| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: struggle with forces wherein defeat is no shame. It is a serious
relation, that in which a man stands to his ship. She has her
rights as though she could breathe and speak; and, indeed, there
are ships that, for the right man, will do anything but speak, as
the saying goes.
A ship is not a slave. You must make her easy in a seaway, you
must never forget that you owe her the fullest share of your
thought, of your skill, of your self-love. If you remember that
obligation, naturally and without effort, as if it were an
instinctive feeling of your inner life, she will sail, stay, run
for you as long as she is able, or, like a sea-bird going to rest
The Mirror of the Sea |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Tanach: Jeremiah 11: 12 Then shall the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer; but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.
Jeremiah 11: 13 For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to offer unto Baal.
Jeremiah 11: 14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto Me for their trouble.'
Jeremiah 11: 15 What hath My beloved to do in My house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the hallowed flesh is passed from thee? When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.
Jeremiah 11: 16 The LORD called thy name a leafy olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit; with the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
Jeremiah 11: 17 For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have wrought for themselves in provoking Me by offering unto Baal.
Jeremiah 11: 18 And the LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I knew it; then Thou showedst me their doings.
Jeremiah 11: 19 But I was like a docile lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me: 'Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.'
The Tanach |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: nearby tree. He had come upon the scene at almost the same
instant as Jenssen and Malbihn, and was watching the activities
of the baboons with every mark of interest.
Korak's relations with the baboons had never been over friendly.
A species of armed toleration had marked their occasional meetings.
The baboons and Akut had walked stiff legged and growling past
one another, while Korak had maintained a bared fang neutrality.
So now he was not greatly disturbed by the predicament of their king.
Curiosity prompted him to tarry a moment, and in that moment his
quick eyes caught the unfamiliar coloration of the clothing of the
two Swedes behind a bush not far from him. Now he was all alertness.
The Son of Tarzan |
