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Desiderata
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Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater
and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love for in the
face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in
sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself
with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue
and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
With all its shams, drudgery,
and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Strive to be happy.
~ Max Ehrmann ~
This prose poem, originally untitled, was written
by Max Ehrmann in Terre Haute, Indiana in the early 1920's. In 1921, Max
Ehrmann wrote in his diary:
"I should like, if I could, to leave a humble gift--a bit of chaste
prose that had caught up some noble moods," the result was Desiderata.
Mr. Ehrmann obtained a federal copyright (NO. 962402) on January 3, 1927. The
copyright was bequeathed to his widow, Bertha, upon his death in 1945. Bertha
Ehrmann renewed the copyright in 1954 then bequeathed it to her nephew,
Richmond Wight, upon her death in 1962. Richmond Wight assigned the copyright
for value to the Crescendo Publishing Co. in 1971 headed by Robert Bell.
Following publication of Desiderata by yet another publisher called Combined
Registry Co., the Crescendo company instituted a lawsuit, Bell vs. Combined
Registry Co. The court ruled in favor of the defendant--in short, because Max
Ehrmann, although having secured a legal copyright and renewed same, had
never properly or in any way attached a copyright notice copies of Desiderata
which he released for public domain--that is, it can be used by anyone.......
Sometime between September 1, 1952 and 1956, A Rev. Frederick Kates, dean of
St. John's Cathedral of Spokane, Washington came across a copy of Desiderata
without a copyright notice. On June 1, 1956 Rev. Kates became the rector of
St. Paul's Church, Baltimore. This church had been founded in 1692. During
the Lenten season of 1959 or 1960 Rev. Kates included the poem on a sheet of
devotional material he passed out to about 200 members of his congregation.
At the top of the page of this handout containing the poem was the notation:
"Old St. Paul's Church, Baltimore A.C. 1692." This explains the
source of the erroneous attribution which appeared on many following
publications of the prose poem Desiderata.
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When No Words Seem Appropriate
I won't say, "I know how you feel" - because I don't. I've lost
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends, but I've never lost a
child. So how can I say I know how you feel?
I won't say, "You'll get over it" - because you won't. Life will
have to go on. The washing, cooking, cleaning, the common routine. These
chores will take your mind off your loved one, but the hurt will still be
there.
I won't say, "Your other children will be a comfort to you" -
because they may not be. Many mothers I've talked to say that after they have
lost a child, they easily lose their temper with their remaining children.
Some even feel resentful that they're alive and healthy when the other child
is not.
I won't say, "Never mind, you're young enough to have another baby"
- because that won't help. A new baby cannot replace the one that you've
lost. A new baby will fill your hours, keep you busy, give you sleepless
nights. But it will not replace the one you've lost.
You may hear all these platitudes from your friends and relatives. They think
they are helping. They don't know what else to say. You will find out who your
true friends are at this time Many will avoid you because they can't face
you. Others will talk about the weather, the holidays and the school concert
but never about how you're coping.
So what will I say?
I will say, "I'm here. I care. Anytime. Anywhere." I will talk
about your loved one. We'll laugh about the good memories. I won't mind how
long you grieve. I won't tell you to pull yourself together.
No, I don't know how you feel - but with sharing, perhaps I will learn a
little of what you are going through. And perhaps you'll feel comfortable
with me and find your burden has eased. Try me.
Written by a pediatric nurse
Submitted to Ann Landers
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Friendship Advice
Eleanor Roosevelt wrote:
Many people will walk in and out of your life,
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much;
He who loses a friend, loses much more;
He who loses faith,loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
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I've Learned
I've learned -
That you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can
be loved. The rest is up to them.
I've learned -
That no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
I've learned -
That it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
I've learned -
That it's not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that
counts.
I've learned -
That you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that,
you'd better know something.
I've learned -
That you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do but to the best
you can do.
I've learned -
That it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do
about it.
I've learned -
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for
life.
I've learned -
That no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
I've learned -
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I've learned -
That it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.
I've learned -
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be
the last time you see them.
I've learned -
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I've learned -
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I've learned -
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I've learned -
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion
fades and there
had better be something else to take its place.
I've learned -
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be
done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned -
That learning to forgive takes practice.
I've learned -
That there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show
it.
I've learned -
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I've learned -
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I've learned -
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the
ones to help you get back up.
I've learned -
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't
give me the right to be cruel.
I've learned -
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same
goes for true love.
I've learned -
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't
mean they don't love you with all they have.
I've learned -
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and
what you've learned
from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I've learned -
That you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating,
and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.
I've learned -
That your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people
you aren't related to can
take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again.
Families aren't just biological, but
of the soul.
I've learned -
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in
a while and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned -
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you
have to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned -
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your
grief.
I've learned -
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we
are responsible for who we become.
I've learned -
That sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I
don't want to.
I've learned -
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each
other. And just because
they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I've learned -
That sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.
I've learned -
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I've learned -
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change
your life forever.
I've learned -
That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally
different.
I've learned -
That no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get
hurt and you will hurt in the process.
I've learned -
That there are many ways of falling and staying in love.
I've learned -
That no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves get
farther in life.
I've learned -
That no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar you will
feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.
I've learned -
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even
know you.
I've learned -
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to
you, you will find the strength to help.
I've learned -
That writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.
I've learned -
That the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.
I've learned -
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I've learned -
That the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.
I've learned -
That although the word "love" can have many different meanings; it
loses value when over used.
I've learned -
That it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not
hurting people's feelings
and standing up for what you believe
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Haleys Comet
The story is told of a colonel who issued the following statement
to his executive secretary: "Tomorrow evening at approximately
2000 hours Haley's Comet will be visible in this area, an event
that occurs only once every 75 years. Have the men fall out
in fatigues, and I will explain this rare phenomenon to them.
In case of rain, we will not be able to see anything, so assemble
the men in the theatre and I will show them films of it."
The executive secretary passed the order on to the company
commander: "By order of the Colonel, tomorrow at 2000 hours,
Haley's Comet will appear above the battalion area. If it rains,
fall the men out in fatigues, then march to the theatre where
the rare phenomenon will take place, something which happens
only once every 75 years."
The company commander passed the order on to the lieutenant:
"By order of the Colonel in fatigues at 2000 hours tomorrow
evening, the phenomenal Haley's Comet will appear in the
theatre. In case of rain in the battalion area, the Colonel will
give another order, something which happens once every 75
years."
The lieutenant told the sergeant: "Tomorrow at 2000 hours,
the Colonel in fatigues will appear in the theatre with the
phenomenal Haley's Comet, something that happens every
75 years. If it rains, the Colonel will order the comet into the
battalion area."
The sergeant gave the following order to the squad: "When
it rains tomorrow at 2000 hours, the phenomenal 75-year-old
General Haley, accompanied by the Colonel, will drive his
Comet through the battalion area theatre in fatigues."
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APPLICATION TO DATE MY
DAUGHTER
Note: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied
by a complete financial statement, job history, lineage, and current medical
report from your physician.
1. What is your name, age, social security number, IQ and boy scout rank?
2. Do you have one male and one female parent? ____
If "No", explain:
3. Do you own or have access to a van? ____
4. A truck with oversize tires? ____
5. waterbed? ____
6. Do you have an earring, nose ring, or belly button ring? ____
7. Do you have a tattoo? ____
*If you have answered YES to #3, #4 or #5, discontinue application and leave
immediately.*
8. In fifty words or less, what does LATE mean to you?
9. In fifty words or less, what does DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER mean to you?
10. In fifty words or less, what does ABSTINENCE mean to you?
11. In fifty words or less, what does REAL PAIN mean to you?
12. Church/Temple you attend: ____________________________
13. How often do you attend: ____________________________
14. When would be the best time to interview your mother, father and
priest/rabbi? ____________________________
15. Please fill in the blanks:
If I were shot, the last place on my body I would want wounded would be my
____________________________
If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken would be my
____________________________
A woman's place is in the ____________________________
The one thing I hope this application doesn't ask is
____________________________
When I meet a girl, the one thing I always notice about her first is
____________________________
*Note: If answer to last question begins with "T" or "A",
discontinue and leave premises - keeping your head low and running in a
serpentine fashion is advised*
What do you want to be IF you grow up?
I swear that all the above information is correct to the best of my knowledge
under penalty of death, bodily harm, dismemberment, torture or mental abuse.
Signature of applicant _________________________________
Signature of father _____________________________________
Signature of mother ____________________________________
Signature of priest/rabbi ___________________________________
Signature of State Representative _________________________
Thank you for your interest, and it had better be genuine and non-sexual.
Please allow 4-6 years for processing. You will be contacted in writing if
approved. If denied, please never apply again. Don't call me, I'll call you.
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