nice comments all… anyone know the poem ‘if’ by rudyard kipling… i kinda like it.
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘ Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
I think you’re right, Ros, we often use if to express our lack of confidence in aspects of ourselves, but I think we also sometimes use it to put off things we feel we should be doing but want to avoid. All too easy to do, but very hard to fight against, I find.
I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off.
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on.
I wish I was a sentimental ornamnet you hung on
The christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top,
I wish I was the evidence
I wish I was the grounds for fifty million hands up raised and opened toward the sky.
I wish I was a sailor with someone who waited for me.
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
I wish I was a messenger, and all the news is good.
I wish I was the full moon shining off your camaro’s hood.
I wish I was an alien, at home behind the sun,
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on.
I wish I was the pedal break that you depended on.
I wish I was the verb to trust, and never let you down.
I wish I was the radio song, the one that you turned up,
I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish,
I guess it never stops.
I really like the Kipling poem, too, along with a fair proportion of the British population – wasn’t it voted the nation’s favourite a few years back? I’d ike to pick out my favourite lines in it, but I would just end up repeating the poem.
if I could only work out what’s possible and what the next step should be…
…hey! I can!
..get it wrong sometimes, though…
Comment by Caroline Too — August 15, 2008 @ 9:51 am
AnneDroid (10): I’ve believed it for years, but I find I’m not very good at it a lot of the time! On the other hand, I’m infinitely better at being me than anyone else would be …
Great cartoon (as always) Jon… but can’t help thinking if you really did look like the third box you might have to change your name… things might get confusing otherwise… and you’d def. have to shave off the “soul patch”
’subo… give’im a break… he’s a romantic!’, if you say I have too, it’s tough though when you find “loving friends (and family) can hurt you,”, i guess thats why i find Isaiah 53 so mindblowing.
2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
I really like a lot of the poem but agree with Subo about that couplet, it always makes my stomach turn just when i’m getting all bombastic. Its not romantic, its wrong headed and dangerous to live like that couplet suggests. cf “I am a Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel.
Subo @29 yep.
“a bruised reed He will not break
a smouldering wick He will not put out”
If I had more time, I’d leave more meaningful comments.
Comment by Timbo — August 14, 2008 @ 10:50 am
hahaha!
Comment by jonbirch — August 14, 2008 @ 10:55 am
“But what I can, I give Him…”
Comment by Andrew S — August 14, 2008 @ 11:45 am
ok i am about to date myself, but if the first pane was red he would look like the machine off the old movie “the black hole.”
Comment by john Q — August 14, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
Do what you can with what you have.
Comment by sarah — August 14, 2008 @ 12:13 pm
Great Cartoon
If i exercised, i might be fitter, which might be a nice feeling.
If i budgeted, i might in time be able to experience the joy of giving money to things i care passionately about.
If i actually liked myself and acknowledged the good bits of my character/personality, maybe other people would find it easier to get on with me.
None of this comes for free, it has to be worked at.
If God is gracious to me and does not keep a record of my wrongs… Thank God that bit does come for free (free at the point of need, anyway).
I hope that people will be gracious with me too, God knows i need it.
Comment by Linus — August 14, 2008 @ 12:15 pm
If I had my time over, I would…or would I?
Comment by Carole — August 14, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
If i had something insightful to say, i would say it. But i don’t so i’ll keep my mouth shut. Damn it!!!!
Comment by andy amoss — August 14, 2008 @ 2:17 pm
oh the life of the ‘if’!
Comment by Mimou — August 14, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
If I was those things I wouldn’t be me. God wanted a me in the world and I’m the only one who can do the job of being me.
(I believe that with my head. Whether I believe it with my heart I’d rather not say….!)
Comment by AnneDroid — August 14, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
quite right annedroid… and nice to hear from you.
nice comments all… anyone know the poem ‘if’ by rudyard kipling… i kinda like it.
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘ Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
Comment by jonbirch — August 14, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
should add women to that too.
Comment by jonbirch — August 14, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Isn’t “If” just an excuse to be negative about ourselves?
Comment by Ros — August 14, 2008 @ 3:18 pm
I thought it was an excuse not to better ourselves…
Comment by Robb — August 14, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
“If … ” you can do all that, you’re Jesus!!
I think you’re right, Ros, we often use if to express our lack of confidence in aspects of ourselves, but I think we also sometimes use it to put off things we feel we should be doing but want to avoid. All too easy to do, but very hard to fight against, I find.
Comment by janetp — August 14, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
JohnQ – you’re about to date yourself?
Well that should solve most of those ‘if’s!
My hoodie is that way ->
Comment by robert — August 14, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
Pearl Jam comes to my mind…
I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could go off.
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on.
I wish I was a sentimental ornamnet you hung on
The christmas tree, I wish I was the star that went on top,
I wish I was the evidence
I wish I was the grounds for fifty million hands up raised and opened toward the sky.
I wish I was a sailor with someone who waited for me.
I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as me.
I wish I was a messenger, and all the news is good.
I wish I was the full moon shining off your camaro’s hood.
I wish I was an alien, at home behind the sun,
I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on.
I wish I was the pedal break that you depended on.
I wish I was the verb to trust, and never let you down.
I wish I was the radio song, the one that you turned up,
I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish,
I guess it never stops.
Comment by wayne — August 14, 2008 @ 9:05 pm
watch out lovie, your briefs are slipping
Comment by subo — August 14, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
“if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,” – get real, please
Comment by subo — August 14, 2008 @ 9:08 pm
I really like the Kipling poem, too, along with a fair proportion of the British population – wasn’t it voted the nation’s favourite a few years back? I’d ike to pick out my favourite lines in it, but I would just end up repeating the poem.
But I also really liked what AnneDroid said, too.
Comment by Carole — August 14, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
What if I didn’t sit around thinking what if . . .
Comment by Forrest — August 15, 2008 @ 4:25 am
if I could only work out what’s possible and what the next step should be…
…hey! I can!
..get it wrong sometimes, though…
Comment by Caroline Too — August 15, 2008 @ 9:51 am
AnneDroid (10): I’ve believed it for years, but I find I’m not very good at it a lot of the time! On the other hand, I’m infinitely better at being me than anyone else would be …
Comment by janetp — August 15, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
AnneDroid love your comment, so affirming.
For me at the moment if only i could have more fun!:)
Comment by soniamain — August 15, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
Great cartoon (as always) Jon… but can’t help thinking if you really did look like the third box you might have to change your name… things might get confusing otherwise… and you’d def. have to shave off the “soul patch”
See you at Greenbelt mate!
Comment by Mark Berry — August 15, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
subo… give’im a break… he’s a romantic!
Comment by jonbirch — August 16, 2008 @ 11:11 am
If….
it’s all rubbish isn’t it?
It isn’t.
And we usually don’t.
Comment by gilly — August 16, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
25. Actually depending on the culture, maybe one could leave the soul patch on.
Comment by becky — August 17, 2008 @ 4:37 am
’subo… give’im a break… he’s a romantic!’, if you say I have too, it’s tough though when you find “loving friends (and family) can hurt you,”, i guess thats why i find Isaiah 53 so mindblowing.
2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
Comment by subo — August 17, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
Problem is, if you looked like that girlie, you would NOT be popular!
Comment by Catherine — August 18, 2008 @ 10:33 am
I really like a lot of the poem but agree with Subo about that couplet, it always makes my stomach turn just when i’m getting all bombastic. Its not romantic, its wrong headed and dangerous to live like that couplet suggests. cf “I am a Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel.
Subo @29 yep.
“a bruised reed He will not break
a smouldering wick He will not put out”
Comment by Linus — August 18, 2008 @ 12:27 pm