The story was about a mongoose named Ricki-Ticki-Tavi and
his adventures in the garden he inhabited as the select pet of a wealthy
family. As a 7th grader in English class, I read the story over and
over again. I loved how the words traversed in such a flowing picturesque way.
The drawing…and the author’s name…still present in my memory after all these
years.
My interest in this author reawakened when a poem he wrote
came to my attention. My granddaughter, introduced to it in 6th
grade Advisory class, was given the task of memorizing and presenting it to her
peers.
A portion of the poem is inscribed above the entrance to
Centre Court at Wimbledon where so many Worldwide Tennis Championships have
taken place. I thought it was written especially for this venue…never thinking
it was a small portion of this author’s work.
“If
you can meet with triumph and disaster
And
treat those two imposters just the same”
The author, as you have probably guessed is Rudyard Kipling.
In his autobiography, “Something of Myself”, he stated that he wrote the poem
in 1895 as a tribute to his friend, Leander Starr Jameson, someone whom he
admired for his courage. After reading Kipling’s life story, I suspect that
over the years he, himself had developed the courage he speaks about.
Which brings me to the point that all great people aspire
to…Yourself included…Transformation by Detachment, Surrender, Contentment,
Discipline…and…
Now allow me to make “IF” available to you. I hope you will
continue to be inspired as well.
IF by Rudyard Kipling
If 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, by 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 imposters 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 all on one turn of pitch-and-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 which 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!
