BURIED TREASURE

Old-fashioned words may contain timely pearls of wisdom

We’ve just spent the past few days cleaning a portion of our house that has accumulated stuff for the past 19 years.

To be honest, most of the “stuff” was standard garage-sale fare — clothes that no longer fit, and toys that no longer work. Why we were still keeping them is a tribute to laziness, I suppose.

But there were a few gems amidst all of the material stuff we probably didn’t need in the first place.

We found a tiny Minnesota Twins shirt I wore when I was about a year old; my mom saved it, and our now-teenage sons dutifully took their turns with it. Perhaps someday, their kids will do the same.

There were worksheets and papers from our kids’ elementary school years, days not exactly forgotten but far from fresh in our memories. The filing system was unorthodox (a dusty pile beneath a bed), but it worked, and now we’ll have something to look at and become tearyeyed about again someday.

And there was even something from 1895; not the original, but a long-forgotten, weathered copy of a poem someone exposed me to when I was a 7th grader.

Some of the language isn’t politically correct by today’s standards, so you’ll have to substitute the word “woman” for “man” if you’re so inclined. I know poetry is kind of “out” in this electronic age, but I think this poem — “If” by Rudyard Kipling, best known as the author of the “Jungle Book” — still has something to say today, even if it is a little dusty.

IfIf 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 impoters 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 pitchand-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 that 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!

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Give me a siGn

In response to the column “Sign Language: Is a new city ordinance ‘silencing’ our neighborhood mom-and-pops?” by Ellen Raff (July Advocate), yes, we kept hoping that common sense would prevail and a middle ground could be reached. However, all we get at AAA Vacuum are visits from code compliance officers. On Jan. 9, I pleaded our case to City Council. Mayor Tom Leppert asked me to meet with him, Mayor Pro Tem Dwayne Caraway and two of the city’s code compliance directors outside chambers. At that time, they seemed very sympathetic to our case. They said they realized the code needs some “tweaking”. We are not asking much, only to be able to let passersby know what we do at our store. The Institute for Justice lawsuit is only to protect our and your constitutional rights to freedom of speech. There is no money involved. Lake Highlands needs more businesses, not closed businesses. There’s an old saying that goes, “A business without a sign is a sign of no business.”

—Carolyn Thomas aaa vaCuum

DevesTaTinG DeTour

As a resident of WRNV (Flagpole Hill), I just cannot tell you how outraged and upset by this I am [Advocate Back Talk blog, June 30, “ ‘Severe blow’ in store for White Rock Trail users”]. I run and/or ride through that intersection (not to mention use it to go to and from work) every day. The idea that it will be closed for 2 years is unconscionable. As for those concerned about the Buckner route, I cannot agree more. I ran there two weeks ago; the signal buttons were broken, glass all the way across the crosswalk, which is barely defined. This is not a reasonable or safe alternate route. I hope there is something that can be done. I understand the need for progress, but they have closed access to my neighborhood from Northwest Highway (via Goforth), which has been locked down for two years now. Can anyone help?

—CBs, via we Love your back taLk. Visit advocatemag.com to read and comment on this month’s stories and daily Back Talk blog updates. Comments may be printed in the magazine.

Editor’s Note: Since this post, the plan to close the White Rock Trail has been altered. Search: “TX DoT” on the Back Talk blog for details.

214.443.1000 dallasopera.org faceBook fan profile // M ARY G U th RI e, 53, is a development assistant and a musician (in bands Merry and the Mood Swings and RePlay). She is married with two kids, 21 and 15, and one dog. what’s a little known fact about you? what’s your most embarrassing moment? what’s the one thing you wish you could do but are reasonably sure you never will? what’s your strangest or most random Facebook Friend connection? what did you want to be when you grew up? how would you explain your neighborhood to someone living in, say, newfoundland?

I took up martial arts at age 40; earned my black belt at age 46.

Ee-yah!

Pulled up into the drive-thru bank lane in a beaten-up old van and proceeded to drop my check out the window; I apologized to the waiting bank teller and then climbed out the drivers-side window to retrieve it instead of simply opening the door. Not one of my brightest days!

A back flip. They look like so much fun!

Yura, a musician from Russia — don’t know how he found me and everything he writes is in Cyrillic!

First, a saint (the glory!). Then, a meter maid (the power!). Then, a reporter (the stories!).

If you could eat at only one neighborhood restaurant for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Bobo China — something about the place brings out great conversations that go with great food.

We have pretty houses, lots of trees, next to a good-sized lake and horse stables, and are only 15 minutes to downtown. Much warmer than Canada, but watch out for melting summers and B-52-sized mosquitoes!

In YoUR

FACe(booK)!

Every month we profile our Facebook fans on advocatemag. com. Search Facebook Fan on our website. To become a fan, visit facebook.com/advocatemagazines.

what brings a smile to your face every time?

Dogs playing. Ours has a good buddy in the neighborhood and when they play it’s a real lift! Wish I could run and bounce and tumble like that!

what do you love about the age you’re at now?

Takes more to faze me, less to amaze me, life gets sweeter and deeper the longer you’re around. (Hey, this sounds like a new song!) what are some jobs you’ve held in the past?

Ice cream scooper, laser light show assistant, disco DJ, radio magazine co-host. The best was a strategic planning position at Dallas Heritage Village. Worst was PR director for a local network TV affiliate — I used to cry on my way into work!

Do you have a favorite quote?

“Great things aren’t written, they’re re-written.” what are you afraid of, rationally or irrationally?

Alligators! Rationally, because they’re alligators, irrationally, because there are none around here

You said it

Most popular lake HigHlands

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1. mAN drowNs IN L AKE hIghLANds Search: moss meadows // 2. morE oN

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PLANs droPPEd Search: woodside // 5. how To bE AN UPsTANdEr Search: Upstander

“The Farmers Market hasn’t lived up to its hype; not a true local market; but more like an open-air bazaar for any fruit and vegtable seller. Downsize it! Sell off the excess land.” —CITIZENKANE oN “PrIvATIZINg ThE FArmEr’s mArKET ”

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Jeff Siegel

Job title// Contributing editor

Advoc Ate Servitude// Siegel has been with the magazine “as long as there has been an Advocate.” fAvorite quote// “Democracy is the worst form of government in the world, except for all of the others.” —Winston Churchill. fAvorite pArt of your Job// Reading comments to my posts on the blog. Anything el Se?// We do what we do because we genuinely believe in it.

That’s almost 20 years.

MoSt prized deSk obJect or ornAMent// My plastic “Star Trek” coffee cup from the original series.

Q uestion of the Month

whAt iS your fAvorite loc Al MuSiciAn or bAnd?

I have lots of love for The Happy Bullets. k eLLy JarreLL Harris

The Lupners! v ernon Monzingo

I love the Backsliders and all of the Chris Holt bands. I love RTB2. I love Trey Johnson. (You know darn well there are too many mega-talents in this town to single out just one!) s a M seqUenzia

Oliver’s Army c arrie HUnnic U tt

Clay Pendergrass of Morning Elephant t ori w ebb p endergrass

Monte Montgomery! cH aska norwood

Lovie s teve L Ucas

Camille Cortinas. Also Cas Haley. aL exis HUdson nic HoL s to find links to all the bands listed here, visit lakehighlands.advocatemag.com and search local music every MondAy iS MuSic MondAy// don’t forget to check out great local bands and musicians on our advocatemag.com podcast each week (search “music Monday”). you can also win tickets to local shows on our Facebook page at facebook.com/advocatemagazines.