Life is Beautiful

“I searched "Life" and found not what I was looking for. I searched "Beautiful" and didn't find it. So here's to life. Screw the beeotching about life's little struggles, about all the minutiae. To think about all those who aren't with us, It's nice to be alive, no? No quantifying. No rationalizing. No judging. Take a breath and enjoy.

A toast to life.”

“Cheers! Perspective is a good thing.”

“And I leave you with this:

Ode
Arthur O'Shaughnessy
(1844 - 1881)

We are the music makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;—
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample a kingdom down.

We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself in our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.

A breath of our inspiration
Is the life of each generation;
A wondrous thing of our dreaming
Unearthly, impossible seeming—
The soldier, the king, and the peasant
Are working together in one,
Till our dream shall become their present,
And their work in the world be done.

They had no vision amazing
Of the goodly house they are raising;
They had no divine foreshowing
Of the land to which they are going:
But on one man's soul it hath broken,
A light that doth not depart;
And his look, or a word he hath spoken,
Wrought flame in another man's heart.

And therefore to-day is thrilling
With a past day's late fulfilling;
And the multitudes are enlisted
In the faith that their fathers resisted,
And, scorning the dream of to-morrow,
Are bringing to pass, as they may,
In the world, for its joy or its sorrow,
The dream that was scorned yesterday.

But we, with our dreaming and singing,
Ceaseless and sorrowless we!
The glory about us clinging
Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing:
O men! it must ever be
That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
A little apart from ye.

For we are afar with the dawning
And the suns that are not yet high,
And out of the infinite morning
Intrepid you hear us cry—
How, spite of your human scorning,
Once more God's future draws nigh,
And already goes forth the warning
That ye of the past must die.

Great hail! we cry to the comers
From the dazzling unknown shore;
Bring us hither your sun and your summers;
And renew our world as of yore;
You shall teach us your song's new numbers,
And things that we dreamed not before:
Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,
And a singer who sings no more.






Peace.”

“Hey.....................hey”

“Very nice. Very familiar. I'll give this:


Desiderata

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 the dull and the 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 as 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 dark 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 sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952”

“I give you this:

"Blow me"

Chuck Schoonover, copyright 2007”

“Go placidly
Amid the noise and waste.
And remember what comfort there may be
In owning a piece thereof.


Avoid quiet and passive persons
Unless you are in need of sleep.


Ro-tate your tires.

Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself
And heed well their advice,
Even though they be turkeys.


Know what to kiss.....and when!

Consider that two wrongs never make a right
But that THREE.........do.


Wherever possible, put people on hold.


Be comforted that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment
And despite the changing fortunes of time,
There is always a big future in computer main-te-nance.


Chorus

You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not
The universe is laughing behind your back.


Remember the Pueblo.


Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle and mu-ti-late.


Know yourself.
If you need help, call the FBI.


Exercise caution in your daily affairs,
Especially with those persons closest to you.
That lemon on your left, for instance.


Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls
Would scarcely get your feet wet.


Fall not in love therefore;
It will stick to your face.


Gracefully surrender the things of youth:
The birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan
And let not the sands of time
Get in your lunch.


Hire people with hooks.


For a good time call 606-4311;
Ask for "Ken."


Take heart amid the deepening gloom
That your dog is finally getting enough cheese.


And reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot
It could only be worse in Milwaukee.


Chorus

You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not
The universe is laughing behind your back.


Therefore, make peace with your god
Whatever you conceive him to be---
Hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin.


With all its hopes, dreams, promises and urban renewal
The world continues to deteriorate.


GIVE UP!

Reprise

You are a fluke
Of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not
The universe is laughing behind your back.

Deteriorata

National Lampoon”

“Hey, *I* resisted posting the Deteriorata last night...

All for naught!       LOL



I think I'll go start an Irish Drinking Song thread ---- it    IS     about 'that time'.....”

“Tilt - what are you trying to say - that I have no restraint? It's been said...”

“That's hillarious! The things of youth are Tuna and Taiwan?!”

“You simply had less restaint than me... at that particular time, LOL


Who else remembers the Pueblo? (not the Mayaguez... I can hear you googling out there)

I used that line about the sand in your lunch in my email signature for about four years. It's a classic ---”