Thursday, March 04, 2004

No it's not Sonny Bono!

I can't help but think of my Dad when I read the Desiderata poem in my entry below. I first read the poem on a poster that my Dad had hanging in his TV room back in 1976. It's also the year I met my Dad for the first time. Well, the first time that I remember. The year this photo was taken.  You see, I was adopted when I was a baby by my Step-Father. Until, the time of this picture, I didn't even know. I thought my Adoptive Father was my dad, actually my Daddy.

I don't really remember how it all came about. I know that it was after my Mom had divorced my Daddy and I was staying with my grandparents for the summer. After that time, my brother, Chris, and I would spend a couple of weeks each summer with my Dad and the rest of the time with my grandparents. I would read that poem every summer, over and over again. I fell in love with it. One year my Dad asked me what I wanted for a present, probably for my birthday, or Christmas, and I told him I wanted a copy of Desiderata. So, that year he got me a plaque with it on it.

The message is simple but quite meaningful. It brings me down to earth, yet lets me soar above the trees!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the line that goes, "If you compare yourself with others you will become vain and bitter for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself." It's a life lesson we all need to learn again and again. And I also love, "Strive to be happy," because it's not something that you would normally think to do. We all just want happiness to fall into our laps without having to try at all. Working towards happiness is work that is never wasted.

Anonymous said...

LOL ~ people think your dad looks like Sonny Bono? Well....maybe just a little. =)

Do you still have a relationship with your biological father?

XO ~ Bridgett

Anonymous said...

You have a very interesting journal here krobbie...So....did ya ask him out? Read mine if you need little push :) Just be yourself..it helps if you're a little crazy :) I'll be back to check on ya so ya better just do it :) ~Barb

Anonymous said...

HOLY SH*T! I thought that WAS Sonny Bono! LOL! Now I gotta go back and read your other entries. I'm trying to use this frickin alert thing to do the journals, so it might be a few. :-)

Gregg

Anonymous said...

oh yes that is something divorce does play hell on kids john

Anonymous said...

Hey Robbie!! I too was adopted by my step-father. I met my biological father when I was 19 years old. I was not told but found out when I "snoopingly" came across some papers of my mom. (Guess that's what I get from snooping huh?) But that is a WHOLE journal entry of its own honey!!! What a nice gift and what an extraordinary request from someone so young. I see the depths of your thoughts started early on. :-) Have a nice weekend
~RC~

Anonymous said...

OMG Krobbie, you're right!!! about being able to log on. It's me Beverly, starlitamker and I'm able to comment...WHOOOO HOOOO.....lol. Yahoo isn't so bad after all...lol. I LOVE the poem, I so try to live my life how is written. I've printed it out (hope you don't mind) so I can pin it on my cork board for daily reference and inspiration. THANK YOU for sharing. I was adopted too but not by family.

Love Bev

Anonymous said...

hey there robbie - it's about time i came to visit your journal, thanks for the comments you leave on both of mine from time to time. i'm your Dad's age, our oldest son is your age! i STILL have a copy of Desiderata hanging in the bedroom. it still works today, every bit as well as it did in the 60s and 70s. i'm going to check some of the links on your sidebar when i have time.

Anonymous said...

what a sweet entry

Anonymous said...

What a lovely memory. No wonder Desiderata means so much to you. Isn't it amazing; to think our parents were young once, too! I sometimes wonder about my parents' life was before they got married and had children. What their youth was like, how they were growing up. Some of my best talks with them involved quizzing them about their growing up years. Fascinating.

Anonymous said...

Funny, I had one of those posters about that same time it was the "thing" to have hanging on your wall. Well that and a poster of Rachel Welch wearing her stone age bikini hahaha Fond memories, hang on to them. Hugs Lanny

Anonymous said...

Wow... love this entry! Your dad looks hip in green. And isn't it amazing what little influences continue to affect us after so many years? I can see how, in that particular place in time - probably filled with confusion and a myriad of emotions I can't begin to comprehend - this poem would soothe you. Bring you down and lift you up. Great story, Robbie. :)

Anonymous said...

hey Robbie, it's me, ol' Igatherspeed....I've missed Journalland quite a bit! I have a lot of catching up to do, although I still don't have the time to do as much as I'd like...my new journal is (should be) finally up and running....go to www.opendiary.com and search for igatherspeed....it should work....I'll be back around to keep catching what's going on in your ruminations!

Anonymous said...

KAREN: I already sent you an email but like I said there, You are so right!

BRIDGETT: I never know if I’m spelling your name right. You leave off the “e” but your SN has an “e”. I will write an entry sometime about the relationship but yeah, there is one, somewhat. And, people really did mistake him for Sonny Bono.

BARB: I’m so glad you stopped by. I wouldn’t have found your journal otherwise. It’s great! And, when the time is right. I will definitely ask out the man. I don’t run into him often. Hopefully, it won’t be another 3 months. I wish I would have thought of SH day! Grrrr!

GREGG: You’ve been so missed! How are you liking the email alerts?

JOHN: Divorce can be rough. My mom’s been married 6 times! So, I’ve experienced my share of the shit it involves. ;-)

RC: I would love to read your entry about your experience, should you choose to write about it.

BEV: I am sooooooo glad it worked! I hope that means you won’t be a stranger. I just wish you would start another journal. There’s lots of free sites besides Yahoo!

MARIGOLD: Funny I never really thought what age you are, but I would have guessed mine probably. I like your journals. I try to stay up the best I can. I just don’t comment that often. Not sure how you’ll like my links. I try to add new stuff from time to time. My most recent addition is my Business/Finance link. I put that up so I would have easy access for researching stuff for school.

VANESSA: Thanks!

MUSE: I’m kind of the same way. My mom doesn’t reveal a lot and there’s so little I know about my father. It’s a strained/strange relationship. I’m hoping to go see him this year. I’d like to learn more before it’s too late.

Anonymous said...

LANNY: How funny! My dad didn’t have Raquel but he did have one of a cat hanging from a tree that said “Hang on Friday’s almost here” Or, something to that affect.

SLO: Actually, my dad is all in blue. LOL! It’s an old Polaroid shot that I scanned. I guess that’s why Polaroid isn’t doing too well in the age of digital. Your ability to see to the core of what this entry was about really touched me.

SETH: I was so happy to see you here! The last time I tried you on Opendiary.com nothing came up. But, I thought maybe it’s because you hadn’t made any entries yet. I’ll give it a try again today. Thanks for hanging in there.