RoR: Forum

I've printed it off, and stuck it on the fridge.

Thanks for that Joe, you made my day.

Post 1

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 5:31am

Yes.

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 8:46am

Thank YOU. :)

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 8:51am

Glad you can still look at the sky.

Post 4

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 10:06am

Thank you, Joe. A gem.

Post 5

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 10:34am

The song IS in the first person, but not necessarily autobiographical (Though I do hope it applies to many of us!, but it was originally something I wrote about my grandmother. She's had an eventful life, to say the least, with 6 kids and 6 stepkids, taking care of grandkids, and still found time to be amazing. I guess that many kids forces you to be resourceful!

The line "I have sank, but learned to swim" actually refers to a cruise she took. She saved for a long time, and finally got to take her cruise, only to have the ship catch fire! Not the Titanic, but still...and she lived through it, and we laugh about it now...that's just the kind of woman she is. I find a lot of inspiration in her.
(Edited by Joe Maurone
on 5/15, 10:36am)

Post 6

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 10:42am

Joe,
I like this poem very much too. It reminds me of something that I've wanted to put on my gravestone:"She blundered. But sky didn't fall." We'll see about that. Like your grandmother's story too.

Post 7

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 11:44am

"She blundered. But sky didn't fall."
I like that, Hong, in itself. But not as an epitaph for you. I don't KNOW you, but my impression of you is someone who has or will do more than blunder. :)
(Edited by Joe Maurone
on 5/15, 11:51am)

Post 8

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 8:32pm

Ha, Joe, maybe it is the title of this poem that reminded me of my epitaph. ;-)

I like you poem because of its sense of struggle, of "not give in", of "lessons learned", and of coming out in the end and still be able to "look up to the sky". Sorry I might have been drifted away from your poem in my last post. I used to be very afraid of making mistakes, or "blunders", and only now started to learn how to deal with them and try to look at them objectively. The spirit, the kind of self-esteem and dignity expressed in your poem would help a lot.

Post 9

Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 9:53pm

Ah, Hong, no need to apologize, nothing wrong with a little free association. And I see where you're coming from, it's not unrelated. It just doesn't fit my perception of you, and to focus on the fact that you blunder seems to point away from what you achieve.

There's a passage in Nathaniel Branden's book SIX PILLARS OF SELF ESTEEM that I think you might like:

"Everyone who has any familiarity with psychology knows about the danger of disowning the murderer within. Far fewer people understand the tragedy of disowning the hero within...it is often easy enough to see the part of the individual that is neurotic. The challenge is to see-and mobilize-the part that is healthy."

Shine On!
(Edited by Joe Maurone
on 5/15, 9:54pm)

Post 10

Monday, May 16, 2005 - 6:58pm

Joe, you have a wonderful heart and an honest, direct style of expressing yourself. And you love your Grandmother. You are okay in my book.

As to my epitaph, I have always favored
"I told you I was sick!"

My autobiography? So far, I am leaning towards "Oops!"

Post 11

Monday, May 16, 2005 - 6:59pm

By the way, Joe, that is a great Branden quote. I think that is his best book, too.

Post 12

Monday, May 16, 2005 - 7:09pm

Thank you thank you thank you Joe. Powerful. Beautiful. Direct. Clean. I dont know what else to say except, well done!

Post 13

Monday, September 5, 2005 - 7:30am

Neat!

Monday, September 5, 2005 - 8:28am

Dear Giuseppe Maurone, beautiful !
One little correction though if you accept it of course.

The test was hard,
but I have passed.

Dear Joe remember though, tests in life never end.

Post 15

Monday, September 5, 2005 - 1:26pm

Thank you, Neha and Ciro. (BTW, I haven't been called Guiseppe in a LONG time, by my grandfather. The full version is Guiseppe Carlo Antonio Maurone. Couple more names and I could've run a copper mine!)

Yes, Ciro, technically you are right about the tests not ending. The line is a bit forward thinking, anticipating the day that I can say that. If art is what might be, or a recreation of reality, that's what I hope to say someday.
(Edited by Joe Maurone
on 9/05, 1:28pm)

Post 16

Wednesday, December 21, 2011 - 5:02am

You have a very sharp mind Joe, very well done!

Pssst...you have it in you to be able to run a copper mine.

Post 17

Thursday, December 22, 2011 - 9:49pm