Way To Go
Here’s a nice measuring stick, we humans have got so few writ out so clearly:
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.”
Robert Heinlein (American science-fiction writer,1907-1988)
If schools focused on nothing else, the next generations could handle anything.
momleeb
Very interesting!
Barbara Sparhawk replied
Glad you think so, too, Momlee. I loved this when I first found it, I thought it kind of set everything straight.
billyboy
I was never taught how to butche a hog.
DAMN!
Barbara Sparhawk replied
Some folks don’t need all the skills, some have got more than regular, some could do whatever if they need to.
Like you. You good-lookin s.o.b., don’t you never die.
bites
I can cook a tasty meal and pitch manure have a few things to work on ; )
Barbara Sparhawk replied
Okay bites!!
I like this list, it’s kind of to-do. Robert Heinlein was a science fiction writer so I thought this must be the human astronaut’s response to a Martian in one of his stories, life on Earth for Earthlings all laid out. Or maybe instructions to a scientist making robots.
Thomas Pettit
Very nice post. Thanks for sharing this! :)
Hope you don’t mind that I had some fun with it… :)
“An Artist should be able to design a diaper, analyze an invasion, ride a hog, paint a ship, change a building, program a sonnet, butcher accounts, photograph a wall, sculpt a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, place orders, incor -perate, act gallantly, de -solve emultions, write a new problem, decline manure as a medium, build a computer, wish for a tasty meal, plan efficiently, die balance-d.”
Robert Heinlein modified by Thomas Pettit (American Digi-naut , 1963 – ?)
Barbara Sparhawk replied
THAT IS FABULOUS!!
Well done Thomas, deserves equal space and my guess is that Heinlein would have roared (and I did) and loved it (as I do) for your steady hits on the mark. Especially the “wish for a tasty meal”, too true, but they’re all good and totally appropos to the life.
I think the de-solve emultions is dissolve emulsions, but I don’t have spell check on this thing either, and it matters not because you’ve done a phenomenal job. Hysterically funny and so good. Dying balanced, I don’t know, far off dream.
Thomas Pettit
LOL
Quite correct, it would be spelled: emulsion
There is at least one supplier out there ignoring their spell check like me :) he he
• Chemsol Website
Must have been thinking about:
Emollition
n. The act of softening or relaxing; relaxation.
Great post anyway. love your love of historicity!
rosepepper
yep I would rather ride a hog than kill one… all together Thomas’s choices are much better although I still think pitching manure at times is an essential life skill!...lol
Barbara Sparhawk replied
Artist’s unite! I’m loving these variations on the theme. So much to learn about living, so little time. Hope you’re okay, rosepepper, that Australia’s recovering from these devastating weeks. Much love to you and yours…xxoo