<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><p><span style="font-size: medium; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My favoritest poem of all time. I came across it on the web this morning. I feel that it should be read to every newborn . . .</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">--------------------------------------</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: medium;"><b>"Oh, the Places You'll Go!" </b></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: medium;">by Dr. Seuss</span></p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font>Congratulations!<br>Today is your day.<br>You're off to Great Places!<br>You're off and away!<br><br>You have brains in your head.<br>You have feet in your shoes<br>You can steer yourself<br>any direction you choose.<br>You're on your own. And you know what you know.<br>And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.<br><br>You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.<br>About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."<br>With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,<br>you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.<br><br>And you may not find any<br>you'll want to go down.<br>In that case, of course,<br>you'll head straight out of town.<br><br>It's opener there<br>in the wide open air.<br><br>Out there things can happen<br>and frequently do<br>to people as brainy<br>and footsy as you.<br><br>And when things start to happen,<br>don't worry. Don't stew.<br>Just go right along.<br>You'll start happening too.<br><br>OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!<br><br>You'll be on your way up!<br>You'll be seeing great sights!<br>You'll join the high fliers<br>who soar to high heights.<br><br>You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.<br>You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.<br>Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.<br>Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.<br><br>Except when you don't<br>Because, sometimes, you won't.<br><br>I'm sorry to say so<br>but, sadly, it's true<br>and Hang-ups<br>can happen to you.<br><br>You can get all hung up<br>in a prickle-ly perch.<br>And your gang will fly on.<br>You'll be left in a Lurch.<br><br>You'll come down from the Lurch<br>with an unpleasant bump.<br>And the chances are, then,<br>that you'll be in a Slump.<br><br>And when you're in a Slump,<br>you're not in for much fun.<br>Un-slumping yourself<br>is not easily done.<br><br>You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.<br>Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.<br>A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!<br>Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?<br>How much can you lose? How much can you win?<br><br>And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...<br>or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?<br>Or go around back and sneak in from behind?<br>Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,<br>for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.<br><br>You can get so confused<br>that you'll start in to race<br>down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace<br>and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,<br>headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.<br>The Waiting Place...<br><br>...for people just waiting.<br>Waiting for a train to go<br>or a bus to come, or a plane to go<br>or the mail to come, or the rain to go<br>or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow<br>or waiting around for a Yes or a No<br>or waiting for their hair to grow.<br>Everyone is just waiting.<br><br>Waiting for the fish to bite<br>or waiting for wind to fly a kite<br>or waiting around for Friday night<br>or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake<br>or a pot to boil, or a Better Break<br>or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants<br>or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.<br>Everyone is just waiting.<br><br>NO!<br>That's not for you!<br><br>Somehow you'll escape<br>all that waiting and staying.<br>You'll find the bright places<br>where Boom Bands are playing.<br><br>With banner flip-flapping,<br>once more you'll ride high!<br>Ready for anything under the sky.<br>Ready because you're that kind of a guy!<br><br>Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!<br>There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.<br>And the magical things you can do with that ball<br>will make you the winning-est winner of all.<br>Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,<br>with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.<br><br>Except when they don't.<br>Because, sometimes, they won't.<br><br>I'm afraid that some times<br>you'll play lonely games too.<br>Games you can't win<br>'cause you'll play against you.<br><br>All Alone!<br>Whether you like it or not,<br>Alone will be something<br>you'll be quite a lot.<br><br>And when you're alone, there's a very good chance<br>you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.<br>There are some, down the road between hither and yon,<br>that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.<br><br>But on you will go<br>though the weather be foul<br>On you will go<br>though your enemies prowl<br>On you will go<br>though the Hakken-Kraks howl<br>Onward up many<br>a frightening creek,<br>though your arms may get sore<br>and your sneakers may leak.<br><br>On and on you will hike<br>and I know you'll hike far<br>and face up to your problems<br>whatever they are.<br><br>You'll get mixed up, of course,<br>as you already know.<br>You'll get mixed up<br>with many strange birds as you go.<br>So be sure when you step.<br>Step with care and great tact<br>and remember that Life's<br>a Great Balancing Act.<br>Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.<br>And never mix up your right foot with your left.<br><br>And will you succeed?<br>Yes! You will, indeed!<br>(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font><br></font></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font>--------------------------------------<br><br></font></span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div> </div></div></div></body></html>