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TeacherAide Common Unity SESSION 14 CORRECTION . . . The Convergence section of Week 14: UnCommon Truth refers to a story that was accidentally omitted. The story that should be found in the Convergence is as follows: Athletes are generally a very competitive group of people. Many prescribe to the philosophy of “win at all costs.” German long-jumper Bianca Kappler prescribes to a different philosophy, “tell the truth at all costs.” On March 5, 2005, Bianca won the gold medal at a track meet with a jump measured at 22 feet 10 inches. Second place jumped 21 feet 11 inches . . . almost a full foot shorter. When Bianca was given her gold medal, she immediately gave it back, telling the judge, “I know I can’t jump that far.” Officials of the meet tried to convince her to reconsider or even to take another jump, all of which Bianca respectfully declined. She insisted that her best jumps of the day were at least a foot shorter than what the judge measured. The officials finally concluded that Bianca’s jump may have been measured incorrectly. Regardless, Bianca was able to put her competitive spirit aside in order to demonstrate an uncommon truth.
ILLUSTRATING THE POINT World's Greatest Liar Beginning in 1923, a pub in the tiny Scottish village of Daltry hosted an annual liar's contest. In the first eight years of the contest, Fraser Patrick McInnon won the title all eight times. His final victory was in 1930, when McInnon both retired from the contest and won it at the same time. How? With the words, "I regret I cannot enter the contest this year…as I cannot tell a lie." The Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything: The Annual Liars' Contest, Daltry, Scotland," www.bbc.co.uk (8-29-05)
"Rain Man's" Passion for Truth Kim Peek is the man who inspired the 1988 film Rain Man about an autistic savant with astounding mathematical skills. Peek is what doctors call a mega-savant. A savant possesses remarkable expertise in 1 to 3 subjects. Peek is an expert in at least 15, including history, sports, space, music, and geography. No one in the world is thought to possess a brain as extraordinary as Peek's. He has total recall of 9,000 books. It was discovered that each of Peek's eyes can read a separate page simultaneously, absorbing every word. In fact, a page that might take you or me 3 minutes to read, Peek can read in 10 seconds and never forget. Kim Peek once went to a performance of Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night. As the play was ending, Peek stood up and said out loud, "You've got to stop it, stop it, stop it." It turned out that the actor had skipped the second to the last verse of the play. The actor then apologized saying, "The verses are so much alike I didn't think it would matter." Peek responded, "It mattered to William Shakespeare, and it should matter to you." How much more should the Word of God matter to us! "The Original Rain Man," The Week (3-4-05) pp.40-41
I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY
“Truth—is as old as God—His Twin identity And will endure as long as He A Co-Eternity—“ Emily Dickinson “Wherever the truth is injured, defend it” Ralph Waldo Emerson “Half the truth is often a great lie.” Benjamin Franklin “We know truth, not only by reason, but also by the heart.” Blaise Pascal |