Ignacy J. Paderewski and Herbert Hoover

This is a true story about what happened in 1892 at Stanford University.

Its moral is still relevant today.

A young, 18 year old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan. A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.

They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2,000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck. And the boys began to work to make the concert a success. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their troubles. They gave him the entire $1,600, plus a cheque for the balance of $400. They promised to honor the cheque as soon as possible.

"No" said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable" He tore up the cheque, returned the $1,600 and told the boys "Here's the $1,600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left" The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.

It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being.

The truly great people think, "If I don't help them, what will happen to them?" They don't do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it's the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was devastated. There were over 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them.

 Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help

The head was a man called Herbert Hoover - who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people. A calamity was averted.

Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly said,

 "You shouldn't be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them."

The world is a wonderful place. What goes around usually comes around.

Rock, Stone, Sand rule

(This post was first published in October 2008 Metta Center email newsletter. The original author of the story is unknown.)

A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about 2″ in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full?

They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was. The students laughed.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

“Now,” said the professor,

“I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else, the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

Puppies for Sale

A farmer had puppies he needed to sell. A little boy approached him and said

“I want to buy one of your puppies.”

“Well,” said the farmer,

“These puppies cost a good deal of money.”

The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

“I’ve got thirty-nine Rupees. Is that enough to take a look?”

“Sure,” said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle,
“Here, Dolly!” he called.

Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.

As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else moving inside the doghouse.

Slowly another little ball appeared this one noticeably smaller. Down the slope it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began limping towards the other, doing its best to catch up.

“I want that one,” the little boy said, pointing to the smallest one.

The farmer said, “Son, you don’t want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would”.

The little boy stepped back and began rolling up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he revealed a steel support running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe.

Looking back up at the farmer, he said, “You see, Sir, I don’t run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.”

The world is full of people who need someone who understands them.

More Blood— 2013

General George S Patton:

  "No poor bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making other bastards die for their country.”

There are people trying to kill us and are constantly killing us. They have repeatedly announced that they would like to destroy us, kill the educated ones and crush the rest. Since 2007, they have killed more than 4,000 Pakistani soldiers and more than 30,000 civilians. Our options are either to fight back or be killed. But it looks like we would rather be victims. Still people within us say that we should talk to them. And there are ones who label them as “Good” & “Bad”.

Month Wise Shia Target Killing
January	42
February	37
March	36
April	34
May	24
June	30
July	35
August	42
September	51
October	28
November	80
December	63

 

As 2012 was about to end, more violence more blood and many more innocent people lost their live. On December 30 repeat was somewhat the same as Pakistan witnessed the terrible killing of 19 Shia pilgrims in Mastung in Baluchistan. Twenty-five others were injured in the attack, which targeted a convoy of three buses in which about 180 people were travelling. It is not difficult to highlight who the real culprits were. These people have time in time out came after us killed us; and they will kill again. This was not the only place where blood was ruthlessly spilt. Those 21 levies personnel, who were abducted after raid of terrorist on check post, met the same fate. They were returned to their ancestral villages, but for burial. Not to stop, we also witnessed bombing of bus at Kent station in Karachi claiming 6 innocent lives and not to forget ANP’s Bashir Ahmed Bilour who was assassinated in suicide bombing.

Region Wise Shia Killing
Sindh	145
Punjab	81
Baluchistan	156
Gilgit Baltistan	55
Khyber-  Pakhtunkhwa	9
FATA	56

While our Supreme Court took notice of Shahzaib Khan’s murder, but did not give any heed to the blood which was ruthlessly and barbarically spilt on our beloved mother land. Civil society only raised its voice on incidents which could give them some lime light and media also stuck to its double standards by only showing high profile reports. As per one database, over 500 members of the Shia Community were killed in 2012. As many as 136 people from the Shia community were killed in Karachi, which was the largest number for a city.

According to many independent researchers, growing amount of anti Shia violence has its roots in alliance of Taliban and local jihadi outfits. This alliance in long term also processes danger signals for State of Pakistan. As Taliban would have grass root support in urban cities. After September 2011, the jihadi groups also turned their guns towards their old masters who had used them in Soviet Afghan jihad.

As for local jihad outfits, enforcement of ban on these organizations had little effect. As they renamed themselves and launched into mainstream. Thus as being in politics they have struck lethal blows to state machinery by providing human resource to Taliban and also fulfilling their own agenda of targeting Shias.

2012 also witnessed beheading of kidnapped people of same community in Baluchistan. This bought in another form of barbaric activity which could never serve cause of Islam. Instead it is just tarnishing our image. We also had Malala and Shahzeb Khan within us, who were killed but But we are just not in the limelight.

To end this blog, reference to a video of ASWJ’s head of Karachi in which he openly said that his organization would create an atmosphere in this country which would not let any minority especially Shia to survive. Meanwhile, Shias are being alienated from their own country. A country which was obtained in the name of Islam. When hope is lost, everything is lost. And as 2013 begins, the stage is being set for more blood to be spilt. Blood to be spilt in the name of God. Barbarians who take lives of innocent do it not by the will of Creator. This is oppression not Jihad.