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600 Words About
1,000-Word Memes
My late friend, mentor and longtime steward of this space before me, Chuck Thomas, believed in taking the day off now and again and filling his column with words borrowed from other people. In this same spirit, here are some quotes from inspiring memes I’ve come across in recent weeks that are worth 1,000 words – or, in this case, 600 words.
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“Gardens are not made by singing, ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.” – Rudyard Kipling.
“Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” – unattributed.
“Kids don’t remember their best day of television.” – unattributed and featuring a photograph, snapped from behind, of two kids around age 6 or 7, walking side by side down a dirt path in the woods. Carrying walking sticks and sleeping bags, and wearing fishing hats and hiking boots, the boys are dressed for adventure from head to toe and echoed another meme: “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” – John Muir
“No road” – or dirt path – “is too long with good company.” – unattributed.
“There is absolutely no reason to be rushed along with the rush. Everybody should be free to go slow.” – Robert Frost.
“It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius.
“When you feel about quitting, think about why you started.” – unattributed.
“ ‘Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.’ – Lao Tzu … so be patient, but also persistent, as you pursue your dreams and passions!”
Similarly, a meme in three images showing a caterpillar turning into a cocoon and then emerging as a soaring butterfly states: “Give. Yourself. Time.”
“Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – H. Jackson Brown.
A meme without a photo created a vivid image nonetheless: “ ‘Because I think I’m making progress.’ – Pablo Casals, one of the greatest cellists who ever lived, when asked why he continued to practice at age 90.”
“ ‘Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.’ – John Wooden … or worries about tomorrow either.”
“There are only two days in a year that nothing can be done: one is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow.” – Dalai Lama .
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall.
“The difference between who you are and who what you want to be is what you do.” – unattributed.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver.
“Each and every day: share something you have learned, and learn something worth sharing.” – Greg Woodburn.
“ ‘And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” – John Steinbeck … good plus good, day after day, adds up to very good; to even better; and to great!”
“Tip your server. Return your shopping cart. Pick up a piece of trash. Hold the door for the person behind you. Let someone into your lane. Small acts have a ripple effect. That’s how we change the world.” – unattributed.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” – Gloria Vanderbilt, although a similar quote is attributed to Plato.
Lastly, an unattributed meme filled with sunshine in both image and words: “Be the reason someone smiles today.”
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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at woodywoodburn. His books are available at www.WoodyWoodburn.com.
Check out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …
- Personalized signed copies are available at WoodyWoodburn.com