Short stories with a point
The Pit Bull Pup
At a farm I was introduced to a litter of pit bulls, just a few weeks old.
One of the pups came over to say hi. I crouched and put my hand in front of it. Dogs often like to smell or check out a body part when they meet. It seems to be like a handshake to them. It also might be a very comfortable feeling, like "Yes, I could pick this guy out of any police line up now." 
This one got a gentle grip on my finger with its teeth, and it very slowly started increasing the pressure. By then I was talking to someone and the pup was so pleasant and friendly that I didn't give it a second thought, until it started to hurt. One very surprised "ouch" and I pulled my hand back.
It sat back and smiled, totally happy to be a pit bull with awesome powers.
I was impressed. It had been done very carefully, with just a slow increase in the pressure. The intent wasn't to kill, just to have a bit of fun with a big, naive human. It was more diplomatic and careful than a lot of people.
The Traveler
I was talking to someone in an airport about traveling. He told me something that has stayed with me for years now.
He was going through an eastern country. There was a truck at the side of the road selling produce. It had cucumbers and he likes them so he stopped and got one. While he was eating it he noticed a couple of kids watching him. The food had their attention.
He looked around and it was a very poor area. Absolutely no one there had a weight problem. He asked the guy how much for everything on the truck, and bought it all for $200. Then he waved everyone over to help themselves. It must have been a nice day for everyone involved.
I just enjoyed that. It wasn't enough to make a web page out of until I came up with the idea for this one.
This was to do with charity but there are so many smaller things people do that I enjoy.
It's a saying with me now. "Even if it's a small story, it's nice when it has a happy ending."
A Lesson From a War
For me this is the most memorable story from the Second World War.
At the start of it, the Brits had arms and munitions factories with people working 7 days a week. When the tide of the war turned and things started looking better, they could finally cut back on production. The schedule was cut back to 6 days a week.
But the plan to cut back on production was blown to bits when the workers produced more in 6 days than they had been in 7. It's a nice reminder to me about how important it is to get some rest. It's when I'm tired that things are most likely to go wrong, and a few days of work can be undone in a few moments. (It happened recently.)
Get some rest.
Another story that stuck from that war was about a US infantry man with a position on a hill during a battle. A long line of Nazi troops was advancing toward him, in single file, with plenty of space between them.
He was an expert marksman, and he shot the last soldier in the line. No one else in the line noticed. He continued from the back and soon there was only one soldier left, advancing all by himself.
After that soldier was shot, there were 33 of them dead. It was a nice example of the need for clear thinking. If he had shot the one in front first, everyone else would have dived for cover and started to search for him and attack. He was by himself, and would not have been in a good position. The chances of survival would have been small.
There's nothing like a life and death situation to inspire an appreciation for talent, training, and practice. More often on a job it's just what you are working for that is at risk but that has an importance too.
