Michaelangelo

Michelangelo is quoted as saying "I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish." I remember the few times when I had nothing to do, and it was much worse than when I have had much more to do than I could handle.  One such time was after graduating from Ohio State and being unemployed.  My first job with Ph.D. in hand was to manage Unca' Bucks' car wash in San Fernando. California.  Then I was able to get a part time temporary position at BYU for $5 an hour for a few months, and when that ran out, it was back to looking for cars to detail.  I did that for a while until some friends at BYU put together a permanent administrative position for me, which I held for 3 years until a professorial slot opened up in the Spanish Department. 

It is nice to know, though, that I can always go back to cleaning cars if it were necessary; or delivering newspapers; or doing custodial work; or delivering dinner for Chicken Delight; or pumping gas for Chevron or Texaco; or washing cars for the US Postal Service; or teaching junior high; or . . . anyway, it's been good to be able to do a lot of things.  I still have a lot to do, so I'd better get busy.  I'll post a few pictures to improve the post first, though.

Autumn in the Rockies

While Justin may be gloating over the Atlanta fall season, we here in Utah have seasons of incomparable beauty, too.  In fact, some days you just have to pull over to the side of the road and stare in awe at the mountains that rise suddenly from the valley's edge.  Sometimes, you are even fortunate enough to snag a few photos to share.  Here you are:

Why worry?

Marie and I had a short discussion about worry, and judging from news reports regarding the economic problems, the wars, the lack of a good candidate to vote for in the upcoming elections, the health of babies born and unborn, ad nauseum, I recalled a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that I felt was apropos:

Some of your hurts you have cured,

And the sharpest you still survived,

But what torments of grief you endured

From the evils which never arrived.

I also remember a wall hanging that reflected the needlessness of worrying:

Why worry?

There are only two things to worry about:

You are either healthy or ill.

If you are healthy, there is nothing to worry about;

If you are ill, there are only two things to worry about:

You will either recover or you will die.

If you recover, there is nothing to worry about;

If you die, there are only two things to worry about:

You will either go to Heaven or you will go to Hell.

If you go to Heaven, there is nothing to worry about;

If you go to Hell, you will be so busy greeting all your friends,

you won't have time to worry!

And Calvin Coolidge had this to say:

"If you see ten troubles coming down the road, 

you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you."

And finally, from the tummies of Steven and Justin and FRIENDS:

"Don't worry. Be happy!"

(Remember those days!?)