To thine own self be true

“Man never rises to great truths without enthusiasm.”–Marquis de Vauvenargues, Reflections and Maxims

“The difference between one man and another is not mere ability…it is energy.”–Thomas Arnold

“I prefer the folly of enthusiasm to the wisdom of indifference.”–Anatole France, The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard

“All vigor is contagious.”–Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Progress of Culture”, Letters

“Enthusiasm is life.”–Paul Scofield

“Enthusiasm is the most important thing in life.”–Tennessee Williams

“There is nothing greater than enthusiasm.”–Henry Moore

“Exuberance is beauty.”–William Blake, “Proverbs of Hell”

“All we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.”–Charles Kingsley

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”–Denis Diderot, Philosophical Thoughts

“To burn always with this hard gem-like flame, to maintain this ecstasy, is success in life.”–Walter Pater, The Renaissance

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Unquestionably, it is the enthusiasm and energy of self and others that produces the most memorable, powerful experiences and connections.

“For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee”–Edgar Allan Poe, “Annabel Lee”

but, realistically, by and large, one can only imagine, create, and actualize those for oneself, for one’s ownlife.

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“ownlife”–a clever, rich word coined by Orwell in1984

Shadows on grass,
These, too, shall pass.

Oct. 2013

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A glass full to the max and pouring o’er like some brilliant, continuous waterfall of creativity and love. The proverbial horn of plenty overflowing similarly. A strange unexpected transcendence, clarity, and wholeness this past month. New understandings about the power, truths, and mystery of touch and word that carry me forward along this remarkable, transformative fall…

Lovin’ it! Winning over Margaret Atwood, the ‘Canadian Icon’–#71 Greatest Canadian–also on the short list. My, my, how that choice must pass someone’s jealousy test today.

Re. the choice–a very astute one, very well-considered, very just.

Now there are those who may feel that Munro’s ‘paltry’ 14 story collections is insufficient in the case of quantity vs. quality But Munro represents, and very modestly and self-effacingly, the best of quality in contrast to “Well, I’ve done so much and in so many different forms.”

I will admit that when it came time in my 2nd edition of Inside Poetry to pick a feature Canadian poet to stand with Neruda, Frost and Szymborska, I chose Atwood, mainly for her ironic, rich-imaged relationship poems. She is still the top woman poet in Canada and has been since the ’70s.

But Alice Munro is Canada’s best storyteller and prose-writer and has been since the late ’60s when she won the GG for Dance of the Happy Shades. There is so much truth, honesty, and depth to her work. She writes believably and convincingly about daily life and real people. She knew herself well enough, not to stray from her preferred and best genre, and end up weakening her craft by spreading it thinly or trying to change the past and its worthy traditions, by politicking to change the words to the national anthem!
No, Munro had focus and did not showboat and telegraph “Look what I can do. Aren’t I wonderful, amazing, and powerful?”

No, there is more to life than just imagining strangeness and the bizarre. More that ordinary and most people can connect to.

The 2013 Nobel Prize for Literature got it right, and picked a great, worthy Canadian winner. Quality over quantity. Absolutely. Alice Munro.

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Alice Munro–one of Canada’s greatest writers. Strong, consistent, engaging body of work. A nice Real Classy Lady, to boot. Very deserving. Terrific choice. One of the best Nobel choices ever. Made my day.

For more on Atwood, c.f. Al Purdy’s classic poem “Concerning Ms. Atwood”.

in the sharing, exhange, and bestowing of the mutual gifts of self, that both giver and receiver found the best of freedom and love. The right prevailing conditions being presence, openness of heart, trust, risk, acceptance, and letting go. Everything else that was beautiful, true, and maximally free followed.”

“It might be reasonably maintained that the true object of all human life is play.”–G.K. Chesteron, All Things Considered, 1908

“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”–Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

“The supreme happiness of life consists in the conviction that one is loved–loved for one’s own sake–let us say or rather loved in spite of one’s self.”–Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

“if you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.”–Katharine Hepburn

“My advice to you is not to inquire why or wither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate.”–Thornton Wilder, The Skin of Our Teeth

“Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.”–Storm Jameson

“Happiness lies in the fulfillment of the spirit through the body.”–Cyril Connolly, The Unquiet Grave, 1945

“A multitude of small delights constitutes happiness.”–Charles Baudelaire

“The most exquisite pleasure is giving pleasure to others.”–Jean de La Bruyere

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need to be.”–Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

“The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.”–S. Maraboli, Life, The Truth, and Being Free

“The day I knew peace was the day I let everything go.”–JoyBell C., “Life Realized”

“Whatever comes let it come, whatever stays let it stay, what goes let go.”–Papaji

Letting go, especially of ego and  body, are especially difficult for most people–to open oneself up to others completely and freely. And to accept whatever gifts others may have for us.