I stumbled across a little poem of sorts on inner strength that I think is worth sharing, worth reading and, possibly, worth discussing.. First, read it.
Inner Strength
If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,
If you can overlook when people take things out on you when,
through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can do all these things,
Then you are probably the family dog.
So ok, first impression, it’s funny. Second impression, what a nice excuse to never evolve. It’s like the “good” old saying “I’m only human” whenever something isn’t easy.
Third thought, what a nice advertisement for the pharmaceutical industry (and a few others) to include things like “pep pills”, sleeping pills or medical help for tension (!!) into such a list. Argh…. So, it can either be taken as humor only, and in that case not very funny, or simply as pathetic. You choose! Or, feel free to present an alternative.
what feelings did you have reading this poem first time? I thought ‘yes, this is a kind of inner strenght’ and was waiting for a final moral sermon at the end. Instead there was this funny and first of all ironic sentence. So I didn’t see this text as a excuse being human … I would just twist it and say: If the family dog can, so why can’t I? Why do I let the (entertainment, food, medical) industry seduce to buy and use they products? Why can’t I tread loving people gratefuly, politely and indulgently?
Anyway I like the poem.
(my english is not the best)