Vocations and Vacations

Art Fettig’s Monday Morning Memo

August 10, 2009

In This Issue

o Vocations and Vacations
o Say Something Good
o Visit Our Website
o Points To Ponder
o A Little Humor
o Quote of the Week
o To Subscribe

Vocations and Vacations

“The secret of success…is making your vocation your vacation.”  – Mark Twain  As I read this quote I started looking back on my career and I can honestly say that I did just as Mark Train suggested many years ago.  My hobbies were first writing and then speaking.  In 1960 I started getting serious about sitting down and writing and I have been at it ever since.  As far as speaking goes, I got that urge in the very early 1970’s and I haven’t quit yet.  The fact that in 1983 I had put in 35 years with the railroad and was very fortunate to get an early quit made it possible for me to go into full time writing and speaking at that time. I seldom took vacations as such.  I would work them into speaking assignments.  I always asked myself, what do I need a vacation for?  From what?  From doing what I truly enjoy?  I feel as if I have been on vacation since 1983 and yet I have often put in long hours and really busy weeks.  It was just that I was doing what I wanted to do my way and that makes all the difference in the world.  I have been constantly using my imagination and that is invigorating and rewarding.  When people look at me and say, “When are you going to quit, Art?” I say, “Quit what?”  I wish everyone could find something that they would gladly do whether people paid them or not and then let them get paid well for doing just that.  That is what I would call a great career, a great job; discovering your special talents and then putting them to work for the good of all humankind.  I wish you well in finding your special thing.

Say Something Good

Funerals.  Am I kidding, funerals are something that is good about America?  Sure.  My wife, Jean’s sister just passed on and I watched Jean go to work with our niece and in just a couple of days, with the help of some others, they put together a really nice funeral.  The music was great, the service at the funeral parlor chapel was tasteful and interesting. The ladies gathered up some fifty or so photos of the deceased and  video person turned them into a wonderful video depicting the life of the deceased.  It was a great gathering of relatives and friends and the graveside service at the Old Bluff Cemetery was just right. What moves me most was the singing of Amazing Grace with three key changes.  Those key changes really inspire me and I feel that I am moving upwards along with the music. Well done, everyone.  May God bless America and keep our troops out of harms way.

Points To Ponder

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. Michaelangelo

A Little Humor

A guy blows a stop sign and gets caught by a policeman. Cop says,  “License and registration please..” Guy says, “What for?” Cop says, “You didn’t come to a complete stop at the stop sign.” Guy says, “I slowed down, and no one was coming.” Cop says, “You still didn’t come to a complete stop, license and registration, please.” Guy says, “What’s the difference?” Cop says,”the difference is, you have to come to a complete stop. License and registration, PLEASE!” Guy says, “If you can show me the difference between slow down and stop I’ll give you my license and registration.” Cop says, “Exit your vehicle sir.” At this point, the cop takes out his Billy club and starts beating the pee-waddling stuff out of the guy and says, “Do you want me to slow down or stop?”

Quote of the Week

Discipline yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them…and the day will come when you will be able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them. Zig Ziglar