Live And Let Live

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man. -

Let me live in a house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man. -

I see from my house by the side of the road,
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
But still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice.
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone. -

Let me live in my house by the side of the road-
It's here the race of men go by.
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish- so am I;
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

"The House by the Side of the Road"

By Sam Walter Foss
Librarian and Poet

1858-1911

Bitter or Better..A Re Post

I know I said that I didn't have the heart to continue with this blog, and in a way, I don't, but because of something that happened, recently, I thought that it would be a good time to re-post this. If for no other reason than to remind myself of my own philosophy of how I want to react to the negative things that happen in my life.

Reading this, again, reminds me that not all people are going to act as I expect them to...that people are not always the kind of persons that I believed them to be, nor as trustworthy as I would expect them to be. They will not always like me as I thought they did...but even so, I know that the opinions of others do not change the reality of the truth of myself. That truth being that I am a loving, understanding, forgiving individual, and my prayer is always that I never hold on to bitterness, resentment, nor unforgiveness...toward anyone, about anything.

My prayer for them is that they would come to know the peace that passes all understanding in their own hearts.

Bitter or Better

I've been writing quite a lot about some experiences in my life. Some of them have been funny. Some happy, and some downright tragic.

I think all of us have that in common. Life is not always "just a bowl of cherries" as the old song goes, so we've all had our share of good and bad, and have had the tragedy, too.

Some of us allow what's happened in the past to color every aspect of our lives. Some, more than others, because we are all different in our emotional makeup, and much of it is a result of our particular background, or upbringing.

I went to a therapist once, and he was amazed at the fact that I wasn't mad about anything. "Why aren't you mad?" he kept asking. "You should be mad. You have every right to be mad!"

But I wasn't. I'm not. I don't know why. Maybe, it is just because I am a forgiving person. Maybe, it is because I understand that people, for the most part, do the best they can. It may not always be the best, just the best that they can do. How they live their lives, and how they treat us, is a direct result of their own upbringing. It is a cycle that is sometimes broken, but sometimes it isn't.

Maybe, it is because I understand that we can't change our past. We can't change the fact that people don't always love us, or think well of us. Maybe, it is because, in spite of everything that happened to me in my past, I decided to become better, rather than bitter.

Much of what we feel, on a daily basis, is a direct result of how we react to the way others treat us. I read somewhere that life is ten percent of what happens to us, and ninety per cent, how we react to it. I have to admit, though, that sometimes my "reactor" just doesn't want to cooperate with me...so maybe I am angrier than I realize!

I'd hate to think that this is so.

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. ~Ecclesiastes 7:9~

So Long For Now...

I don't quite know how to say this, so I will just say that, after much thought, I have decided to quit blogging. There are many reasons, and perhaps you aren't even interested in them, but I will try to explain, a little.

When I started this blog, nearly three years ago, I'm not sure that I had any particular kind of blog in mind. I began by writing a few little stories from my own life. Some of them were humorous, and some were of a more serious nature. Readers seemed to enjoy them. I liked sharing them. Others were written about people I have known, and relatives, and loved ones that I have lost, and even a pet, or two. I, also, wrote about particular social issues, or stories of interest, happening locally, or elsewhere.

Right after I started my blog, though, the political climate began to change in this country. I began to pay closer attention than I had ever done, before. Some things were happening that I felt needed to be brought to the attention of others, and I began to write about them...not in any erudite way, because I'm certainly no political scientist, but I wrote what I was observing, sometimes, even with a little twist of humor. After awhile, I couldn't find any humor in any of it. It had become frightening, and overwhelming, to the point that I didn't want to think about it, much less to write about it. So, I stopped writing about it.

I began to re-post several of my older pieces, and every now and then, I make an attempt at writing something, but it seems that my heart just isn't in it, anymore.

Unlike many who say that they blog only for themselves, I don't think that I do, and I feel that if you are taking the time to come to my blog, that you should find something worth your time. I appreciate, so much, everyone who has taken the time, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Perhaps, I will feel differently about things later on, but I don't know if I will. I will leave my blog up for awhile, so that if there is anything of interest in my archives that you would like to read, you may. Later, I plan to delete it.

Peace...from my house, to yours.
Jan