76. Quote of the Day

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for."

~ William Shedd, via The Maven

71. The Wisdom of John Wooden

John Wooden, legendary basketball coach of UCLA, died this weekend at the age of 99. Since he was revered as much for his character as for his coaching, most of the tributes have been personal. ESPN published a list of highlights from his quotes over the years. I recommend reading the entire list. But for the hard-headed =), here are a few of my favorites:

Never mistake activity for achievement.

Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.

Be quick, but don't hurry.

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.



Rest in peace, Coach Wooden.

58. On Friendship

I have always wanted to write a treatise on Love & Friendship. People don't write treatises anymore. Back in the day everyone and their mother had a treatise. On Marriage; On Democracy; On the Good Life; Everyone was writing "on" something.

The only treatise I've read on friendship was Cicero's and it's long as crap. But there's a golden passage about how the job of a true friend is to require our best of us. And not to let us succumb to our faults. Friends don't let friends be wack. I've been blessed with the friendship of a few people who also believe this and who keep me on my toes. One day, when I've done one of the Grand Things I hope to do in this life, I'll have them to thank for it.

In the meantime, Love & Friendship is #6 on the list of things I'll be writing about a lot. You may have noticed. It's just my thing.

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It is one of the severest tests of friendship to tell your friend his faults. So to love a man that you cannot bear to see a stain upon him, and to speak painful truth through loving words, that is friendship.

-Henry Ward Beecher