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| In Honor of George Bush |
| 2005-09-13 |
| If If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son! Rudyard Kipling |
| Posted by:RG |
| #11 Mike, is southern NH anywhere near where you are ? |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2005-09-13 16:18 |
| #10 I expect Mike is up to this task. (with one hand tied behind his back). |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-09-13 16:09 |
| #9 3rd that, Mike. Just let us know. Short term, how about something like Rent a Wreck? Cheap and very ugly, but they go. And make the lad pay, even if he has to get a job. He's trying to take advantage of your pending legal situation -- typical kid behaviour, but not ok at a time like this. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-09-13 13:26 |
| #8 Second that Mike, where do you live. I might be able to help if you're anywhere near Mobile Alabama |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2005-09-13 13:26 |
| #7 No problem Mike. Sounds like the son is almost of age of being a man. Let him shoulder some of the car situation. Great time for him to learn about stuff like that too. You'd be amazed at how teenage boys can take a wreck and turn it into a half way decent ride. Keep me posted and let me know if I can help! If you or your son decide to start a little side business I can help you guys put together a web site. Anything I can do, just holler! :-) |
| Posted by: RG 2005-09-13 12:50 |
| #6 How may we help Mike? |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-09-13 10:08 |
| #5 Mike, Where do you live? |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-09-13 09:40 |
| #4 Mike, we certainly hope that you can work your way through these problems and get back on your feet quickly. I really liked both the poem and the quote. I wonder how Teddy's speech was received at the Sorbonne? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-09-13 09:31 |
| #3 Second quote of kipling's IF today. My mother (god bless her soul) recited it to me as a young child many times. It was good advice. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-09-13 09:31 |
| #2 RG- Interesting you should post that poem this morning. Last night my son wrecked my car. He walked away without even a scratch, but the car is in serious trouble. Without it, I have maybe about 72 hrs before I'll lose my job, which relies on me to have a working car. My son's attitude is "Gee, that's bad - but how am I going to drive to my party this weekend?" I only had liability on the car, so getting it repaired may not be an option. My ex-wife-to-be has made it very clear that she has no intention of cutting me any slack so I can dig out of this mess. The point to all this is that I was sitting here feeling thoroughly sorry for myself...and then you posted 'If'. I know it was for the President - and for all his power and prestige, he will make decisions that he will have to take to his grave, decisions that make my mess look like a walk in the park. I needed to read that this morning...more than you're ever going to know. I owe you one. I know this is a bit of bandwidth, but I hope the Esteemed Moderators will forgive. I wouldn't have felt right not saying thank you. Now I need to get to work and fix things. Thanks- Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-09-13 08:58 |
| #1 "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt "Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910 |
| Posted by: Phereque Omineger4095 2005-09-13 08:48 |