"Our Present to You. A Guide to a Happy Life."

[jsmvmd]

FROM PARADE MAGAZINE, DEC. 1989

“Our Present to You.  A Guide to a Happy Life.”

No one will ever get out of this world alive.  Resolve therefore to maintain a reasonable sense of values.

Take care of yourself.  Good health is everyone’s major source of wealth.  Without it, happiness is almost impossible.

Resolve to be cheerful & helpful.  People will repay you in kind.

Avoid angry, abrasive persons.  They are generally vengeful.

Avoid zealots.  They are generally humorless.

Resolve to listen more & to talk less.  No one ever learns anything by talking.

Be chary of giving advice.  Wise men don’t need it & fools won’t heed it.

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving & tolerant of the weak & wrong.  Sometime in life you will have been all of these.

Do not equate money with success.  There are many successful moneymakers who are miserable failures as human beings.  What counts most about success is how a person achieves it.

Dear Friends,

Best Wishes & Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from your friends in Altoona, PA.

Jack Majcher & Family

[scottychaos]

Thats a poorly-done rip-off/variation of "Desiderata",
a poem written by Max Ehrmannin, written in 1906 and published in 1927:

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Which in turn led to the ultra-cheezy 1971 hit song "Desiderata" by Les Crane..
a low-point in the already lamest musical decade of all time,
break out your crystals and astrology charts, its the age of Aquarius:

Desiderata. Desiderata. Desiderata.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender,
Be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others -
Even the dull and ignorant, they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons - they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career -
However humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is.
Many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection, neither be cynical about love.
For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
It is as perenial as the grass.
Take kindly the council of the years,
Gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune,
But do not distress yourself with imaginings -
Many fears are borne of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe.
No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
Keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Strive to be happy.

Which in turn led to National Lampoons 1972 parody "Deteriorata"
by far the best version! 

Go placidly amid the noise and waste,
and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Avoid quiet and passive persons, unless you are in need of sleep.
Rotate your tires.
Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself
and heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys.
Know what to kiss... and when.
Consider that two wrongs never make a right... but that three do.
Wherever possible, put people on hold.
Be comforted that in the face of all erridity and disallusionment,
and despite the changing fortunes of time,
there is always a big future in computer maintainance.

You are a fluke of the Universe.
You have no right to be here,
and weather you can hear it or not,
the Universe is laughing behind your back.

Remember the Pueblo.
Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate.
Know yourself. If you need help, call the FBI.
Exercise caution in your daily affairs,
especially with those persons closest to you...
that lemon on your left, for instance.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls
would scarcely get your feet wet.
Fall not in love, therefore; it will stick to your face.
Gracefully surrender the things of youth,
birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan,
and let not the sands of time get in your lunch.
Hire people with hooks.
For a good time call 606-4311. Ask for Ken.
Take heart amid the deepening gloom
that your dog is finally getting enough cheese,
and reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot,
it could only be worse in Milwaukee.

You are a fluke of the Universe.
You have no right to be here,
and weather you can hear it or not,
the Universe is laughing behind your back.

Therefore, make peace with your god,
whatever you conceive him to be:
hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin.
With all its hopes, dreams, promises, and urban renewal,
the world continues to deteriorate...Give up.

another variation of "Desiderata" reared it ugly head one more time as a minor hit in the 1990's
it refuses to go away! 

Scot

[Atlantic Central]

Jack,

I thought is was a very nice sentiment, regardless of the source or other opinions of its literary quality.

Thank you,

Sheldon


 

[r.cprmier]

Hey Scottie;
Go jump in the lake, willya?  Life is tough enough; be cool, relax, and laugh.  Go back to the first few lines of Jack's dissertation.  It has more in that simple compose than many other "great works of the pen".

Suggested reading:  "The Emperor's New Clothes".

Jack;
As many times as I have heard variations of that same theme, it is always a warmly written meaningful treatise and such an easy way to live life-and win.  if I were to count success, happiness would be its chief component, and happiness is doing what makmes us happiest, not neccessarily prosperous.

Happy new Year, Jack and all here.
May this coming year bring this world good health, peace, justice, prosperity, brotherhood, and a better life for all.

Best wishes.  Rich Cormier

[SteamGene]

Hey Scott,
Have you ever heard the story about the little girl in the old fashioned ice cream store?  If you have, Jack's the little girl and you are the waitress.  Just FYI, the forbear of them all is a prayer normally ascribed to St. Francis Assissi. 
Find it.
Merry Fifth Day of Christmas.
Gene

[jsmvmd]

Dear Scott,

Thank you for the references and parody.  Pretty neat stuff.  I presumed this had come from somewhere, as much stuff usually does.  That is why I always include references.

As aways, Best Wishes & Happy New Year to All!

Jack

[Terry Toenges]

While I don't have any opinions on Desiderata, one way or another, I think the 70's were one of the best musical decades.
Black Oak Arkansas was selling out concert halls around the world back then. Some of the best rock music of all time was made in the 70's.
While many rock groups started in the 60's, they hit their stride in the 70's.
Just look at today's music - not much out there that even appeals to me.

[Terry Toenges]

I should have put the disclaimer in my post that I own the publishing rights to Black Oak Arkansas' 70's music so my opinion is somewhat biased.