I am Sam
Sam I am
...do you like
green eggs and ham?
You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.
Dr. Seuss
**********
Just looked at the copyright, to Theodor S. Geisel, Dr. Seuss [pseud.], 1960! Mercy, how time flies! And here is the funny part: by 1960 I was the chief, I mean Chieftess, Reader in our family. Nightly I read out loud to my little sister. Over and over and over and over, I read Green Eggs and Ham. Sometimes I had to read it to her 25 times in one night. Sorry, that was an exaggeration. Her other favorite was all about Cowboy Sam and Shorty. Some might say these are still her favorites.
Reading Green Eggs and Ham, to myself this evening, since there are no little ones around and Luna is asleep in the chair I sat in back when, then 1960; I notice that I like this little book. I love it, in fact: Sam has a little sign, and he sits on the back of his doggish-cattish, and circles past the grumpy guy three times... the little sign says "I am Sam." Sam is persistent. Sam is cheerful. Sam remains persistent and cheerful, through rejection, grumpiness, flat-out "...I do not like that Sam-I-Am!" Horrors! Nope, doesn't bother Sam, in fact he goes on a creative bent like no other in history.
Would you? Could you?
In a car?
Eat them! Eat them!
Here they are.
...on a boat.
...with a goat.
...in the rain.
...on a train.
...in a tree!
...in a box.
...with a fox.
...in a house.
...with a mouse.
And it isn't until the grumpy guy is under water in the sea, under deep, blue water having been tortured with possibility, when Sam says,
You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say...
This is definitely an annoying way to go about things. I do not recommend employing this tactic to get what you want, you know, as a grown-up. And I am noticing something: cheerful persistence is a quality that I can use. I like that. I love that. I want that.
A new idea cannot come to fruition without letting go of the old idea (or ideas). This has come to my attention several times this week. My mother said to me often, "You cannot put a square peg in a round hole." Oh Goddess! Mom, what were you thinking? Of course, she most likely witnessed said daughter, from a very young age, pounding said square peg with a frightening and determined fervor to get it into the round hole, with persistance and then fury.
Well. I am liking the obvious and calmness of gently, kindly, and great relief... just putting aside the habitual thoughts that do not serve me, and pick up the idea, the concept of my opening completely to Infinite Possibility! Let me Try them! Try them!
I can always pick the old stuff back up, right?
xoxoxLC
