Winning Words 7/28/10
“In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the impossible.” (Miguel De Cervantes) I seem to remember saying once, “I can’t do that!” and having a teacher say, “You’ll never know unless you try.” Young Lincoln becoming President? Racial integration? A Lutheran pastor being invited to preach in a Catholic Church? A man walking on the moon? The Cubs winning the World Series? ;-) Jack

FROM RI IN BOSTON: Press on...never give up! I'm sure you have the following in your voluminous files:
It Couldn't Be Done By Edgar Guest

Somebody said it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing and he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one has ever done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing and he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
FROM JACK: Edgar Guest (from Detroit) has been one of my favorite writers for many years. Most of his poetry had to do with common sense thoughts...like the one you quoted here.

FROM NL IN INDIANA: YEP, that's true. FROM JACK: ...and you're an example of this quote.

FROM MKH IN MICHIGAN: What a Lutheran pastor in a Catholic Church! FROM JACK: Yes, part of the impossible has happened. I have preached at Prince of Peace Catholic Church. I also led at study at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Milford. The first interfaith service in the Chicago Archdiocese was held in my church in Grayslake, Illinois, with my cousin, a priest, doing the preaching. It had to be approved by Cardinal Cody. I was also invited to give a lecture to a group of Catholic seminarians at the seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.

FROM PRJS IN MICHIGAN: The mention of the Cubs and the World Series touches a sore spot with me. My Dad went to the '45 series but I was too small then....only 6. He told me he would take me to the next one!!! We will probably look down from heaven together to see that one. FROM JACK: Do you actually think that there will be a next one? You are a real CUBS' fan.

FROM PRPH IN MINNESOTA: an african american in the white house? FROM JACK: A senorita sitting behind the Oval Office desk.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: The Detroit Lions winning anything! When I was in high school, Dave Quandt, one of my fellow students, came up to my art teacher and said he couldn't do the project we were supposed to be working on. Dave said it was impossible for him to do. Mr. Dueweke, the art teacher, turned to Dave and said, "Nothing's impossible Dave". Dave came back with, "Then let's see you have a baby!" An aside note....Edgar Guest has been one of my favorites, along with Emily Dickenson. I have all of his books. When I was little, I
memorized a few of his poems but the only one I still remember is: "Oh octopus, oh octopus, if I was thou, I call me us." (I believe that's how it goes.) FROM JACK: Sometime, I think that science will make it possible for anyone to have a baby...but not in my lifetime.

FROM DAZ IN COLORADO: A Catholic Priest preaching in a Lutheran church on Reformation Sunday. (and I did the Liturgy, remember?) FROM JACK: Yes, I do remember....and he didn't need a microphone,
either. It was a good sermon, too

FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Thanks for your insights and that smile at the end; a rough year for our boys. On a positive note, Connor (and Tim) are in the World Series playoffs at Welles Park this week. Little League is exciting and I will miss seeing the younger players across other diamonds when C's in high school. FROM JACK: My "Little Leaguer" continues to play hardball in his 50s. Little boys don't always grow up.

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: I'm going again back to that "The Mission" movie and commenting on your WW today and then your experiences with Catholics. In the movie the Jesuits were individuals making their spiritual decisions first and then in the order. But actually what each seemed to believe about "the order" led them to make their different action decisions for good or bad and so everything is connected in a way that makes an impact and some impossible stuff keeps getting done. Can an American Catholic ever get to be Pope?
Maybe that's already been done. FROM JACK: There once was a female Pope.

FROM MOLINER CF: The only way the Cubs will get into the World Series is to buy a ticket. FROM JACK: One of my favorite songs about the Cubs goes this way.....

Hey, hey, holy mackerel,
no doubt about it,
the Cubs are on their way!

The Cubs are gonna hit today
they're gonna pitch today
they're gonna field today
come what may,
the Cubs are gonna win today!

Hey, hey holy mackerel
no doubt about it
The Cubs are on their way

They've got the hustle
they've got the muscle
the Chicago Cubs are on their way!!!

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Only once???? FROM JACK: Once, that I can remember.