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"Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke."

image034.jpegYou know, I will probably offend some of my blog readers with this quote, but I'd be lying to you if I didn't include this quote in the mix. I've been debating whether to add it or not since I started this series and several times it's come up randomly and I just decided to pass over it and go to the next one, but tomorrow I will be done with the series, so today seems like a good day.

Fact is, I'm a people pleaser and I'm not rude or obscene by nature. I want people to like me and I recognize there is great danger in that. Sometimes to do your job you have to be honest to yourself, your mission, and if people want to pick nits about it or bring you down, you have to let it go. You can't please everyone all the time.

There are fault finders out there who want to be critical of everything, even those with the best of intentions.

And, likewise, I have to be ready to step back and laugh and not take everything so personally. It's not all about me, after all.

And that allows me to sneak in another quote:

I'm trying to tell you something about my life
maybe give me insight between black and white
and the best thing you've ever done for me
is to help me take my life less seriously
it's only life after all
yeah
Emily Saliers, Indigo Girls, Closer to Fine

40 for 40, #40

Comments

Hey, Lawrence!

You know, there was a time in my life when I swore like a sailor. And, honestly, there is something about THAT word that is just very satisfying. Once I went back to church, however, I quit (and was really surprised at how easy it was). Now it might slip out once a year, depending on how stupid family members are being! The only word left to me is "crap," which I don't think is a bad one...apparently some people do, but hey...well, you have that quote ;)
And this entry makes me feel less guilty about one of my own favorite quotes, by Philip Larkin. You know,
"They *&^% you up, your mum and dad/they may not mean to, but they do/they fill you with the faults they had,/and add some extra, just for you."

It's good-natured, but true (at least on Brett's side of the family!)
Gonna miss the quotes,

Leah

Thanks, Leah, for all the great input along the way. I'm going to have to dream up another series. It was a good discipline to have to put something up on my blog once a day, even when I didn't feel like it. But right now I need to work on my Easter sermon, 'cause it ain't gonna write itself.

Great series, Lars. I enjoyed every single one of the posts. Very thoughtful. I hope you enjoyed doing it.

I love that Indigo Girls lyric, of course. Anna made me a quilt and hand-wrote a square that's sewed in the middle with that lyric. Which I'm going to climb under now and sleep.

Thanks for writing all 40. And happy 41st year.

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