Enjoying a leisurely Saturday
One of life’s simple pleasures is to have an entire day to pursue whatever interesting inclinations may come to one’s heart.
If it happens to be a Saturday with pleasant temperatures and Arkansas sunshine, that’s even better.
March 18 was like that for me. After sleeping in for just a little while, and then doing some reading and relaxation, the springlike conditions outside beckoned.
A three-mile walk outdoors was perfect, and after that, I headed north from Springdale. The day had no big agenda, no detailed plans, and no schedule; just several hours without demands or restraints.
I went for ice cream first, choosing chocolate, embellished with extra goodies, a real staple in American fast food. I threw in some almonds for good measure and then feasted. (For the record, my doctor didn’t okay any of this, but I recklessly barreled right in anyway). It was delicious. Not long after that, I was in downtown Rogers and took advantage of the good weather to walk around and explore a few shops.
Some of you may have heard of Trolley Line Books, a Rogers establishment this is fun for anyone who, like me, enjoys perusing among hundreds of used books.
If you like reading, Trolley Line Books is worth a stop.
I browsed for more than half an hour, maybe more, and was pleased to leave with four worthwhile selections.
One was called Apples of Gold, a small volume containing four sermons by the Scottish-American Presbyterian pastor Dr. Peter Marshall. The small book has also been published with the title Peter Marshall: New and Inspiring Messages.
Even though Marshall delivered sermons in the 1930s and 1940s, his words are worth revisiting today. In his message called “Apples of Gold” he said, “A word of encouragement means more than we can possibly imagine. Think how many people there are in this world who are hungry to hear someone say a word of encouragement, a word of cheer, to keep up morale, to give courage.”
Another book purchase on March 18 was The Eagle and the Raven, by James A. Michener, a historical novel about Sam Houston of Texas and Santa Anna of Mexico. (Many who like to read such books know of Michener’s authorship of Centennial, Tales of the South Pacific, Chesapeake, Texas, and many others).
Michener’s work has been appreciated by many for decades.
I also picked up a copy of The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins, considered to be the greatest of the more than 60 novels he produced. The World War II story of espionage was also made in to a 1976 movie with the same title.
And finally, I got a 1948 edition of Dale Carnegie’s How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. You may know of Carnegie for his best-seller How to Win Friends and Influence People, first published in 1936.
I’ve read both books before, and I recommend them to anyone.
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living has been reprinted many times over, and still has much insight that applies to people today.
Early on in the book Carnegie wrote, “”We already know enough to lead perfect lives. We have all read the Golden Rule and the Sermon on the Mount. Our trouble is not ignorance, but inaction.”
In the many pages that follow, there are passages that speak to getting along in life; sometimes stated very directly, and sometimes conveyed in a manner that is soft and encouraging.
The book tells of the troubles in life and how to respond.
“We are going to meet a lot of unpleasant situations.…” he wrote. “We can either accept them as inevitable and adjust ourselves to them, or we can ruin our lives with rebellion and maybe end up with a nervous breakdown.”
I ended up with two books of excellent literary entertainment (Higgins and Michener) and two with deeply profound and uplifting words (Carnegie and Marshall).
So whether I was in need of relaxation or inspiration, a book awaited. But I didn’t start in on any of them. Not on that day. There was beautiful Arkansas weather outside. The books could wait.
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