Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers
(Thank you Bruce)
************************
Truly one of the great dangers of life is complacency.
"Well, now I've got everything just the way I want it. Now I can relax." Oh, yeah? What's that rumbling in the distance?
"I fixed those drain pipes last year, there won't be any more water on the back porch." (Rumble, rumble)
"I can handle these mortgage payments with my new job. No problem." (Rumble)
"My college education is all paid for." "I get all the news in the morning over breakfast. That's all I need." "My daughter's new boy friend is a great guy. I trust him." "Why bother with snow tires on the car. They say it's going to be a mild winter." "I've got a great health insurance plan if anything should happen." "My brother is a stock broker. He handles all my investments." "The case will never go to court." "Now that I'm retired I'm going to take it easy." (Rumble, rumble, rumble.) There's a locomotive heading down the track and you are right in the way.
Life is unfinished business. There is always something to do. The joy of life is to see what has to be done, do it and then say "what's next?" Take it from me, retirement is not the bucket of fluff some people think it is. The challenges don't end. The tears don't stop. The laughter goes on. And the joy of living lasts, as long as we don't sit calmly in our complacent rocking chair and wait for the end.
"Hey, you, on the right track. Get moving!"
DB - The Vagabond
************************
AUTUMN QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?
Only 8 responses so far.
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
************************
Showing posts with label Will Rogers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Will Rogers. Show all posts
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Jump For Joy
Get all the good laughs you can.
Will Rogers
***************
I have a hard time understanding some people's attitudes and forms of behavior. It seems to me a lot of people spend too much time telling other people how to think and what to do. A few days ago I wrote about the dangers of underestimating people and how it can lead to a patronizing and condescending attitude.
One Thanksgiving Day a few years ago my stove and oven weren't working. So I bought some canned food to have for my dinner. Then my can opener broke. What did I do? I laughed. It wasn't a sarcastic, poor-pitiful-me laugh, but a genuine laugh. If it hadn't been Thanksgiving Day it wouldn't have been quite so silly. I ate a peanut butter sandwich and a banana and go on with life.
Yesterday I had some fun talking about the gremlins in our computers waiting to jump out when we approach there hiding places. In spite of how aggravating they can be there is also a humorous side to them if you look for it.
I have been called by some a dark and sinister man. I was never able to understand that considering the joy and laughter I get out of life in spite of being an old coot, with a meager income, debts and decrepitude. Finally I realized that those who were calling me dark were in their own darkness, standing with their backs to the light casting their own shadows on to me.
Years ago I learned that there is a light source in even the most dire tragedy. It may not produce gales of guffaws but it is fuel for healing. But it can't be seen unless there lives inside of us the propensity for joy. As an actor I loved doing comedy because I liked to hear people laugh. I would try to get as many "good" laughs as I could
We may laugh at the antics of kittens, puppies, apes and monkeys, but nothing is funnier than the human being. Us. Me. You. "'Tis the season to be jolly" says the carol. When is it not? "Make a joyful noise." I complain bitterly about certain things. Who doesn't? But I can also laugh at them. I enjoy life. And the Email Lions and Blogspot Tigers better get used to the idea.
Joy, joy moves the wheels
In the universal time machine.
Flowers it calls forth from their buds,
Suns from the Firmament,
Spheres it moves far out in Space,
Where our telescopes cannot reach.
(Friedrich Schiller)
----------------------------
The Vagabond
**********************
SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
In your opinion what is the most amazing thing that could happen during this decade? Make it as outrageous as you want but keep it within the realm of what you consider a possibility.
15 responses so far.
Answers will be published the first day of Summer.
Thank you.
dbdacoba@aol.com
DB - The Vagabond
*******************
Will Rogers
***************
I have a hard time understanding some people's attitudes and forms of behavior. It seems to me a lot of people spend too much time telling other people how to think and what to do. A few days ago I wrote about the dangers of underestimating people and how it can lead to a patronizing and condescending attitude.
One Thanksgiving Day a few years ago my stove and oven weren't working. So I bought some canned food to have for my dinner. Then my can opener broke. What did I do? I laughed. It wasn't a sarcastic, poor-pitiful-me laugh, but a genuine laugh. If it hadn't been Thanksgiving Day it wouldn't have been quite so silly. I ate a peanut butter sandwich and a banana and go on with life.
Yesterday I had some fun talking about the gremlins in our computers waiting to jump out when we approach there hiding places. In spite of how aggravating they can be there is also a humorous side to them if you look for it.
I have been called by some a dark and sinister man. I was never able to understand that considering the joy and laughter I get out of life in spite of being an old coot, with a meager income, debts and decrepitude. Finally I realized that those who were calling me dark were in their own darkness, standing with their backs to the light casting their own shadows on to me.
Years ago I learned that there is a light source in even the most dire tragedy. It may not produce gales of guffaws but it is fuel for healing. But it can't be seen unless there lives inside of us the propensity for joy. As an actor I loved doing comedy because I liked to hear people laugh. I would try to get as many "good" laughs as I could
We may laugh at the antics of kittens, puppies, apes and monkeys, but nothing is funnier than the human being. Us. Me. You. "'Tis the season to be jolly" says the carol. When is it not? "Make a joyful noise." I complain bitterly about certain things. Who doesn't? But I can also laugh at them. I enjoy life. And the Email Lions and Blogspot Tigers better get used to the idea.
Joy, joy moves the wheels
In the universal time machine.
Flowers it calls forth from their buds,
Suns from the Firmament,
Spheres it moves far out in Space,
Where our telescopes cannot reach.
(Friedrich Schiller)
----------------------------
The Vagabond
**********************
SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
In your opinion what is the most amazing thing that could happen during this decade? Make it as outrageous as you want but keep it within the realm of what you consider a possibility.
15 responses so far.
Answers will be published the first day of Summer.
Thank you.
dbdacoba@aol.com
DB - The Vagabond
*******************
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ribald Reductions 2/25/09
Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.
Will Rogers
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hi. Bring your smile and come along.
_____________________________
If I sold my parrot to the town gossip he and the bird would probably just sit around in stitches over the last 7 decades of my foolishness. I have finally come to the point where I can either laugh at the silly things I did that I thought were so serious and important at the time or else I can forget about them. I have also realized that you can't really draw wisdom from your nonsense and put it in its proper perspective until you can laugh at it. I have another quote, this one from Rochfoucauld, which says "He who lives without folly isn't as wise as he thinks,"
One definition of a farce is "A passion carried to a ridiculous extreme." Think of that. When a passion bites the brain and twists the heart we stand a good chance of becoming a farce, something to laugh at and laugh about in later years.
The truth of the matter is that we can't help it. If you live a busy, vigorous, expanding life your are going to do something stupid every now and then. It's inevitable. So you stepped in the doggie poop on the sidewalk did you? Well, join the club. What do you mean you forgot to record that last check you wrote and now you can't remember how much it was far? Why did you do such a thing? One night I went out on to the stage to play a romantic scene after a change of costume and forgot to zip up my fly. It added a whole new dimension to the scene, one which was not appropriate. I couldn't understand why the audience was laughing at me. I know a writer who was covering the US Senate for a major newspaper. One day he incorrectly reported all the votes. You can imagine the phone calls he got. He managed to keep his job. But how do we live these things down?
You live a practical, sure and well organized life, you have the respect of your family, neighbors and coworkers, you are known far and wide as a reasonable, reliable and dependable person. But one day, for some reason you will never know, you decide to go out and do something extremely wild. Your reputation is temporarily shot to hell and your self respect has plummeted to the basement. You look at yourself in the mirror (or maybe you don't) and wonder how you could have been so stupid as to do such a thing. What happened is that you have been very careful and worked very hard not to permit yourself any hint of ridiculous behavior and it all backed up on you until one day it came out like a volcano erupting. Believe me I know what I'm talking about. If you don't make room for the harmless wild and crazy you can be sure you will cause yourself a lot of trouble.
Moral: Do something foolish every now and then, but don't sell your parrot.
DB - The Vagabond
------------------------------------
Are you still smiling? Good.
Comment from my friend Bob of the email lions
I hope I live my life in such a way that the parrot would have plenty to say, and I wouldn't mind the gossip knowing about it. In other words, that I had plenty to be embarrassed about, and I'm not the least bit embarrassed about it. Haven't gotten to that point, of course, but it's something to shoot for. Bob
Will Rogers
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Hi. Bring your smile and come along.
_____________________________
If I sold my parrot to the town gossip he and the bird would probably just sit around in stitches over the last 7 decades of my foolishness. I have finally come to the point where I can either laugh at the silly things I did that I thought were so serious and important at the time or else I can forget about them. I have also realized that you can't really draw wisdom from your nonsense and put it in its proper perspective until you can laugh at it. I have another quote, this one from Rochfoucauld, which says "He who lives without folly isn't as wise as he thinks,"
One definition of a farce is "A passion carried to a ridiculous extreme." Think of that. When a passion bites the brain and twists the heart we stand a good chance of becoming a farce, something to laugh at and laugh about in later years.
The truth of the matter is that we can't help it. If you live a busy, vigorous, expanding life your are going to do something stupid every now and then. It's inevitable. So you stepped in the doggie poop on the sidewalk did you? Well, join the club. What do you mean you forgot to record that last check you wrote and now you can't remember how much it was far? Why did you do such a thing? One night I went out on to the stage to play a romantic scene after a change of costume and forgot to zip up my fly. It added a whole new dimension to the scene, one which was not appropriate. I couldn't understand why the audience was laughing at me. I know a writer who was covering the US Senate for a major newspaper. One day he incorrectly reported all the votes. You can imagine the phone calls he got. He managed to keep his job. But how do we live these things down?
You live a practical, sure and well organized life, you have the respect of your family, neighbors and coworkers, you are known far and wide as a reasonable, reliable and dependable person. But one day, for some reason you will never know, you decide to go out and do something extremely wild. Your reputation is temporarily shot to hell and your self respect has plummeted to the basement. You look at yourself in the mirror (or maybe you don't) and wonder how you could have been so stupid as to do such a thing. What happened is that you have been very careful and worked very hard not to permit yourself any hint of ridiculous behavior and it all backed up on you until one day it came out like a volcano erupting. Believe me I know what I'm talking about. If you don't make room for the harmless wild and crazy you can be sure you will cause yourself a lot of trouble.
Moral: Do something foolish every now and then, but don't sell your parrot.
DB - The Vagabond
------------------------------------
Are you still smiling? Good.
Comment from my friend Bob of the email lions
I hope I live my life in such a way that the parrot would have plenty to say, and I wouldn't mind the gossip knowing about it. In other words, that I had plenty to be embarrassed about, and I'm not the least bit embarrassed about it. Haven't gotten to that point, of course, but it's something to shoot for. Bob
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