I read about a guy, named Andreas Cornelius van Kujik, who promoted the occasional medicine show, or carnival, or other cheap entertainment. One of those interesting shows was called “The Great Parker Pony Circus.” And another was called “Tom Parker and His Dancing Turkeys.”
Now, that’s not just a medicine show, folks. That’s entertainment!
Andreas Cornelius van Kujik was a Dutch immigrant. And if he had spent his life promoting those strange (or at least strangely named) shows, I probably wouldn’t be writing about him right now. Because not much of anybody would care.
But on this day (August 15) back in 1955, Mr. van Kujik signed a contract that would change his life forever. And not just his life.
Because, Mr. van Kujik, who was better known, by then, as Colonel Tom Parker, became the “special advisor” to Elvis Presley. And if you don’t know who that is, then you need to go back to your video game and skip this.
The contract Colonel Parker signed gave him control over just about everything Elvis would do in his career. But apparently that wasn’t a totally bad thing. Because, in case you didn’t know, Elvis made a significant amount of money and gained a significant amount of fame after that.
So that shoots down that quote that says, “You can’t soar with eagles if you’re runnin’ with turkeys.” Right?
Or maybe that doesn’t apply at all. (and you can leave out the maybe)
But what this little story DOES show is things are not always as they seem.
You can skew names and numbers and facts and figures, to just about anything, and make ’em look bad. Or good. And that sort of behavior goes on 24 hours a day on our little, blue planet.
Because humans are basically NOT good. Even though you hear the total opposite of that…all the time. But people who tell you humans are “basically good” are proving my point, by example.
You don’t have to believe me. Or take my side. But I recommend you do. Because I didn’t make it up. I’m repeating what your Creator says. And like I’ve said, many times, anytime you disagree with anything your Creator says, you’re wrong.
Be right, more often, when you learn
Who knows you through and through.
And how He loves you faithfully
And wants the same from you.
Stay tuned,
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Or how about some music for kids