Infinitely Care

The critical factor whenever people work together, is that they expect something of each other.  It’s not just that the coach expects a lot of the players — it’s the fact that the players expect a lot of each other.  We establish a standard of performance here where each man is an extension of his teammates.  We prepare for every contingency and through all of this there is a single thrust — sacrifice for your team because you infinitely care.  You are truly a Forty Niner when you aid and assist each other, when you believe in each other.
—    Bill Walsh
Former 49er Head Coach
As quoted in:  “The Genius“, by David Harris
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Well Written

Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming.  This is a fault.

Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated.  For these there is hope.

They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty.

There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.

Books are well written, or badly written.  That is all.

―    Oscar Wilde

From:  “The Picture of Dorian Gray“

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Conversation

“You’re not like the rest of them,” she said.
“Yes, I know,” was his reply.
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t know.  I’m not sure.  What makes you feel I’m different?”
She paused, “You don’t act the same as the rest.”
“How don’t I?” he asked.
“You don’t hurt things on purpose, like they do,” she replied.
“Yes I do.”
“But not the same way,” she answered.
“What difference the method – the end is the same,” he stated flatly.
“But you care more.”
“About what?”
“About everything!  You smile, you see, you try to help, you care when I’m lonely or depressed.”
He smiled her, “And no one else does?”
“Not like you!” she answered.  “When you look at me, something happens.  It feels like you’re looking into me, not at me.  Do you know what I mean?”
“I’m not sure,” he answered.
“It’s your eyes,” she said, “they’re funny.”
“What do you mean they’re funny?!!”  he interjected.
“I don’t mean funny – humorous,” she said trying to soothe him, “or funny – stupid; I mean funny – weird.”
“Weird!” he replied straightening his back.
“Wait a minute will you?!” she pleaded.  “I mean unusual, not weird.”
“Okay,” he replied, calmed slightly, but still on the defensive.
“I mean when I look at you I sometimes wonder what you’re thinking about me or about whatever we’re doing – “
“So, everyone does that,” he interrupted.
“Will you keep quiet?!” she demanded.
“Okay,” he answered.
“Shhh!!  Now I forgot – oh, yeah – and then you look at me, right in the eyes, and I get this shuddering feeling – “
“Why?” he asked.
“Shhushh!!!   I’m explaining – I get this slight shuddering feeling inside ’cause I have this feeling when you look into my eyes that you can see what I’m thinking and really feeling…”
“About what?” he asked.
“About noth — whatever we’re doing.”
“Oh,” he replied.
[I think those of us who love words and ideas all harbor the secret (or not so secret) ambition to write the Great American (or whatever) Novel.  As much as I like adventure movies, the novels I’ve enjoyed have always had great conversations between people who came to feel real.  Naturally, my first (and so far only) attempt had to be a conversation (the above).  Written many years ago, “Oh,” seemed like a good place to stop.  I did – and never got back to a preface or an ending…    —    KMAB]
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Location, Location, Location

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead.  Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow.  Just walk beside me and be my friend.
—  Albert Camus
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Cornered Or Surrounded?

Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounding yourself with assholes.
—  William Gibson
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Corrections

Over the last few years, I’ve posted the lyrics to dozens of songs I’ve really enjoyed while growing up (and, er…, older).  I saw a few lines from one of these songs and I was intending to comment on the blog  posting, but I thought I’d just check my own site before I did this.
Lo and behold, I found a number of the songs I’d posted over the last few years were not showing up on my Poems page.  Anyway, I’ve corrected the page and here are the song titles:
A Boy Named Sue
Crying In The Rain
Dance With My Father Again
I Like Dreamin’
I Believe
I’m In A Hurry
Since there are so many, I won’t bother explaining why each one meant so much to me.  You’ll just have to go explore them on your own.  And, no, I have no idea why they went missing from my Poems page.  …Probably user error…
As always, check out the lyrics and then go listen to them on your favorite music site.
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See Greatness

Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see the greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself.
—    Edmund Lee
[And maybe we should ALL try looking a little harder…    —    KMAB]
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Dear Diary

How men and women record things in their diaries……
Wife’s Diary:
Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird.  We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner.   I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset at the fact that I was a bit late, but he made no comment on it.  Conversation wasn’t flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk.  He agreed, but he didn’t say much.
I asked him what was wrong; He said, ‘Nothing..’  I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset.   He said he wasn’t upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry about it.  On the way home, I told him that I loved him.  He smiled slightly, and kept driving.  I can’t explain his behavior.  I don’t know why he didn’t say, ‘I love you, too.’
When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.  He just sat there quietly, and watched TV.  He continued to seem distant and absent.  Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed.  About 15 minutes later, he came to bed.  But I still felt that he was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else.  He fell asleep; I cried.  I don’t know what to do.  I’m almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else.  My life is a disaster.
Husband’s Diary:
A two-foot putt……….who the hell misses a two-foot putt ?
[Ta again to Liverpool Dave for emailing this to me.    —    KMAB]
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A Fist Full Of Confusion

No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.
—    George Jean Nathan
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Pillars Of Learning

Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning.
—    Benjamin Disraeli
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Credible?

To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; credible we must be truthful.
—    Edward R. Murrow
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Three Hard Tasks

The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, “I was wrong”.
—    Sydney J. Harris
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Obviously Longer

The obscure we see eventually.  The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.
—     Edward R. Murrow
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Making You Stronger

…there’s an old saying: that which does not kill you makes you stronger.  i don’t believe that.  i think the things that try to kill you make you angry and sad.  strength comes from the good things: your family, your friends, the satisfaction of hard work. those are the things that keep you whole, those are the things to hold on to when you’re broken.
—    Jax Teller
A character on the TV show:  “Sons of Anarchy“
[I found this quote on a blog I follow: Lead.Learn.Live maintained by David Kanigan.  The actual posting was: http://davidkanigan.com/2012/11/05/no-pain-no-gain/  Dave’s site contains a variety of interesting an motivational postings.  Check it out.    —    KMAB]
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The Lucky Few

Love is an emotion experienced by the many and enjoyed by the few.
—    George Jean Nathan
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