Aim for the sea…

ByHeather

A ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships are built for.

— William Shedd (or possibly Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper)

I taught high school in the early 80’s. I had this quote hanging on my classroom wall in one of those inspirational-type posters with a sailboat setting out to sea. I suppose I was trying to inspire my students to reach for adventure as they launched themselves into the world. I still draw inspiration from these words every time I am faced with the choice of a challenge and an adventure or playing it safe.

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    What upsets me is not that you lied to me, but that from now on I can no longer believe you.

    — Friedrich Nietzsche

    Like most children, my parents raised me with an unending plea to always tell the truth. In my mom’s eyes, a clean conscience was to be valued above all else. “Besides,” she always said, “if you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said.” I have carried this commitment to truth and honesty with me, almost to a fault. It has served me well.

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  • On the Financial Meltdown

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    As they say on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, “and now for some quotes from this week’s news.”

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  • Calculating the Distance to California

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    3. Multiply the number of moldy raspberries by 250. This is your distance in miles from California.

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    Q.E.D.

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