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Array
(
[sid] => 178780
[catid] => 1
[aid] => mick
[title] => The Graduation
[time] => 2014-07-13 00:57:26
[hometext] => What did you learn in school?
[bodytext] =>
Tonight I wrote my resume and it occurred to me;
I’m not the sum of what I’ve done, but what I’ve grown to be.
Schooling didn’t teach me how to sew a valance;
and calculus is not required to make my checkbook balance!
So lean back and remember, and see if you agree, that what we earned in school was more than a degree!
Kindergarden showed me that the world was a huge place!
How to color inside lines and how to eat the paste!
Lunchtime taught me caution for things disguised in sauce!
That earlybirds can take their choice, while slowpokes took the loss!
Grade school taught me patience, how to bide my time.
Why to follow other’s rules that made no sense or rhyme.
I didn’t learn to memorize; I learned I could remember!
At least until the last exam came due in late September!
“They’ll be a test” those dreaded words, turned listening into hearing!
A passing grade takes practice; and failure sleeps with fearing!
Recess taught that though they’re scary; bullys lack self worth;
And hatred cannot co-exist with self -effacing mirth.
Aggression isn’t leadership; nor is silence fear;
All of us have limits; and seldom are they clear!
I envied those who stood beside the things that they believe;
When every logic told them they should quickly turn and leave!
Games were meant to teach the jocks that teamwork makes us strongest;
That victory aligns itself with those who hang in longest!
Report cards taught me that my worth was something no one owned.
(And Gold Stars were for parents who needed to be shown!)
I marveled that the rich kids cried the same as poor ones do;
And longed for love and friendship, the same as me and you.
Some kids seemed to have it all, and some always had less;
(And I cannot be what I’m not, despite what I profess!)
My envy proved a waste of time; and pity was at best,
A reason to help others, or a crutch on which they rest.
I learned that having one good friend is often quite enough;
When “going steady” couldn’t stop a swift and cold rebuff.
The more I learned the more I knew how much I didn’t know!
My ignorance too quick to speak; my wisdom far too slow!
The price of being “popular” was not without its costs;
When others can define you, your selfhood can be lost.
College was for questioning and taking second looks;
Philosophy and fallacy in every word and book!
Tuition has agendas for our money and our time;
I learned that cost and quality are seldom well aligned!
Influence and power, like gravity, would bear;
Invisibly upon the lives of those yet unaware.
Sororities like limosines—gave shelter to the clever;
acceptance without variance; a false sense of forever.
But people change, and some have come to steer a rocky course;
Explaining loss of friendships; the homeless; and divorce.
Education’s not about the letters on your cards.
(Without the skills to use it, we don’t get very far! )
It’s all about survival, and when you’re old and grand,
A tool of self -revival to keep life well in hand!
Cause “grown up” is a process, and not a destination.
Traveled without signage on a road of our creation!
I’ve long forgotten all they taught, somewhat to my regret;
But what I learned about myself, l never will forget!
And where it said “Accomplishments” I scratched out “Engineering”…
And wrote “I learned to trust myself, and gave up power steering!”
[comments] => 7
[counter] => 301
[topic] => 19
[informant] => softerware
[notes] =>
[ihome] => 0
[alanguage] => english
[acomm] => 0
[haspoll] => 0
[pollID] => 0
[score] => 0
[ratings] => 0
[editpoem] => 1
[associated] =>
[topicname] => InspirationalPoems
)
The Graduation
Contributed by
softerware
on
Sunday, 13th July 2014 @ 12:57:26 AM in AEST
Topic:
InspirationalPoems
|
Tonight I wrote my resume and it occurred to me;
I’m not the sum of what I’ve done, but what I’ve grown to be.
Schooling didn’t teach me how to sew a valance;
and calculus is not required to make my checkbook balance!
So lean back and remember, and see if you agree, that what we earned in school was more than a degree!
Kindergarden showed me that the world was a huge place!
How to color inside lines and how to eat the paste!
Lunchtime taught me caution for things disguised in sauce!
That earlybirds can take their choice, while slowpokes took the loss!
Grade school taught me patience, how to bide my time.
Why to follow other’s rules that made no sense or rhyme.
I didn’t learn to memorize; I learned I could remember!
At least until the last exam came due in late September!
“They’ll be a test” those dreaded words, turned listening into hearing!
A passing grade takes practice; and failure sleeps with fearing!
Recess taught that though they’re scary; bullys lack self worth;
And hatred cannot co-exist with self -effacing mirth.
Aggression isn’t leadership; nor is silence fear;
All of us have limits; and seldom are they clear!
I envied those who stood beside the things that they believe;
When every logic told them they should quickly turn and leave!
Games were meant to teach the jocks that teamwork makes us strongest;
That victory aligns itself with those who hang in longest!
Report cards taught me that my worth was something no one owned.
(And Gold Stars were for parents who needed to be shown!)
I marveled that the rich kids cried the same as poor ones do;
And longed for love and friendship, the same as me and you.
Some kids seemed to have it all, and some always had less;
(And I cannot be what I’m not, despite what I profess!)
My envy proved a waste of time; and pity was at best,
A reason to help others, or a crutch on which they rest.
I learned that having one good friend is often quite enough;
When “going steady” couldn’t stop a swift and cold rebuff.
The more I learned the more I knew how much I didn’t know!
My ignorance too quick to speak; my wisdom far too slow!
The price of being “popular” was not without its costs;
When others can define you, your selfhood can be lost.
College was for questioning and taking second looks;
Philosophy and fallacy in every word and book!
Tuition has agendas for our money and our time;
I learned that cost and quality are seldom well aligned!
Influence and power, like gravity, would bear;
Invisibly upon the lives of those yet unaware.
Sororities like limosines—gave shelter to the clever;
acceptance without variance; a false sense of forever.
But people change, and some have come to steer a rocky course;
Explaining loss of friendships; the homeless; and divorce.
Education’s not about the letters on your cards.
(Without the skills to use it, we don’t get very far! )
It’s all about survival, and when you’re old and grand,
A tool of self -revival to keep life well in hand!
Cause “grown up” is a process, and not a destination.
Traveled without signage on a road of our creation!
I’ve long forgotten all they taught, somewhat to my regret;
But what I learned about myself, l never will forget!
And where it said “Accomplishments” I scratched out “Engineering”…
And wrote “I learned to trust myself, and gave up power steering!”
Copyright ©
softerware
... [
2014-07-13 00:57:26]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by Former_Member on
Sunday, 13th July 2014 @ 01:49:19 AM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
A truthful snark, is this interviewer
this resume passed down from the Gods,
the corporate personnel be what they may
For all the grandest of resume, only a few
do we maybe get to read, so busy are we,
with all the engineering we have to do...
The interviewee with the interviewer,
First, tell me about the job, not what you did before, not what you maybe think you can do,
what can you teach me about right now...
Throw your reserves and resume out the window,
say pi is just a greek letter, and
you don't like to eat alone in the lunchroom
Yes, I know it's square, but let's round it off
round off this square, and tell me what you can teach me, before I teach you.
You see, I want to know what you are bad at
or, that's one of the stupid questions the personnel people want to ask.
But that's not me. Let's cut through all the bull.
It shouldn't be about survival.
Really, at least that's what I would hope.
So I said, bring the young person in, don't make them wait, I say that because
hell man, we all need to make a living,
and to do so we need to do it as a team.
Do you like to work as a team, not as a team
playa , but as a, perhaps a wounded willdebeest somewhere say in East Africa,
and the herd just is, you know, passing you by, and there is as far as we all know the lion
waiting to pounce
So there you go... down down down
Truth is we are human and you are here,
and I give a damn... I can tell from your resume that you are quite smart, and you definitely can do the job.
Don't say anything yet...
Let me tell you about the job first. I will try to completely illustrate what we need. You tell me if it fits for you.
How much does it pay? Truth is we pay and we pay, the janitor pays, the street person there who never went to college pays,
the wildebeest pays.
Welcome New Graduate, welcome!
Hey software, sorry for the crazy comment.
I have just interviewed so many raw recruits and seen jerks ***** all over their world.
You sit waiting for the interview, sometimes with others, and you think, man or women,
I don't want to compete if it squishes their dream, but I wish I could do something good.
Then, they ask the dumbest questions.... and then, sometimes they make you wait weeks or even months before they get back to you.
See, big part of the problem is corporate personnel so called professionals, another one is the interviewer who often
does not even know what they are looking for because they themselves are so confused.
It's not a product, but a process. Just like you say.
Peace!
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by Invierno on
Sunday, 13th July 2014 @ 10:52:04 AM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
Wow! So many awesome lines I don't have enough of the day to comment on them all. You've done a masterful job encapsulating concepts and squeezing them into two line....
Mist well done and enjoyed the read.
Thanks
Invierno |
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by Former_Member on
Sunday, 13th July 2014 @ 11:36:34 PM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
Nuh-uh, you gave up power steering for a car that does the steering for you. :p
|
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by ladyfawn on
Monday, 14th July 2014 @ 02:46:40 PM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
this is delightful!!!!!! my favorite lines are: I marveled that the rich kids cried the same as poor ones do;
And longed for love and friendship, the same as me and you. because its so true but when in school
everyone feels like they are the only ones who feel as such for what one goes through,
hugs n' love nessa |
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by Geneva1223 on
Tuesday, 15th July 2014 @ 09:59:13 AM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
| wow this was spot on and so right school does show us alot of things but what we need to do is take control of our life and trust our own judgement. great poem and good flow |
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by spud on
Thursday, 17th July 2014 @ 09:50:35 AM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
Hi,
Well, you asked the questions and then you
provided some excellent answers.
Know yourself, know where you're going, and
know what you must do to get there - and if
you advance the 'joie de vivre' of those you
share your life with, then you're not far off finding
that magic ''meaning of life.''
Good luck, my friend.
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Re: The Graduation
(User Rating: 1 )
by colinb on
Monday, 28th July 2014 @ 02:47:49 AM AEST
(User
Info | Send
a Message)
|
| memories of school |
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