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| Desiderata - |
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Pooky
 Posted:
Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:52 pm |
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Desiderata
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 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 face of 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 & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
1927 by Max Ehrmann
Footnote: Almost every copy of Desiderata carries the claim that the original was found in Old Saint Paul's Church in Baltimore in 1692. It's comforting to believe that some truths are universal, that the beauty of the human spirit is unchanging, ever present, and inviolate. A poem rife with applicability in today's world being found in a church so many centuries ago supports those comforting beliefs. That it's an unsigned piece makes it all the more beautiful: one sees these inspirational words as the anonymous writer's gift to the world. His humility kept him from signing it . . . and maybe there's another lesson for us in that.
As pureheartedly meaningful as its words are, Desiderata's history doesn't quite match up with the fable built around it. The poem wasn't penned by one of our nameless ancestors many centuries ago; it was written in 1927 by Max Ehrmann.
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Got A One Way Ticket
Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 4498
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| pax
Posted:
Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:06 pm |
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Thanks Pooky.
That is really beautiful.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 16336
Location: Wish You Were Here
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| cassidy
Posted:
Sat Sep 02, 2006 7:28 am |
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| pax wrote: | Thanks Pooky.
That is really beautiful. |
One of my favorites! It's quoted in my sig line.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2006
Posts: 435
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| KLeigh
Posted:
Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:42 am |
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Thanks for that Pooky! It’s something to reflect on often!
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
Posts: 669
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| pax
Posted:
Sat Sep 02, 2006 12:09 pm |
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That poem became popular in the 1970's, after the turmoil of the late 1960's. It was turned into a song that sounded kind of cheesy. National Lampoon did a hilarious parody of it, which really made me laugh.
It reminds me of how, after rock music got increasingly psychedelic, Bob Dylan did a simple folk record called John Wesley Harding. And, the Band connected with a lot of people by singing of valuable things such as hard work, integrity, loyalty, and family.
It's all really interesting. I've seen a few others mention that spoof, which was called Deteriorata.
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Joined: 23 Mar 2006
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Location: Wish You Were Here
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