的狹窄，情感上的宣洩往往未能完全釋放，至令我們經常感到頭痛。地產商何時才會花心思替主人房興建一些完全隔音的牆壁，好讓大家可以不受噪音影響而得到安睡？

男人口口聲聲說女人天生茶煲，卻又偏倫徧違反不了大自然的定律：『男人愛女人，女人是茶煲。』你們真傻。為甚麼你們男人總是天生的長不大？還是刻意地做個永遠長不大的男孩子？為甚麼你們還是不懂我們的用心良苦？”

一九八八

上月北上走訪友人，舊朋友盛意拳拳，二話不說從私人珍藏中拿出這瓶1988年的 Bordeaux Left Bank Second Growth送飯。

酒香沉鬱、沒有First Growth的懾人氣魄，葡萄的淡淡幽香夾雜著細水長流的餘香(after taste)，名乎其實的齒頰留香，酒的芬芳和葡萄的果香不住交錯的去復還，真正回味無窮。

同行的學弟一邊啖着紅酒，一邊凝望着樽上寫着年份的招紙，不期然的問道：『1988年，還在唸中三，你那年在做甚麼？』

1988年，屈指一算距今已是差不多廿年光景。廿年前的人和事，你又記得起多少？