Thursday, October 22, 2009

Revelation #5--English Lit Is Underrated



"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


Words to live by.

I probably heard them the first time thirty five years ago. Did I listen? No. Am I now? Yes. Do I wish I had then?

[See above.]

Be kind to yourself~ Barbara

[Edit: PS.- I should have said, American Lit, since Emerson was one of the great American writer/philosophers of the 19th century. But he (along with Thoreau, and Whitman) was so...so existential, I just lumped him in there with the cool British ones. For fun.You're buying that, right? Good. I can just hear my comp. 101 Lit. teacher tearing at his Norton's Anthology now...]

6 comments:

stregata said...

Words to live by. Thanks for sharing.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Ah Barbara: That is exactly what I needed to hear. I awoke a couple of times during the night concerned about the way I had delivered a message that needed to be delivered. Yes, Walt, absurdities do creep in and I should not encumber my today with thoughts of my unskillfulness yesterday. "Words to live by."

How are you doing? Are you adapting to your new schedule? Hope you are in a nice work environment. Thinking of you and loving when you post.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Emerson's writings are nowhere near as well known today as they deserve to be. Thanks for the wonderful quotation and thoughts on life!

Sarah Sullivan said...

Yes yes yes dear Sister..being present!! I work for that every day..thank you for the timely reminder this morning. I have spent too much time this week knashing my teeth at things I cannot change(thnks for listening yesterday).Wonderful post.I love the quote!!
Have a wonderful time with Challee and Ryan..am thinking of you!
Love, Sarah

Snap said...

Such a hard lesson to learn and every now and then, I have to give myself a kick when I drift to take a look back. Onward!

Alicia @ boylerpf said...

How is it that I have never read that Emerson quote? It is so true and definitely words to live by.