Either this is a joke, or more likely it's absolute truth. I'd heard it before, but not the twist at the end. I've pinched it, and I think I've corrected the spelling errors (don't blame him, he's Belgian). For your edification:

A Master in Philosophy is lecturing. He takes an empty jar, fills it with stones and asks his public: "Is this jar now full?". Most everybody answers emphatically 'yes'. He then takes a handful of small pebbles, trickles them in the jar as he shakes it, and of course they slide in between the big rocks. He asks again "Is this jar now full?". And again most people nod 'yes'. He then takes a handful of sand, pours it in the jar slowly and it goes in filling up the holes between stones and pebbles. And again he asks "Is this jar full?". For a last time the audience is positive, now, it is full. "Well," explains the Master, "the jar, that is your life. The stones are the essential things in your life, like your wife, your health, family, ... . The pebbles are important things, like your work, hobbies, ... . And the sand is the extra, luxuries like a car, etc. ... . The philosophy behind this demonstration is that you must fill your life first of all with the essential things, because if you start with the luxuries, the sand, there won't be any place left for what is really important. Any questions?" One student comes forward, a can of beer in his hand which he pours into the full jar. the beer of course flows foamingly in between the stones and pebbles and sand. "The moral of this:" he tells the Master, "however full your life is, there is always a place for beer."

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 19, 2001

Answers

Hee hee, I heard that story before Don, but not with that ending! I come from a large Irish family with 7 brothers that all like beer. One day my older brother was riding on a golf cart with a beer in his hand. A bumble bee flew straight at him, and stung him on the neck. My brother jumped off the cart, while it was still going, and landed on the ground trying to get the bee off him. After he stood up, he still had the beer in his hand and didn't spill a drop! :)

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), July 20, 2001.