Friday, March 19, 2010

nature

if our young men miscarry in their first enterprises they lose all heart. if the young merchant fails, men say he is ruined. if the finest genius studies at one of our colleges and is not installed in an office within one year afterwards in the cities or suburbs of boston or new york, it seems to his friends and to himself that he is right in being disheartened and in complaining the rest of his life. a sturdy lad from new hampshire or vermont, who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to congress, buys a township, and so forth, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. he walks abreast with his days and feels no shame in not 'studying a profession,' for he does not postpone his life, but lives already. he has not one chance, but a hundred chances.

- ralph waldo emerson



1 comment:

  1. jesse!
    i need an email addy for you. thanks for picking up the soap. I'll get it from you when i come out soon to check out the nature in your neck of the woods.
    Mucho Amor

    ReplyDelete