The Road to Enlightenment
May you do good and not evil.
May you find forgiveness for yourself, and forgive others.
May you share freely, never taking more than you give.
- For my friend JD,
and the fine folks at SQLite -
So What is This About?
If you dont have the right tool for the job, stop and go get it. Things will always change, and acceptance is the hardest thing to learn. Yet dare to do mighty things; All while somehow remembering, that no amount of success can make you any less responsible for yourself.
At least thats what they tell me anyway. However, since this is a personal and recreational log, Im sure Ill egregiously violate each and every axiom (especially the first).
Participation
I met Jane Goodall in a bookstore.
She was signing books after yet another honorary degree. The line was long, and the hour was drawing late, but I waited. Ms Goodall actually had a handler, interestingly enough. One who stood over the seated Jane, while taking and opening books from those in line. As with any signing I suppose, there was no time for small talk. It was all open, sign, close and next. Then rinse and repeat until you run out of books or the store closes. So I waited, and waited, until the store had closed and I was the last in line.
When I got to the desk, the handler wasted no time in asking me "Wheres your book?"
"I dont have one," I replied. "I just wanted to say hello."
All coolness completely failing me at that point, this comment was immediately followed by a very pregnant pause; The kind usually reserved for the few moments before deciding a child is retarded. Then, suddenly realizing myself close to diagnosis, I uncouthly projected my arm for a handshake... "My names Robert."
Now the weirdest thing happened. I dont know whether it was from surprise, the exhaustion of signing and pretense, or years of unprovoking response to erratic chimp behavior... But the hand I received looked and felt totally submissive; A reach more than a handshake. Almost even with a downward glance. I may have heard a quiet "how do you do" as I bumbled out some pleasantries, but I couldnt be sure.
After bidding farewell, and walking out to the now closed Bookstore door, I heard a chair slide back over the poorly waxed floor. In turning back, I saw Jane stand up and look toward my exit. "Thank you..." she said, reaching in my direction once more.
I paused and smiled. It was a glimpse of the person behind the icon. And in that moment, the stories became all the more real. I guess thats why I had come. So with a short and silent wave, I pushed out into the darkness; Happy, content, and in the moment.
Benefits
In the battle of life, it is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better.
The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends oneself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
In the battle of life, it is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better.
The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends oneself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
Requirements
Clearly I am still under construction. But isnt it so much better than "Coming Soon!"
