The Poem. . .

As a teacher, for the past several months, I have been observing the “disease” known as senioritis spread through a class of anxious, anticipating teenagers awaiting the final bell of high school to ring signaling that one chapter in their book of life was ending.  My memories floated far back to another time. . .as part of the choir, I had sung my last concert, as a part of the band, I drummed my last march, as part of the swim team, I swam my last lap. . . .I could keep the memories floating in but watching this senior class gather the last of their personal items from their lockers – the pictures of BFF’s, the forgotten gym socks, lost assignments - turning to give hugs to favorite teachers, and waves to fellow students, and for the last time walk down halls and out the doors where they had entered hundreds of times over the past four years, I began to recall the words of what I had always thought of as “MacArthur’s Poem.”

Many years ago, someone handed me a speech by General Douglas MacArthur.  As I pondered his words, I found that he had been so inspired by Samuel Ullman’s poem that he popularized it and kept a framed copy in his office while Supreme Allied Commander in Japan. He quoted it so often in his speeches that it became known as “MacArthur’s Credo.”

I think it is only fitting to share it with you during this season of graduation.  I hope that it will help you to always remember that age is only mind over matter and if you don’t mind it doesn’t matter! 

The Poem:

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years.
People grow old only by deserting their ideals.
Years wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles
the soul.

Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair . . .
these are the quick equivalents of the
long years that bow the head and turn
the growing spirit back to dust.

Whether 70 or 16, there is, in every being’s heart the love of
wonder, the sweet amazement of the stars, and the star-like
things and thoughts, the undaunted challenge of events,
the unfailing childlike appetite for “What Next?”

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt,

as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear,
as young as your hope, as old as your despair.

So long as your heart receives messages of
beauty, cheer, courage, grandeur and power from
the earth, from man and from the Infinite,
so long are you young.

When all the wires are down, and all the
central places of your heart are covered with
the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism,
then, and only then, are you grown old indeed,
and may God have mercy on your soul.

"Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice."  Ecclesiastes 4:13

God bless you! -RS