Beauty and Wisdom

This post is about my favorite season of the year.

Fall is here and I say, "Welcome and WHOOPEE!"

It is a time when Mother Nature is preparing her family, known as plant life, to begin their demonstration of dramatic, tranquil, beauty unique to the season.  I invite all to sit back and enjoy the fabulous show.

It's exciting when I can hang up the fall wreath in preparation for the activities of the season. Along with the wreath, I enjoy stomping through the dry autumn leaves; listening to their crunching sounds; and sniffing the fresh, stimulating air.

Here is our wreath, after it is pulled out of our shed, fluffed up, rearranged, and the dead summer fireflies blown out of their hiding place, to once again be displayed 

where all can enjoy its flavor of fall.

                                      As October arrives, all students are back in school and 
                                      settled down to the wonderful, wise, wisdom of learning.

Dear readers, I would like to share two great moments 

of my own personal wonderful, wise, wisdom with you.

1. Memories of an immense breakthrough of knowledge came in my first grade. On a classroom chart appeared the line-up of the colorful alphabet letters.  I often pondered  over those letters.  Then one day knowledgeable wisdom came thundering through my mind:  "26" letters . . . all the written words in the English language consist of these simple "26" letters. WOW! I remember sitting in an trance of wonderment.

2. Another exciting experience of wisdom came in the sixth grade. Dear reader, you must remember the time period fits into yesteryear when modern calculators were far into the future.  Now, for the story. It seemed math didn't fit into my idea of a favorite subject. However, my dad had other ideas. In his attempt to mold me into a student he came home with a small desk; he placed it in the corner of my bedroom and said, "Emma Lu, this is your study area; use it wisely."

Dad also acted with urgency by coming into my room at the study hour, sitting at the side of the desk, and drilling me on the time tables. He also informed me, with a stern voice,  "Emma Lu, you must know the numbers so well they become automatic."

I worked hard, and payday came when my math class held a contest challenging each student to see who would be a grand winner of knowing all twelve times tables.

Throughout the contest, I held my own.  At the last round a boy, considered a math wizard, became my opponent. We came to the chalkboard and the shrill of the teacher's whistle began an intense race. The sound of chalk clicked as math formulas were speedily written down.  I felt heated and my hand, tightly gripping the chalk, began to tingle. The race was ruthless.

I finished with a flare of my writing arm swinging forth high into the air.  The whistle blew announcing  the race was over.  I looked to my side and saw my rival still chalking down numbers. The room erupted with cheers from the students.  I had won.  Victory was mine.  The long hours of diligent study had given me an experience of coming off first.  Dad was so wise.
          

To finish the story.  Time has moved on and today I use the calculator; it is fabulously handy. However, I emphasize that working hard and climbing up the ladder of responsible knowledge is a joy and a victory. A very astute leader, Elder Richard G. Scott, has counseled us to remember we are continually to acquire knowledge and information on all subjects.

I do love fall!

It is the season of Mother Nature's unique, colorful beauty 

and the wonderful, wise, wisdom gleaned in the classroom.

Until the next post - "Aim High and Shoot Straight."