📗 Want to read How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell ISBN: 9781612198552
In the midst of going through my mom Deborah’s old papers, I found a typed-out poem of sorts attributed to an anonymous “85 year old woman”. I appreciated the sentiment, and I wondered what it meant to my mom—who unfortunately never got to live to the ripe old age of 85.
I was about to post it here without further comment, but then I realized Aha! I have the Internet! I can search for a phrase from the poem and perhaps learn more about it!
And that’s when I discovered…this wasn’t written by an 85 year old woman at all. 😱
At first it seemed to be attributed to one “Nadine Stair” so I thought maybe she was the 85 year old woman. But then I found this Wikipedia page about the poem, titled Moments, which explains that it was originally published under the title I’d Pick More Daises and written by Don Herold, who was a humorist and cartoonist who…also didn’t live to 85 but died at the age of 76. And there was never any Nadine Stair—that name was invented so the poem could be republished in a slightly modified form for a female audience.
There’s also a version in Spanish wrongly attributed to Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
I think maybe I now regret looking this up on the Internet. 😂
At any rate, here is the version as I received it. I hope you enjoy this poem not written by an 85 year old woman! #obscureartists #quote
“If I had to live my life over, I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.
“You see, I’m one of those people who live seriously and sanely hour by hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else, just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of these persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had it to do again, I would travel lighter than I have.
“If I had to live my life over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way in the Fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daises.”
Trying to choose which color tile to use for the backsplash... Kitchen cabinets and countertop are locked in.
Today the crew hung the picture rails everywhere. It will eventually be painted the same color as the walls. I'm looking forward to never having to punch holes in the walls again!
I watched a video about the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and someone built a web app to help you listen to them all with a daily recommendation. I think I’ll give it a shot as part of my #TodaysAlbum project.
Chase sends 8-digit 2fa SMS codes, which seems excessive compared to the 6 that most other places use, but even weirder is that the first digit of them has always been the same, effectively making it a 7 digit code. Anyone know what's up with that?
First snow of the year!
The painters finished!
Got even more snow overnight!
