The words in the fingerprint are the lines from Rudyard Kipling's poem "If". This poem is one the marks my father left on me.... He used to quote it every now & again, and when you read the words they are actually a pretty good set of values to live by. (Words included at the bottom for those that don't know this poem already.)
Folk who used to know my father and who know me always remark how similar we are... appearance, attitudes mannerisms etc. All in all, pretty happy with that - he was a good man.
Makes me wonder what sort of marks I am leaving on my boys.... at 18 & 20 already, most of the shaping from me is probably already done & dusted. They are both boys to be proud of, so I can't have screwed them up too much.
Project Soulpancake wk 1 - Examine your fingerprints.
P.S. Given that wk 16 task is "learn a poem" I may finally learn the damn thing. Always wanted to be able to quote it....
P.P.S. It's an old photo of Sebe & me from over a year ago to which I added the "fingerprint" today
P.P.P.S. People remark Sebe looks like me too. Nathaniel is lucky enough to take after Natalee appearance wise
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 impostors 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 worn out 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 breathe 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
Jim Shields Photography
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