In his latest book, The Road to Little Dribbling, humorist Bill Bryson has a grand time mocking those insipidly cloying “inspiring quotes” that folks are fond of hanging on their walls (and office cubicles) these days.
In ancient times, I was doing 5 floor shows a day, 5 days a week, for largely hostile audiences. Each day, I would print on the Chalkboard at the side of the classroom another of La Rochefoucault’s observations about us humans. That way, if my 16 and 17 year olds were finding my pearls of wisdom a tad clunky, or they chose a rest from grammar or Shakespeare, they could always read La Rachefoucault’s one liner.
I was preparing them for 21st Century discourse.
(It hurt my professional self esteem to see how many chose to read La Rochefoucault, – rather than surrender to the excitement I was trying to generate. )
Merci beaucoup. I find myself rolling my eyes and/or gagging too often when I see that dime-store sentimental crap.
In his latest book, The Road to Little Dribbling, humorist Bill Bryson has a grand time mocking those insipidly cloying “inspiring quotes” that folks are fond of hanging on their walls (and office cubicles) these days.
“Time spent with family is worth every second.”
Not necessarily…
in response I wrote the following this morning.
If life were fair
coconuts would grow at eye level.
it isn’t and they don’t.
I think I’ll make a poster of that one.
Ok Ok I’ll see myself out. Grouches.
In ancient times, I was doing 5 floor shows a day, 5 days a week, for largely hostile audiences. Each day, I would print on the Chalkboard at the side of the classroom another of La Rochefoucault’s observations about us humans. That way, if my 16 and 17 year olds were finding my pearls of wisdom a tad clunky, or they chose a rest from grammar or Shakespeare, they could always read La Rachefoucault’s one liner.
I was preparing them for 21st Century discourse.
(It hurt my professional self esteem to see how many chose to read La Rochefoucault, – rather than surrender to the excitement I was trying to generate. )
Took awhile to find this again. This one is on my office wall. Framed.
https://motivateurself.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/brother-theodore/