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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Excuses....

My first day of 8th grade, Mr. Grant, my Social Studies teacher told us that we had to memorize a poem. He handed each of us a sheet of paper with a poem titled "Excuses".

He advised us that this was the poem we had to say in front of the whole class if we did not complete our homework assignment, a project or ever had an excuse to make.

This is the only thing I remember from 8th grade and this poem has stuck with me. But really only for me to tell other people why excuses suck for them.

If anyone makes an excuse, I always bust out this poem. Believe me, it is a little annoying but my sisters can recite it too, haha.

I am sure you are dying to know what the poem is, so here goes:

"Excuses are the tools of the incompetent
Used to build castles of nothingness
Those who excel in excuses
Never excel in anything but excuses
So I promise never to indulge in excuses"

I had to say this poem in front of my whole class in 8th grade because I failed to do my homework. I was a bad-ass even then.

I will tell you that I never said that poem in front of my class again. It was embarrassing and I refused to suffer that feeling once more. It was way more embarrassing than what my Spanish teacher made us do. If we were caught with gum we had to put it on our nose. That to me wasn't embarrassing, it was actually kinda funny!

This morning, I was ready to make an excuse not to do something and the hubster was quick to advise me why that was not OK. He said, "Hey, what's that poem again?" If it was possible for me to turn red, I would have.

Let's just say I am doing that chore today, haha.

So if you ever want to make an excuse, picture yourself in front of a big crowd. With everyone knowing why you stand before them. And then picture yourself saying the poem, with your head hanging low and your face hot as fire.

Chances are, that excuse will go just where it belongs.

And that my friends is the lesson for today. Excuses suck.

16 comments:

  1. Cute poem. I don't give excuses, I just flat out say I'm not doing it!

    There's a story in my family about me when I was 3 years old, my aunt told me to do something and I told her "you do what you have to do, and let me do what I want to do. Ok auntie?"

    Apparently I was too cute to get in trouble for that bit of rudeness, but from 3 years old up to now, I live by that principle. I don't do what I don't want to do, and I don't make excuses about it either.
    LOL

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  2. Hahaha, Dani!!! You are too funny! I can so picture you saying that at 3 years old too! Ha!

    Yeah, when I ever said I wasn't doing something when I was younger. My mom would just say, "Yes, you are!" That was the end of the discussion, haha. Actually, it wasn't even a discussion.

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  3. that is a cute poem! I guess its better to say 'no' than to make up an 'excuse' for not doing something.

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  4. It's cool that hubby was able to call you out and make you practice what you preach! Love it!

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  5. Lol! your hubster always has the best reminders! Gotta love that guy:-)

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  6. haha too cute!!!

    I'll have to tell my sister about this -- she is a 9th grade English teacher. I think this could be very effective =)

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  7. I actually make excuses all the time. Or to be more accurate, I procrastinate. Lack of time management is a really bad habit for me. And I always have some excuse about why I didn't get to whatever is was I said I'd get to. The real problem, it's become such a big part of who I am I no longer feel shame and guilt over it. That has to change, like, yesterday. Having Dr. appointments so often has helped me out a lot, but I still find myself rushing to get to them 5 or 10 minutes late. It's not a habit I want my son to see and I certainly don't want to pass it on to him. Because I now have a responsibility to someone greater than myself I know I will feel guilty if I don't get a handle on it. And just like yours, my husband loves to remind me when I'm making excuses or not being totally honest with myself. LOL.

    Great post. Thank you for sharing your poem with us. =)

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  8. Cute poem!

    http://foodfashionandflow.blogspot.com/

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  9. Wow, your teacher had a powerful tool to let you children learn to do your homework and now hubster has the same tool thanks to you :). Really, the poem is a great reminder not to live life on excuses.

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  10. What a good tool for a teacher to use...I bet that worked like a charm! :)

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  11. Wish we lived close. I think we would hang out b/c we think alike :)

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  12. Faith I know this poem by heart! My husband probably hates that I know it because from time to time, I like to say it to him. Makes him upset. Hehehe! :)

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  13. FAITH! This is freakin hilarious. I LOVE that poem!! I am posting it on my Facebook RIGHT NOW! Haha...

    Really great story. :)

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  14. That's a good one Faith... the only poem I remember from when I was little was from the back of a Burger King newsletter thing, it was:

    Sprite, Sprite Sprite
    It makes me feel just right
    Sprite fizzes and bubbles
    and takes away my troubles
    Sprite is the drink for me
    It makes me happy as can be...

    Worthless but fun! At least yours teaches a lesson :)

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  15. I would have loved to know the tiny-badass-Faith. I bet you were just darling!

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