2 Diamonds

 *A Merchant wanted to purchase a gorgeous camel in the market and after spotting one began to settle for it with the seller!*

There was long bargaining between the merchant and the camel seller, and finally, the merchant bought the camel and took it home!

On reaching home, the merchant called his servant to take out the camel's saddle..!

Under the saddle, the servant found a small velvet bag which upon opening revealed him to be full of precious diamond gems ..!

The servant shouted, "Boss, you bought a camel, but look what came with it for free!"

The Merchant was also surprised, he saw diamonds in his servant's hands which were shining and twinkling even more in the sunlight!

The Merchant said: "I have bought a camel and not the diamonds, I should return it immediately!"

The servant was thinking in his mind "how stupid my boss is ...!"

He Said: "Nobody will know who the owner is!" However, the merchant did not listen to him and immediately reached the market and returned the velvet bag to the shopkeeper.

The camel seller was very happy and said, "I had forgotten that I had hidden my precious stones under the saddle".

Now you choose any one diamond as a reward!

The Merchant said, "I have paid the right price for the camel so I do not need any gift and prizes!"

The more the merchant was refusing, the more the camel seller was insisting!

Finally, the merchant smiled and said: In fact, when I decided to bring back the bag, I had already kept two of the most precious diamonds with me!

After this confession, the camel seller was infuriated and he quickly emptied the bag and began to count his diamond gems!

But after he counted with a heavy sigh of relief, he said "These are all my diamonds, so what were the two most precious ones that you kept?"

The Merchant said: ... "My honesty and my self-respect."

The seller was dumb-struck!

We have to look within ourselves to find out if we possess any of these two diamonds.

Do you have these two precious diamonds Anymore?

Anyone who has these two diamonds, *HONESTY AND SELF-RESPECT*, is the richest person in the world.

Probably true

I found the following statement somewhat true in my life.

 

 

Dedicated to immigrants

I came to Canada after two years due to the pandemic (still a lot of fuss at airports for COVID-19 papers). I realized that Canadians and Americans are on different trajectories. Canadians are more about values and a pluralistic society but struggle to meet ends as everyday lifestyle is relatively expensive. Americans are progressively more on a divisive path, more individualist, and spend money freely. I have been traveling between these two countries for almost 27 years now. The last two decades, particularly America's reaction to 911, indulgence in two prolonged wars, poor political leadership from both parties, and Trump's presidency, have done a lot of damage.

For the first time, I felt a little misfit in Canada. I took a little time off. I went to Woodbine Beach in Toronto. I spent a quiet time watching the sunset and full moon. It gave me a perspective of people who must immigrate to a new culture and survive with new values.

*

Mohammad Ali Says

 

Travel

 Travel

Italian poem by [Gio Evan]

Travel

otherwise you
become racist
and end up believing
that your skin is the only one
to be right,
that your language
it is the most romantic
and that you were the first
to be the first

Travel
that if you don't travel then
your thoughts are not strengthened
you are not full of ideas
your dreams are born with fragile legs
and then end up believing in television
and to those who invent enemies
that fit like a glove with your nightmares
to make you live with terror
no more greetings
nor thanks
nor "you're welcome"
nor "my pleasure"

Travel
that traveling teaches
to give everyone a good morning
regardless
from which sun they come,
travel
that traveling teaches
to say good night to everyone
regardless
of the darkness that we carry inside

Travel
that traveling teaches one to resist
not to depend
to accept others not only for what they are
but also for what they can never be,
to know what we are capable of
to feel part of a family
beyond borders,
beyond traditions and culture,
traveling teaches to be beyond

Travel
that otherwise you end up believing
that you are made only for a panorama
and instead inside you
there are wonderful landscapes
yet to visit.

in the box

 All my life I was fascinated with out-of-box thinking, but when I started my fellowship - one of the teaching attendings said a beautiful thing, which always makes me smile: 

"I am not here to teach you out-of-box thinking. I am here to tell you what is inside the box - that is more important. I don't think anything else matters!"

Trains

 "No vehicle gives you a more honest impression of a country than a train" 

~ source unknown to me

Pascal's wager

 This is an interesting 2x2 table developed by Pascal. It argues that believing in God has a better probability of a benefit than not believing in God. 

I am sure it means nothing but is still interesting. You can read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager 

I save this with the caption: LOL.

Nature and Art and Poetry

Just on a side note: A lot of yellows in Van Gogh's paintings are due to his treatment with medicine called digoxin/digitalis - a cardiac medicine but also used on those days for psychosis.