I Was Just Thinking I FEEL GREAT!
	DECEMBER 2004

by Don Huntington, Editor In Chief

There is a great man who makes every man feel small. But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great.
(G.K. Chesterton)

My buddy, Dan Shafer (whom I refer to as “The Guru”) knows more facts about more topics than anyone I know. He must surely be one of the most informed people on our planet. He is the author of more than 60 books on technology topics.

Even in technology rich Silicon Valley, Dan is regarded as the person with answers. A number of us regard Dan Shafer as an awesome storehouse of ideas and knowledge.

Even though he is better informed about almost everything than I am, Dan has treated me with deference and graciousness for the entire 25 years that we have known each other. He has always made me feel like I am a better person than I actually am.

There are a lot of people in this world who, like Dan, make me feel great. My buddy, Pete, is a talented graphics design person who has never said a single depreciating word about my astounding lack of artistic skill. He always tried to give me the impression that I could be an artist with a little effort.

I feel generally good about myself, in part because people like Dan, his wife, Carolyn, Pete, my friends Don & Karen, Gretchen, and my wife... (much of the time, at least), plus a host of other people in my life, make me feel good.

These are “great” people, as Chesterton said, who help me to feel great.

Of course, the Person who does the best job of making me feel great is the Master whom I serve. I always liked the words about Jesus, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out....” How many times I have been bruised and He restored me to health! How often have I been smoldering and yet He fanned me back into flames!

The other thing that especially makes me feel great is by having an attitude towards others that supports their dignity and self-image. I find it constantly more easy to do that. I imagine that some of the people in my life come away from encounters with me feeling great about themselves.

Every day I come into contact with people who take my breath away. Our publisher, Richard Koscher, for example, has the greatest genius for laying out a remarkable-looking page of anyone I ever ran into in 25 years as a professional writer. Adam Nation designs ads for our magazine that are so great that readers have told me that they enjoy reading the ads again in every issue.

The contributors of the articles in this magazine continually dazzle me with the lives they have led and the talents they have brought to the challenges of living.

The truth is that all of us are surrounded by individuals with stories and lives that will grip us and inspire us if only we have the ears to catch those stories and eyes to see with comprehension the reality of what we are looking at.

I told my friend, Cristina (who is, herself, one of the most remarkable people I ever met), that most people have a story we could admire if only we are patient enough to listen for it. I said there must be some couch potatoes who stumble through life with nothing remarkable ever going on in their spirit, but that I didn’t know of any offhand.

I’ll never forget Cristina’s response. “Don,” she said to me, “If we ever have patience to get through the noise and static going on in the lives of such people, we would always be able to catch a little flute-like melody that might fill us with delight.”

I was so thankful to hear Cristina’s wise comment! She really is one of the “great” people referred to in Chesterton’s quote.

I’m thankful for you, Cristina! I’m trying to participate in your view towards others.

I discover that having this kind of attitude towards others elevates me, as well. It’s like having a Christmas spirit all year long.

I live in the midst of so many wonderful people! Some of them try, sometimes successfully, to help me feel good about myself. Thank you! Thank you!

So I feel great! While living like this, how could I feel otherwise?