“All over the world,” came the reply. The other people in the air port wee leaving for distant destinations or arriving at the ends of their journeys. The father and son, though, were just riding this shuttle together, making it exciting, sharing each other’s company.
So many troubles in this country—crime, the murderous soullessness that seems to be taking over the lives of many young people, the lowering of educational standards, the increase in vile obscenities in public, the disappearance of simple civility. So many questions about what to do. Here was a father who cared about spending the day with his son and who had come up with this plan on a Saturday morning.
The answer is so simple: parents who care enough to spend time, and to pay attention and to try their best. It doesn’t cost a cent, yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.
The train picked up speed, and the father pointed something out, and the boy laughed again, and the answer is so simple.
一天早晨去亚特兰大机场，我看见一辆列车载载着旅客从航空集散站抵达登记处。这类免费列车每天单调、无味地往返其间，没人觉得有趣。但这个周六我却听到了笑声。
在头节车厢的最前面，坐着一个男人和他的儿子。他们正透过窗户观赏着一直往前延伸的铁道。
我们停下来等候旅客下车，之后，车门关上了。“走吧。拉紧我！”父亲说。儿子大约5岁吧，一路喜不自禁。
车上坐的多半是衣冠楚楚，或公差或度假的白人，只有这对黑人父子穿着朴素简单。我知道如今我们不该种族歧视，我希望我这样描述没人介意。
“快看！”父亲对儿子说：“看见那位飞行员了吗？我敢肯定是去开飞机的。”儿子伸长脖子看。
下了车后我突然想起还得在航空集散站买点东西。离起飞时间还早，于是我决定再乘车回去。
正准备上车的时候，我看到那对父子也来了。我意识到他们不是来乘飞机的，而是特意来坐区间列车的。
“我还想再坐一会儿！”
“再坐一会儿！”父亲嗔怪模仿着儿子的语调，“你还不累？”
“真好玩！”儿子说。
“好吧，”父亲说。车门开了，我们都上了车。
我们很多父母有能力送孩子去欧洲，去狄斯尼乐园，可孩子还是堕落了。很多父母住豪华别墅，孩子有车有游泳池，可孩子还是学坏了。富人、穷人，黑人、白人，那么多人都轻易学坏了。
“爸爸，这些人去哪？”儿子问。
“世界各地。”父亲回答。机场来来往往的人流或准备远行，或刚刚归来。这对父子却在乘坐区间列车，享受着父子间的亲情与陪伴。
我们正面临许多问题：犯罪、越来越多的年轻人变得冷漠无情、文化水平下降、公共场合卑劣猥亵上升、起码的礼貌丧失等等。我们有那么多的问题要处理。而这里，这位父亲却很在意花上一天陪伴儿子，并在这样一个星期六的早上，提出这个计划。
其实答案很简单：父母愿意花时间，愿意关注，愿意尽心尽职。这不要花一分钱，可这却是世间无价之宝。
火车加速了。父亲指着窗外说着什么，儿子直乐。是的，答案就是这么简单。
Captain! My Captain!船长！我的船长！
Oh, Captain! My Captain!
Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is worn,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But, Oh heart! Heart! Heart!
The bleeding drops of red!
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
Captain! My Captain! Rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here, Captain! Dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse or will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult, Oh Shores! And ring, Oh bell!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
啊，船长！我的船长！
船长！我的船长！可怕的航程已完成；
这船历尽风险，企求的目标已达成。
港口在望，钟声响，人们在欢欣。
千万双眼睛注视着船——平稳，勇敢，坚定。
但是痛心啊！痛心！痛心！
瞧一滴滴鲜红的血！
甲板上躺着我的船长，
他倒下去，冰冷，永别。
啊，船长！我的船长！起来吧，倾听钟声；
起来吧，号角为您长鸣，旌旗为您高悬；
迎着您，多少花束花圈——候着您，千万人蜂拥岸边；
他们向您高呼，拥来挤去，仰起殷切的脸；
啊，船长！亲爱的父亲！
我的手臂托着您的头！
莫非是一场梦：在甲板上，
您到下去，冰冷，永别。
我的船长不作声，嘴唇惨白，毫不动弹；
我的父亲没感到我的手臂，没有脉搏，没有遗言；
船舶抛锚停下，平安抵达；航程终了；
历经艰险返航，夺得胜利目标。
啊，岸上钟声齐鸣，啊，人们一片欢腾！
但是，我在甲板上，在船长身旁，
心悲切，步履沉重：
因为他倒下去，冰冷，永别。
My Best Friend Arnold我的挚友阿诺德
I recently lost my best friend Arnold in an automobile accident while moving my family to our new home in Arizona. Arnold was an 8-month-old pot belly who taught me so much about love, devotion and companionship. I am devastated by his loss, but thank God daily for blessing me with the joy of having Arnold for his short life.
Anyone contemplating a pot belly as a pet should know that if you are a true pet lover and devote yourself to them, a pot belly will make the most wonderful friend. You will be assured of endless hours of fascination and entertainment as you both grow together in understanding the human or the pot belly relationship. Words cannot describe this relationship and it can only be fully understood by experiencing it.
Arnold didn’t know he was a pig—he thought he was just another member of our family—modeling his behavior through observing me, my wife, my two daughters and our beagles. He was convinced he was loved by all; and he was, even when he was ornery trying to just get our attention. He learned his name, how to sit and how to use the litter box all in the first week we had him (at 7 weeks old!).