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A review by pattydsf
Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions by James E. Ryan
3.0
“Wait, what?” is at the root of all understanding.
“I wonder . . . ?” is at the heart of all curiosity.
“Couldn’t we at least . . . ?” is the beginning of all progress.
“How can I help?” is at the base of all good relationships.
And “What truly matters?” helps get you to the heart of life.
This book started as a graduation speech. Given that, it is short and too the point. Like many graduation speeches, I am not sure how long I will remember it. Ryan is a good writer, an interesting person and obviously an excellent leader. I am sure that wherever he finds himself in life, life will treat him well.
I am very grateful to Ryan for the fact he quoted these two poems. I may remember the book more for Ryan’s reminder of how well a good poem can speak to many different people.
A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh. give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
That swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard;
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.
For this is love, and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.
Late Fragment by Raymond Carver
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.”
“I wonder . . . ?” is at the heart of all curiosity.
“Couldn’t we at least . . . ?” is the beginning of all progress.
“How can I help?” is at the base of all good relationships.
And “What truly matters?” helps get you to the heart of life.
This book started as a graduation speech. Given that, it is short and too the point. Like many graduation speeches, I am not sure how long I will remember it. Ryan is a good writer, an interesting person and obviously an excellent leader. I am sure that wherever he finds himself in life, life will treat him well.
I am very grateful to Ryan for the fact he quoted these two poems. I may remember the book more for Ryan’s reminder of how well a good poem can speak to many different people.
A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
Oh. give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
That swarm dilating round the perfect trees.
And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard;
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.
For this is love, and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.
Late Fragment by Raymond Carver
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.”