Oh The Places You'll Go...

I was thumbing my way through a few memories today while contemplating a rather bizarre dream I'd had last night when I came across 'Oh the Places You'll Go...' By Dr. Seuss. This book has always been a favorite of mine. It seems to me, the more you read it, the more you realize just how much depth this simple book has.

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!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sites!

You'll join the high fliers; who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.

Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to says so but, sadly, it's true, that bang-ups, and hang-ups, can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a lurch.

You'll come down from the lurch with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a slump.

And when you're in a slump, you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place that could sprain both elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you should go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quaters?

Or maybe not quite?

Or go around and back and sneak from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long and wiggled roads at a break-necking pace, and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most usless place.

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go, or a bus to come, or a plane to go, or the mail to come, or the rain to go, or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow, or waiting around for a yes or a no, or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite, or waiting for wind to fly a kite, or waiting around for Friday night, or waiting, perhaps, for their uncle Jake, or a pot to boil, or a better break, or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants, or a wig with curls, or another chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places where boom bands are playing.

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.

Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.

All alone!

Whether you like it or not.

Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, theres a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul.

On you will go though your enemies prowl.

On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many a frightening creek, though you arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.

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 stray 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 you left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent garanteed!)

Kid, you'll move mountains!

So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Alenn O'Shea you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So... get on your way!

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Title: Street Signs

Taken: 2010

Models: Leesa, Miranda, and Emma Gustafson

Taken: 2007