Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Be "Brainy and Footsy" – Kid, You'll Move Mountains!

In 26 years, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! has sold more than 12.5 million copies in all formats, with sales increasing over the past four years. It is the last book Theodor Seuss Geisel ("Dr. Seuss") published before he died in 1991 and it's Seuss’ best-selling book of all time. The book was published in 1990, the year I became a 5th grade teacher. Much of the book resonates with me and the ultra-running journeys I've been on across states and countries have often had me thinking about the words of that book. Here are some passages that I truly appreciate:
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
There have certainly been times in my life when I've chosen not to go down a certain road, and other times when the wide open spaces have called me. OH! THE PLACES I'VE GONE! My feet have carried me to the heart of Alaska, the top of the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains, into the openness of the Great Plains, through huge cities, to the front doors of the White House, and literally from ocean to ocean. It's true... you can steer yourself any direction you choose.

Dr. Seuss also writes this in the book:
On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
Life is indeed a "great balancing act" and I've certainly had moments of getting mixed up -- as we all do from time to time. The last line of Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go! is "Kid, You'll Move Mountains!" That line reminds me of Mark 11:23 in the Bible, which talks about having faith large enough to move mountains. I've not always had faith that big, and have occasionally failed at being "dexterous and deft." However, I am living this journey of life the best that I can and not just sitting on the sidelines letting it pass me by. There's more life to live and more places to go!

By the way, there is much more to Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go! than I have included here. Read the book, and then being "brainy and footsy" continue on this great balancing act called LIFE.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso
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