On the cinderblock wall of the teachers' restroom, opposite the toilet and precisely at eye level, is a long, thin poster. Flourescent lights have faded its colors to tan and tired blue. A slightly groovy font hints that it's been serving time as bathroom reading material for at least a couple of decades.
The title of the poster is I've Learned That . . .
You should know, I normally resist this sort of well-meaning but highly annoying propoganda. I mean, can't a teacher get two and a half minutes of peace? But in spite of my determination to remain impervious, a few of the phrases seeped into my mind and lingered there. For whatever reason, they resonated with me. As a writer, a teacher, and a person.
They're simple and true, and I'll share them with you.
- I've learned that insults don't have the power to hurt us, unless we persist in remembering them.
- I've learned that optimists live longer than pessimists. That's why I'm an optimist.
- I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
- I've learned that if you smile at someone, they'll almost always smile back.
Have any of these types of cheesy posters ever gotten to you? If so, please share!
6 comments:
I love the poster about the optimists! I don't honestly know where this saying came from or if it was ever on a poster, but I always keep "hope springs eternal" in mind whenever I'm faced with a setback.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Sarah--
I liked your interview on Keli's blog. :) Keli is my CP and good friend.
"Hope springs eternal" is from a poem by Alexander Pope:
Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
-Alexander Pope,
An Essay on Man, Epistle I, 1733
You're right--that's beautiful! (And now I feel a bit gauche for quoting a bathroom poster!) ;)
So glad you stopped by!
I bet you are blessed to have Keli as a crit partner! She is absolutely wonderful!
Loved your post and need that poster for my bathroom. Isn't it the truth? Life is so much easier to swallow when there is hope!
p.s. thanks for stopping by my interview!
Wow! Didn't expect to drop by and find such nice things being said about me. I'm blushing.
I enjoyed your post, Anne. Dated though that poster may be, the wisdom is timeless.
I love inspiring words and sayings. The walls of my office are covered with them: The journey is everything. Dream big. Believe in all you do. Inspire. Create. And more.
Sherrinda, thanks for dropping by! I enjoyed getting to know a little about you and your writing over at Romance Writers on the Journey. I've seen your thoughtful comments on various blogs where I lurk, so it's nice to finally "meet" you. :)
Keli, I could go on and on, but I don't want to make you blush even more! "The journey is everything" is perfect--esp. for your blogs and stories. I love it.
Have a great weekend.
I like this :
I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision.
Thanks for sharing.
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