It Goes On . . .

With heat indexes in the triple digit range, it helps to think cool thoughts.  Think "Frost", as in Robert Frost.  You wouldn't think someone who died over half a century ago would have much to say that would be pertinent to life today - but you would be wrong.

Poet Robert Frost
3-26-1874 - 1-29-63

Robert Frost died January 29, 1963.  I was introduced to him, in a literary sense, by my 7th grade art teacher, Mrs. Simmons.  The fact that I can remember anything from the 7th grade is the ultimate tribute to Mrs. Simmons.

One of the lines by Mr. Frost I like most and use often is: "But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep."

Mr. Frost once defined the duty of a jury like this: A jury consists of 12 persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer".  A man from Columbia, Mo. was just awarded ten million dollars, plus a million for attorney fees, for being wrongly convicted of murder. He was freed after 10 years.  How many years would you volunteer to go to prison for if you knew you were going to be reimbursed a million bucks a year?

On January 20, 1961, at the age of 87, Mr. Frost struggled to read a poem at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.  A clip of that difficult moment for Mr. Frost can be found here:

Robert Frost at JFK's Inauguration

Two years later, on January 29, 1963, Mr. Frost left us.

I am a fan of Robert Frost.  Thank you, Mrs. Simmons.  Though he said and wrote many brilliant things, none seems more astute to me as I survey the view from the "other side of the hill" than when he said:  "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."