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Stories by Charlotte Powers
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Have You Read a Bestseller
Lately?
Charlotte Powers, 8-17-02
 This
question was always an icebreaker whenever I found myself in a social
gathering. There was a period of my life when reading bestsellers was my
window to wisdom. I took great pride in being able to hobnob with those
people around me in a social situation, who usually had a few degrees after
their names. It was wonderful sparing with them over mutually read books.
The topics were always clear since everyone keyed in on the latest new
mindset of the time. The 70’s opened wide the doors to many new areas of
thought on supposedly established norms. It was a great era for rattling
lots of conservative cages, mine being one of them! The more I read, the
more confused I became with many of my old values. As a matter of fact, I
made the choice to choose a whole new mind adventure by reading all the
latest best sellers for the next several decades, it would be my passage to
social wisdom.
This mind adventure took me through the new
concept of how to make a marriage work. It was understanding if you were in
an “open marriage or a closed one.” Since I was a part of the old scenario
of the young wife worked while her young husband got his degree, then moves
on ahead without her, I decided to stay on top of this marriage thing. It
was important to me that my husband did not outgrow me, so I kept current on
most new waves of thought. The statistics were very much against me in the
overall polls taken on marriage. Our marriage fell into the low survival
rate since we married very young. However, there were enough books to read
to test if you wanted to be in an Open or Closed marriage. Open marriage
meant you didn’t mind if each partner felt like exploring outside of his or
her vows for total fulfillment. No matter how good the author tried to make
an open marriage sound; I couldn’t buy it. As I read about the boring Closed
marriages, it made me worry that perhaps I was too conservative for this new
modern age. Our Closed marriage survived but it was only after returning to
an old bestseller.
Another trail of bestsellers were in the
realm of rearing children. Dr. Spock seemed to have had the lead during the
years of growing up with our children. Since I was away from my immediate
family, I found myself clinging to his entire slant on each changing phase
of their little developments and tantrums. He always had a method and answer
to everything, although most of the time it was contrary to my intuitiveness
as a mother. Sometimes, I watched other young parents spare the rod only to
find their offspring unfit for human enjoyment. I listened to such thoughts
as, you should not place limits on your children since it inhibits their
whole experience of growth and development. That is, if they survive in
their limitlessness. By the way, it was realized that Dr. Spock’s concept of
rearing children was totally wrong, and deemed so by the Doc himself! After
a few books and years on that subject, plus trying to implement that concept
in the raising of ours, I relented and went back to the old bestseller. I’m
still trying to repair the mistakes made during the limitlessness years.
There are even bestsellers out on how we
are to feel and be, from the crib to the grave and beyond. The bestsellers,
Passages and its sequel, have taken me as a woman up and to my golden years.
I have gone beyond, and read many books on personal near-death experiences.
I even know a dear friend who experienced it, and returned to his body to
tell about it! There are many, many bestsellers on reincarnation. Famous
people, such as Shirley McClain, have a whole new modern age concept of what
life and death are about. Everyone seems to have a different twist on our
beyond based on their own limited understanding of self-revelation. The
bookshelves are filled and overflowing with all the ways to find your true
spiritual self. After reading so many of these vast money-makers, and
tracking them up the bestseller list, my bottom line was complete confusion.
Why hadn’t my social wisdom settled in after all these years of pursuit? The
endless lists of books read had only come to a grand blur of worth. If you
were to ask me how many of these books did I re-read because they had such
an impact on me, my answer would be NONE.
Over the years and in the faint background
of my mind I had heard of THE great bestseller. One that had held the prize
for the most copies sold for hundreds of years. After retirement and years
of an endless quest for bestsellers, I was drawn to it. Although, in my
youth, I had tried reading it but for some unexplainable reason it didn’t
hold my attention. Now, I wanted to look inside to see to if I could
understand the words written so many, many years ago. The new version of
this old bestseller was written in larger print and in today’s lingo. It was
given to me as a gift since I had shown an interest in reading it. I had
several old versions which I had dusted faithfully over the years or kept
tucked away in a safe place for a later reference. I carried one of white on
our wedding day and it remained in my hope chest as a memory of our promise.
I bought one in the holy land that had an olive wood cover. It also stayed
tucked away out of view. But this new version has been an obsession for me.
I finally did it and I have been re-reading it over and over. There are
lines and asterisks, little notes written by certain sentences. Such wisdom
is written on each page. As a matter of fact, the definition of wisdom is
defined. The social wisdom I was seeking is but an illusion even after all
those other bestsellers.
 In
this ONE bestseller all of my life’s questions are answered. The “how to” on
maintaining a successful marriage is written on its pages. The “how to” on
child rearing is etched between its covers. My need for an understanding of
what lies ahead after my physical death, it to has a path to follow (John
3:16). Any conflict I may have had in my life has been defined and
forgiven. There is NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN (The book of Ecclesiastes).
What a humbling walk! This bestseller reveals a true definition of love and
its many meanings. What a fool I had been to search for wisdom in those
countless bestsellers according to modern thought. Even puzzling things of
my past have been revealed to me in this magnificent book. Each day it opens
new stories to me. It is filled with adventure, romance, poetry, intrigue,
crime, deceit, soothsayers, history, and prophesy. But the best part is, I
enjoy reading it over and over again. Wisdom begins with the FEAR of GOD.
Finally, I’m on the path to true heavenly wisdom. When anyone asks me if
I’ve read anything new lately, I just tell them I’m reading THE BESTSELLER
FOR THE PAST 2000 YEARS. THE HOLY BIBLE! May I share its WISDOM?
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Need a Trial Lawyer?
Charlotte Powers, 1/13/05
 Perhaps,
upon one’s birth a special fund should be set up to cover the future cost of
any trials we might find ourselves involved in. I know I sure could have
used a somewhat moderately priced lawyer when I had to pay the fine for
burning up my neighbor’s strawberry patch. Instead of going to court, I
settled out of court feeling only shame for being so careless as to burn
trash on a windy day even though the trash-burning barrel was in my yard,
and it was legal to do so. My neighbor’s strawberry patch was hugging my
property with straw strung onto my property, thus creating a path to his
precious berries and their demise. No lawyer; no trial; no one to plead my
case; settled out of court; QUILTY! When I heard the fire truck blaring by
my place of employment, I was hoping that all was well at home. I did have a
fleeting thought about the trash I had burned during my brief return home
for lunch, but as I pulled out of the driveway, it seemed out with only a
faint rise of lingering smoke.
When I received the phone call at work that
my neighbor’s strawberry patch had gone up in a quick blaze, I knew I was in
for it. I did the usual female thing and cried. Then, I thought of all the
reasons why his stupid patch burned up and those reasons didn’t involve me.
Anyone who would put dry straw all around their plants were just waiting for
an accident to happen and a reason to collect money without doing any
further work. You know, reap an easy harvest!
There were no trees or buildings between my
humble little house and the scorched used-to-be strawberry patch when I
parked my car in my drive. It was in my face and so was my neighbor man. He
expected to be paid for his loss. The fire trail was very obvious; from my
trash burning barrel directly to his destroyed garden. I explained it was
the winds fault; how could anyone control that? He didn’t buy it and told me
he would assess the loss and give me his bill.
The next dilemma that sad day was to wait
for my husband to come home and let him know about his firebug. We lived in
a VERY small town and I hoped that the news hadn’t reached him at school
before my interpretation of the fiasco. In those two hours before his
arrival, I was becoming more and more convinced that I was a beautiful shade
of white and glowing in innocence. The nerve of the neighbor to think he
would present me a bill for having HIS straw all over MY yard. My juices
were flowing and I was practicing in my mind how to present my case to my
husband. I remembered that men have logical minds and I had to approach him
using that angle.
He was most loving and understanding of my
emotional upheaval as I told him my story. Then he asked me if I had checked
to be sure that the fire was out before leaving? He reminded me that it
would only take a small little spark pushed along by the wind to set it off.
Then, he questioned my good sense as to why I would burn on such a windy
day. The sharing didn’t get me off the hook or ease my mind. That night, and
each night until the bill arrived, left me in a restless sleep. The not
knowing of what the bottom line would be was very hard to deal with; plus,
my conscience set in; and my emotions cooled taking the guilt to the
rightful culprit. I knew I was in a corner.
The knock came on my door and I humbly
received the carefully calculated bill. So much was for new plants, labor
for setting them in, and time lost with no harvest, and the replacement of
straw. By then, I had accepted in my heart, as well as in my mind that I was
indeed at fault and what ever it was we’d pay up. The bill tallied to a
total cost of $50.00. That my friend was a big Ca chunk of change! Our house
payment was $65 a month; my grocery bill paid at the end of each month was
around $60; my take home from a week’s work was only $45. Just to let you
know what a shocker it was and how I wished I could have afforded a trial
lawyer. Perhaps, he could have intervened for me and pleaded my innocent
slant and point of view before my emotions cooled. I will never know if I
could have won the case.
I sent the check in the mail to our
neighbor. I paid the debt. I even got back on speaking terms again. I
watched a new strawberry patch and straw materialize again next to our yard.
I think we moved our trash barrel in further on our property. I just know I
have never forgotten the terrible experience, which occurred because of a
careless and foolish moment; and the price I paid.
However, thinking back on this simple
lesson only makes my heart fill with joy knowing that I now have the best
TRIAL LAWYER ever waiting for me on that last day before the Judge. You see,
someone has already planned ahead and set up a special fund to cover the
cost of my earthly trials. I think I’m getting a fair Judge too, because you
see HE is my HEAVENLY FATHER, who has set me up with HIS very own Son to
take my case before HIM. Guess what? His only SON IS MY TRIAL LAWYER. The
bill has already been paid in full and would you believe? BY THE TRIAL
LAWYER, HIMSELF!
Me, I let the city trash men haul my trash
away; no more burning it in the barrel. I try really hard each day to
appreciate and treasure the loving plan made by our Heavenly Father who
truly understands our careless and foolish nature. NEED A GOOD TRIAL LAWYER?
He can be reached through JOHN 3:16 in the Book of Life (BIBLE). You’d
better check it out; you’re going to need one! |
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You’ve
Got The Bargain!
Charlotte Powers, 7-31-02
 I
love to shop for a good deal! Anyone who has known me for any length of time
has heard of the fantastic bottom lines of my quests. It is a talent to know
what a bargain is, and the difference between it, and a “come on.” Of
course, I do check out the buy two and get the third item free after you
mail in the receipts. I’ve done that a few times, and got stung! I didn’t
mail the receipt in within the short allotted time. Once, I never did
receive the full rebate, which encouraged my bargain purchase. Instead of
the advertised $20; I only received, several months later, a check for $10.
So, I fully recognize these lessons learned and avoid them.
However, it is wonderful to head out with a
hand full of coupons to be given at the counter on already reduced items.
This requires leaving home early, wearing comfortable shoes, and at least
two cups of coffee. I do think this is “bargain” shopping, because in a few
instances I have gone back the following day with expired coupons, only to
conclude; no deal Lucille, you snooze you loose!! Then my favorite out of
“my price range store”, except when they dip to 50% off or better yet, if I
can hold out, 75% off; then I lay down my bucks. I catch myself humming on
my way home with my kill. Perhaps, it is a temporary union with the “great
white hunters” of Africa. This may sound a little dramatic, but you fellow
bargain hunters can identify. So, I have learned what a good bargain can be,
and shop accordingly.
Then I got a wonderful mind flash! The Lord
does this to me every now and then. Perhaps, we need to hang a huge BARGAIN
DAY SALE at our church on Sundays. It could read THREE FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
since Christ paid the price and offers us the Father, Son and the Holy
Spirit. In addition, a LIFETIME WARRANTY with endless returns for repairs,
but best of all a GUARANTEE OF ETERNITY! Your credit card code is JOHN 3:16
you just back that and friends YOU’VE GOT THE BARGAIN! You can take it from
me, I know a good deal when I see one! |
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