(In which a poem is psychologically saving me.)
***
I have a friend who’s dear to me and I, together with our other friends, have always been proud of her. Last year, she called us for a sudden meeting, and as expected, she’s terribly late. But she can always get away with her pretty face. She apologized for messing our schedules and told us that the next time we’ll meet might take some ages cause she’s been hired as a cabin crew. We cheered for her and wished her the best of luck.
Recently, she’s been posting really awesome pictures of places she’s been to and stuff on Facebook. And my best friend was so inspired she already looked for sites where she could apply for the same position and looked forward to losing weight to qualify. I smile whenever she tells me about this. If I can only be real.
Yeah. Who doesn’t want to be a cabin crew and earn a thousand dollars per month and travel? I do too. But I am leaving the wish behind since I am vertically unqualified which makes me feel terribly sad about it. I have done my best, I believe, to compensate for the things I lack and I have learned to be satisfactorily competitive. But then again, there are things that just can’t be. I don’t hate them. I just… envy. I know it’s another sin – no matter which comes first in the hierarchy but… I just can’t help it. I even hid my friend’s posts from my Facebook wall to keep myself from sulking.
My future, unlike theirs, seems to be so unplanned and pathetic I can die anytime. And then I remember a poem we learned in high school.
Be The Best Of Whatever You Are
If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley - But be
The best little scrub by the side of the hill.
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush - be a bit of the grass,
If you can't be a bush - be a bit of the grass,
Some highway happier make;
If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass-
But the liveliest bass in the lake.
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew.
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew.
There's something for all of us here,
There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do.
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail.
If you can't be a highway, then just be a trail.
If you can't be the sun, be a star.
It isn't by size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are!
© Douglas Malloch
