Many years
ago when my children were young I presented a challenge for them. I told them I would give $10 to any one of
them who first memorized and then sang to me the words to a song I had selected
from our church hymnbook. It was a
children’s song that went as follows:
In our lovely Deseret [early
name for the Utah territory] where the Saints of God have met there’s a
multitude of children all around. They
are generous and brave; they have precious souls to save; they must listen and
obey the gospel’s sound.
That the children may live long and
be beautiful and strong, tea and coffee and tobacco they despise; drink no liquor, and they eat but a very
little meat; they are seeking to be great and good and wise.
They should be instructed young how to
watch and guard the tongue, and their tempers train and evil passions bind; they
should always be polite, and treat everybody right, and in every place be
affable and kind.
They must not forget to pray, night and
morning every day, for the Lord to keep them safe from every ill; and assist
them to do right, that with all their mind and might, they may love him and may
learn to do his will.
None of them
ever collected.
I am now
raising the ante—but for a similar desire on my part. These essays/observations/opinions that form
the substance of Omnium-Gatherum-Millerum
were originally and mainly written for my children. There are now many readers
of my musings who are not of my family, and I appreciate their readership, but
I really don’t know who among my children
or step-children are among my readers—still my primary audience.
The $10
incentive for the song is still on, and now extended to grandchildren, but I
have added another incentive for my children and step-children to respond
to. It is very simple: The first one who
emails me with a response to this
posting will get a check in the mail for $60 from me to go to a nice place
for dinner with their spouse or date (and hopefully, in their dinner
conversation, discuss something I have written in the past three years that has
been of interest to them).
The test is on. Ready--get set--GO!
1 comment:
No need to bribe me Dad, I enjoy reading your blog. I actually came on here today to see if I could poach some beta for a talk that I'm giving this Sunday.
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