*Click on the day of the month for the daily quote.*

The ideas I stand for aren't mine. I borrowed them from Socrates. I swiped them from Chesterfield. I stole them from Jesus. And I put them in a book. If you don't like their rules, whose would you use?

Words of Dale Carnegie....and I can relate :-) Nothing I have posted is my own....I have borrowed everything from someone else :-) 

This month's background music on the calendar is an eclectic collection of songs inspired by my friend, Lee. Lee is trying to broaden my horizon where music is concerned. I'm sure he likes "some" of my oldies :-) After all....he found my website through a search for "Sukiyaki." He proceeded to send me the same song by 4PM. If you have a chance to listen to 4PM sing "Sukiyaki"....don't miss it. It is a wonderful song. The song playing now is "The Longest Time." This song Lee also sent me by The Nylons. It's so beautiful :-) They sing as if they are singing to me personally!!! Don't I wish....it is sooo inspiring. They sing about love as if it is wonderful no matter the duration :-) I'm wearing out the "song"!!! Anyway, Lee has shared a variety of music with me and it is all very interesting :-) Some beautiful songs which I might NEVER have heard had it not been for meeting Lee :-) Many of which I could not find a midi to post, such as Helmut Lotti's "Santa Lucia", Peter Cetera's "One Clear Voice", the Judd's "Young Love"....just to name a few. The pics on the calendar and the calendar pages this month are courtesy of another friend of my website....Akhilesh. Akhilesh is working in the United Arab Emirates. He has shared a few photos of the area with me, and so I took a chance and requested more if possible to post on this month's calendar. Well, Akhilesh sent them and they are posted this month for your enjoyment. The pics that are not noted as from Akhilesh are photos of Missouri landscapes.

This month's quotes are by Dale Carnegie or taken from his book How To Win Friends & Influence People or Dale Carnegie's Scrapbook. Dale Carnegie was born in Missouri in 1888. He grew up on a farm. He worked hard to make it through college. And as Lowell Thomas wrote about Carnegie...."This Missouri lad who had once picked strawberries and cut cockleburs for five cents an hour became the highly paid trainer of the executives of large corporations in the art of self-expression." However, prior to becoming a success, Carnegie often met with defeat. During his time at college Thomas wrote this about Carnegie...."He was eighteen at the time--sensitive and proud. He became so discouraged, so depressed, that he even thought of suicide." But Carnegie began to see that people need encouragement to be the best they can be. And he became successful in teaching people to have more self-confidence. Thomas puts it this way "Dale Carnegie would tell you that he made a living all these years, not by teaching public speaking--that was incidental. His main job was to help people conquer their fears and develop courage."

This month is a very special month for me. I will be 21 in less than 21 days :-) This major date means little to me....I just feel different thinking about being 21, as if I need to be more grown up!!! It's not so much that I can now experience anything life has to offer....it is more like now I am responsible for myself....a scary thought for someone who gets lost as easily as I do :-) I have thoroughly enjoyed working on these pages, and have seen love and friendship in a beautiful way, not by the quotes alone, but by those of you who have been my friend. I'm not sure what is going to happen to my pages in the days ahead....but a change is in the air. I am already sad about it. It's more that happy/sad feeling. It's as if my life has come full circle and I need a new beginning. I feel as if I was looking for what love and friendship really is and have seen that in all of you. Now it seems like I need to practice all that I have seen....or at least try :-) It seems I am starting to take for granted all that I am learning. I am just accepting it when I really need to start working on my life.  So regardless of what happens to these pages....I have every plan to continue to maintain them....but in the months ahead, I want to let you see me as I really am. 

Lowell Thomas writes this about Dale Carnegie "All people can talk when they get mad....he claimed that almost any person can speak acceptably in public if he or she has self-confidence and an idea that is boiling and stewing within." I feel that is the reason I have been able to share....I have a desire to share my experience. It has been pretty easy. Due to my personal experience with online, I have had a passionate desire to make everyone I meet responsible for their actions online :-) And also a wonderful desire to share my newfound feelings for love and friendship.

As I have said, now I would like for you to see me as I really am. I tend to be optimistic and encouraging when it comes to others....and pessimistic concerning my life. As I read the quotes by Dale Carnegie and others taken from his book....I thought you might like to see my thoughts. So I have done something a little different with the calendar this month....totally by accident. 

I have shared so much about love....I wanted to share a little about friendship. So I looked for "something" special to read. I ran across many beautiful poems, but nothing major except.....Dale Carnegie's book How To Win Friends & Influence People. When I found a copy at the library, I also found Dale Carnegie's Scrapbook. I was having a difficult time writing to you about How To Win Friends & Influence People.....because I felt as if it was more about attracting friends....people who already know HOW to be a friend. It wasn't actually about being a friend. Oh sure it repeated over and over....listen and encourage....two wonderful qualities in a friend. But it was as if something was left unsaid. 

I decided the only way to present it to all of you was to write my thoughts after the quotes as I read. This way you would see the beauty of the book....and understand me more when I say I tend to be a little negative sometimes. I mean disagreeing with such a wonderfully famous teacher of friendship as Dale Carnegie seems more than a little pessimistic!!! And so I set the calendar up just like that. Quotes by Dale Carnegie....or quotes taken from his book How To Win Friends & Influence People and then my thoughts as I read.  

Then I began to read Dale Carnegie's Scrapbook. Wow....that was very enlightening. All the doubt I felt when I read How To Win Friends & Influence People just sorta dissipated. Dale Carnegie's Scrapbook was actually published after his death in 1955. His wife, Dorothy Carnegie, wrote the introduction and added it to Dale Carnegie's actual scrapbook of quotes before it was published. The book is a wonderful collection of quotes about a variety of subjects. Here's a little bit taken from the cover of the book...."these quotations form a philosophy that is a clear statement of the truths Dale Carnegie believed in, wrote about and taught. The importance and joy of work--overcoming fear and defeat by courage and persistence--love and gentleness and courtesy between human beings--a strong, sustaining faith in God: this was his creed."

As I read this scrapbook of quotations....I had a better understanding of why Carnegie had said some of the things he did in How To Win Friends & Influence People. And as so often happens with me....some of the quotes in the scrapbook answered many of the questions I had about the friendship book. So I went back through the calendar and posted the encouragement I found from Carnegie's scrapbook, after my earlier entries. 

My goal this month as I have said is for you to see me as I am....a little lost and still looking for answers. Hopefully you will see the real "me" as you read through the calendar this month. 

I have also just posted about four dozen stories....I hope you have some time to read them. And if you read Dale Carnegie's book How To Win Friends & Influence People be sure to read Dale Carnegie's Scrapbook....as usual, the quotes will give inspiration to the friendship book.  

Once again....thanks to all of you who encourage me :-) And as you know, I wish you enough always :-)

I didn't overlook the fact that Memorial Day just passed....not in real life :-) I wore my "poppy" to work and received a few comments and lots of inquisitive looks :-) I also watched most of the national salute to our US military this past weekend. It was very informative and very emotional. Clint Black's words about love were soo beautiful...."We should treat love as a verb and not a noun." Of course those who serve seem to have this principle down to a fine art. And the words of Clint's song were sooo very beautiful...."Love isn't some place that we fall, love is something that we do" :-)

The host of the show, Cuba Gooding Jr., pretty much spoke for all of us as he spoke these words from the deck of the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman...."Tonight, those of us gathered here on this high tech wonder of the 21st century, extend our gratitude to all those engaged in America's armed services. A force of over 2 million men and women devoted to five great American traditions, the United States Army, the Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Ours is a diverse and highly skilled military, a service filled with vigilant young warriors who speak a fresh language of the earth, of the sea, and sky. Guardians all, like those who served before them. Their common commitment is the ageless pursuit of security and peace....and so on this memorial day weekend we honor our nations armed forces grateful for the long history of freedom they have provided us. Safe in this harbor, we remember those who have served, those who have given their life in service and those who, day after devoted day, protect the land of the free and home of the brave. This priceless gift we share."

Add to this the words of  Jeff Foxworthy...."You guys have no idea how proud your country is of you and it is never lost on us that because of your courage we get to live in the greatest country in the world." :-)

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