DESIDERATA hangs in the bookshop. It is usually said to have been copied from an inscription "found in Old Saint Paul's Church, Baltimore; dated 1692." It was actually written by an Indiana poet named Max Ehrmann and registered with the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress early in 1927. Copyright was renewed after the author's death by his widow, and is still protected by the United States Copyright Law.

Source: DESIDERATA, Brooke House, Inc. 1972

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise & the haste,
& 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 & clearly; and listen to others, even the dull & ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud & aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may
become vain & bitter; for always there will be greater & 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 not this 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 & disenchantment it is as 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 sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees & 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 & 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 cheerful. Strive to be happy.

~ Max Ehrmann (1872 - 1945) American writer, poet & attorney.

View From Our Window
We are not quite ready to show the inside ~ not 'til we get a few more books on the shelves. However if you have ever sat at the Round Table, you will recognize that the view has vastly improved! The table is now positioned beside a window.








View From the Bookshop Window

Smile for Today:
Culture

"The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well."
~ Joe Ancis

"There is a difference between a philosophy and a bumper sticker."
~ Charles M. Schulz

"Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right."
~ Laurens van der Post

"The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant. . . His culture is based on 'I am not too sure.' "
~ H. L. Mencken

"Upper classes are a nation's past; the middle class is its future."
~ Ayn Rand

"No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem."
~ Booker T. Washington

Source: Treasure of Wit & Wisdom, Reader's Digest, 2006.

Thought for Today:
"Solitude can be delicious, comforting, enriching, healing, enlightening, and peaceful. It is so desired... many make plans for months ahead just to have a few days alone. It can be a precious gift, an act of compassion we give ourselves. Solitude can be the glue that holds us together in an otherwise hectic, non-stop, often chaotic world. It can be our life preserver when we feel we are sinking into an ocean of overwhelming responsibilities and volumes of things to do."
~Ruth Fishel, Precious Solitude, 1999, Adams Media Corp.

Photos: James N. Allen Park, Lake Erie, Haldimand

For larger image, please click 3X on photo.

Thought for Today:
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply be in the moment, without feeling that something is either right or wrong, without judgments or prejudices? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could simply accept whatever is going on in the moment and feel the peace that comes from such acceptance? Instead of beating ourselves up or praising ourselves by telling ourselves that something is good or bad, right or wrong, pleasant of unpleasant, we simply could say, 'Oh. This is what it is,' and continue to go on with what we are doing."
~ Ruth Fishel, Precious Solitude, 1999. Adams Media Corp.
Photo: Bank of the Grand River, Chiefswood

Thought for Today ~

"There are moments in your life when you must act, even though you cannot carry your best friends with you. The "Still small voice" within you must always be the final arbiter when there is a conflict of duty."

~ Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) Ideological leader of India.
Treasury of Wit & Wisdom, Reader's Digest 2006.