Do It Again!

After having been found guilty of certain criminal offenses, the defendant stood before the sentencing judge …

“Prisoner at the bar,” said the judge, “you have been found guilty on nineteen counts. Therefore, I hereby sentence you to five years on each count for a total of ninety-five years.” “Your honor, I’ll never be able to serve that much time. I’m already seventy-five-years-old,” said the tearful defendant. The judge’s facial expression softened. “I know the sentence is severe,” he said, “but you don’t really have to serve the whole of it.” The prisoner’s eyes lit up with hope. “That’s right,” said the judge, “just do as much as you can.”

The story is told of a man who asked the question, “What is the devil?” Before anyone could reply, the man supplied his own answer. “The devil,” he said, “is not a huge monster with horns and a harpoon tail and a wicked glitter in his eye. No, the devil is inertia, doing nothing, following…