here i stand, heart in hands

I realized I haven't been doing my quote of the day recently and to make up for it I've found a crazy long quote to share. Well, not really, it's just a poem. But it's a favorite and I'm going to memorize it and start throwing into conversations to improve my social skills.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

– Rudyard Kipling


I know he meant it toward females, but man and son fit better in the rhyme scheme. So pass it on.

I recently got a comment on my Youtube channel from someone who appreciated my videos. I checked out his site and found video blogging that reminded me of this other kid who had all these awkward videos that people thought he was faking. Maybe he was, because I can't seem to find him anymore.

Smashing Story: Apparently Cookie monster got more veggie-friendly a few years ago and started calling cookies a "sometimes food." Hahaha...

Today's Life Lesson: Don't watch Youtube videos with piranhas in them. My roommate Jess
and I watched them devour a frog and a mouse last night and it was a tad traumatizing.

And to make doubly sure you don't fancy a night swim this week (yes, I know it's November), check this photo below.


It's a Giant Squid!